Rob Pincus goes over some basics of every man's most nerve-racking form of concealed carry—appendix carry. Learn how it's done and why you should give it a try.
Source: The Talking Lead Channel
Learn More From Rob Pincus
Ruger Bearcat Shopkeeper, Sweet and Petite .22 Revolver
Ruger's classic .22 single-action revolver becomes even more compact with this bird’s head grip version available from Lipsey’s.
Enter the Shopkeeper
Some new-age guru said if you wish hard enough the things you desire will eventually come to you. Thanks to the psychically attuned folks at Ruger, the bird’s-head Bearcat I've been thinking of is now available. It's called the Shopkeeper, in honor of those businessmen who preferred the more easily concealed bird’s-head revolvers for protection in the old days.
The Shopkeeper is based on the current Ruger New Model Bearcat single-action .22 revolver, but with a few key changes. Unlike other versions of this revolver that contain some aluminum components, this one features an all-stainless-steel construction, including the ejector rod housing. The sights consist of a rounded blade up front, and a fixed square notch rear sight that's milled into the top strap. The barrel and ejector shroud have been shortened from 4 to 3 inches.
To accommodate a shorter distance for the ejector rod to travel, the rod's lever has been cut into a crescent shape. This allows it to move past the top of the reduced cylinder pinhead, all the way to the frame. The nonfluted cylinder is engraved with the same nature scene that graces other models. The bird’s-head grip is fitted with medallion rosewood grip panels. Like the other Ruger New Model single-actions, the Bearcat has a transfer bar safety that allows the gun to be carried with all six chambers loaded.
As expected, the fit and finish of the Shopkeeper are excellent. Some manufacturers provide factory-installed dings and scratches in the finish of their guns. But Ruger made sure this one arrived in pristine condition, as is only proper. The fit of the trigger guard to the receiver is so nicely done you have to look for the seam.
Smooth Operators
The shorter barrel and rounded grip of the Shopkeeper look terrific, and even better, proved to be fun to shoot as well. The hammer and trigger were both smooth operators, with the short, crisp trigger tipping the Lyman's digital trigger gauge at 4 pounds, 2 ounces. The bird’s-head grip seats itself comfortably and intuitively in the hand. The revolver's excellent balance and mild recoil make it a shoot-all-day kind of handgun.
The Shopkeeper was test fired with several flavors of .22 Long Rifle ammunition, ranging from bulk-box varieties to high-performance hollow points. Every round inserted and fired properly, but early on some would not eject, even with repeated taps from the ejector rod. This was not due to the shortened ejector. Removing the cylinder and tapping at the stuck cartridge cases with a cleaning rod showed they were stuck because of some factory-fresh chamber roughness. Over the course of testing, the rough chambers smoothed out and ran as expected.
Since the .22 revolver is technically a sub-compact handgun, accuracy testing was conducted using five 5-shot groups fired from a bench rest at 15 yards. This also happens to be a good plinking distance for new shooters. Groups hovered right around the 1.5-inch mark, with the best groups at the 1.25-inch range. Working from a bench rest at 25 yards was also a satisfying experience, with groups hovering comfortably around the 2- to 2.5-inch range.
What makes the Shopkeeper just that, a keeper, is that it offers both good looks and provides top-notch functionality. This version of the Ruger New Model Bearcat is a Lipsey’s exclusive item. So if you would like one, but you don't know which shops in your area are authorized Lipsey's dealers, then visit www.lipseys.com and click on DEALER FINDER to locate one near you.
Lipsey’s Ruger Bearcat Shopkeeper Specifications
Caliber: .22 LR
Capacity: 6 rounds
Barrel: 3”
Sights: Fixed
Frame: Satin Stainless Steel
Trigger: Single-Action
Length: 8”
Weight: 22 oz.
Options: Bird’s Head Hardwood grips, engraving
Suggested Retail Price: $649
Editor's Note: This article appeared in the October 21, 2013 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine.
El Paso Saddlery’s Stunning Ruger Bearcat Holster
El Paso Saddlery offers the Bearcat Shopkeeper owner an exquisite and authentic option to holster their .22 revolver.
It would be a shame to carry a beautiful Ruger Bearcat bird's head Shopkeeper in anything less than a quality western-style rig, like those provided by El Paso Saddlery.
A popular rig for those who want both period aesthetics and in-the-field functionality is the hybrid #44 Outfitter holster and belt. The holster has a rollover lining for an easy draw and the belt is sewn rough-side out so it will stay put on your waist.
But could a #44 rig be pulled together for a diminutive 3-inch barrel .22 revolver?
The answer was yes; it would not be a problem at all. The holster was trimmed down and the belt sewn with .22-friendly cartridge loops instead of the usual .45 caliber loops. The result was a handsome holster and belt that are a perfect match for this gun.
Investing in quality like this means they can be used and enjoyed together for years to come.
El Paso Saddlery offers a variety of holster and belt options for cowboy action shooting, concealed carry, and hunting handguns. They are willing to work with their customers to make the changes needed for a perfect fit.
Modifying the design or finish of an El Paso Saddlery carry system may change the delivery date or price point, but for what you get, it's well worth it! For more information, visit epsaddlery.com, or call 915-544-2233.
Must-Read Articles on Concealed Carry Holsters
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- What is an AIWB Holster? – Pros & Cons
- Best Concealed Carry Fanny Pack – Pros & Cons
Video: Sighting in a Rifle in Two Shots
Getting a rifle to knock the “X” out of the bull's eye can either be a pleasure or a frustration, depending on who's behind the trigger. Making matters a little more simple is Doug Painter of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who in this video gives a quick and easy technique to get a gun on target in two shots.
There seems to be two huge advantages to sighting in a rifle this way: It's a time saver and it cuts down on the ammunition needed to get scoped in. Given the fluctuations in ammo supplies as of late, the second factor certainly has become a consideration any time a shooter goes to the range.
Clever as the two-shoot technique appears to be, it does seem to demand a certain level of marksmanship to be effective. Consistent trigger pull and proper breath control are among a few of the skills that will have to be mastered in full before this method of sighting in can be expected to pay dividends. But once they have, this appears to be a valuable tool for a shooters to have in their repertoires.
Scope Out These Resources
ABCs of Rifle Shooting
Mastering the Art of Long Range Shooting
The Art Of The Rifle
Video: Crazy Russian Tactical Counter-Terror Drills
First off, ABSOLUTELY under no circumstances should you attempt what you are about to watch in this video. No ifs, ands or buts!
With that said, this without a doubt has to be one of the craziest set of live-fire tactical drills in use today. Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical, Inc., travels to Russia and gets a firsthand look at the tactical exercises in use by that county's Special Forces. As Vickers and the Russians explains in the video, the idea behind these drills are to prepare operators for counter-terror actions. They demand speed, accuracy and supreme judgement out of shooters under the tensest, yet the most delicate situations. Man, running through these drills would take nerves of steel and the chops to match.
Drills, Skills and Gear
Defensive Pistol Fundamentals
StealthGearUSA IWB Holster
Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense
AR-15 Review: The Colt AR15A4
Colt AR15A4 Review
I am a long time user of Colt rifles. As one of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children (USMC) I was issued a Colt M16A2, and that’s what I carried and qualified with for most of my 11-year career.
One of my first personally owned firearms that I purchased was a Colt AR-15 Sporter Match HBAR rifle, which I still own, and is my only experience with Colt since getting out of the Marines. In 2004, the Marine Corps retired the A2, and adopted the M16A4.
Improvements included a flattop receiver with removable carry handle and quad-rail hand guards made by Knight’s Armament Corporation (KAC).
A Colt for Today
Upon learning I would be reviewing the Colt AR15A4, I was curious to see if it would be made like my Sporter. As good as the Sporter was, it had some limitations compared to my old military-issued M16.
Bone Up On Legendary Colt Firearms
My least favorite feature was the pivot pin used instead of a front takedown pin. It didn’t allow for the upper receiver to be completely removed from the upper. It was a different size than standard takedown pins, so it couldn’t be replaced with a proper one either.
The half-bolt carrier group (BCG), made to prevent the gun owner from illegally modifying their AR to full auto, was also a feature of the old gun that I’d never been fond of, not because I ever had any intention of doing that, but because it made it harder to swap it out with standard aftermarket parts to ramp up its performance.
In fact, the old Sporter used several other nonstandard parts, such as the trigger pin and hammer pin that limit its customization using today’s wide variety of AR aftermarket parts.
Naturally, I wanted to see if Colt was still making their ARs with that forward takedown pin and half-BCG. So upon receiving the rifle the first thing was to look at the front takedown pin, which was in fact not a pivot pin (Colt did away with the pivot pin in the early 2000s). So far, so good.
Next was to open the two takedown pins and separate the receivers, then pull the charging handle and pop out the BCG. It is a standard BCG, and not a half-BCG. It’s a relief to see that Colt has corrected these discrepancies. Further, as of 2009 all pins are standard size.
First Impressions
My first impression is that it is very well made and it can be seen in the details. For example, the selector switch on many ARs has a little bit of play when in the safe position.
The AR15A4 doesn’t have that problem—the selector snaps securely into the safe position with absolutely no play. This is nothing short of a high-quality rifle with all the features you would expect from Colt. One other thing, having become accustomed to AR carbines, it’s been a long time since picking up a full-sized AR, and I have to say it felt good.
The AR15A4 is nearly identical to the M16A4 in every way, with a few notable exceptions. First and most noticeable is the select fire. The M16A4 has burst capabilities for military use, while the AR-15A4 does not.
Second, the selector switch is ambidextrous. Another difference is the AR15A4 has M4 feed ramps, which is not really necessary on a full-size rifle, but it definitely doesn’t hurt, either.
Less noticeable, inside the lower receiver behind the trigger group and hammer is a sear web built in to prevent illegal modifications. Another difference from the A4 issued to Marines is the front handguard.
The Marine Corps issues their rifles with KAC quad-rails, but understandably Colt is not going to equip their rifles with accessories from a competitor, so they went with A2-style handguards.
It comes in two other model configurations: the AR15A4MP-FDE, which is nearly identical except for Flat Dark Earth (FDE) Magpul MOE furniture and an MBUS Gen 2 rear site; and the AR15A4MPFDE, which has all that plus the receivers are FDE coated.
The rifle has a good trigger and trigger reset. It’s definitely not an aftermarket trigger, but feels exactly like a government-issue trigger because it is. Some might complain about that, but this is what a grunt cuts his teeth on, and it works. It’s not the lightest and smoothest, but it’s rock solid and dependable.
Full-Sized Functionality
AR carbines have taken the market by storm, but there are benefits to the full-sized AR rifle. The extra barrel length adds weight out front, so muzzle rise is negligible. It’s easy to forget how fast follow-up shots are with the full-length rifle.
Some would argue that the full-length gas system is also more reliable than carbine length. While technically that could be true, carbine-length ARs are still incredibly reliable so it’s almost a moot point.
The longer barrel also means increased muzzle velocity that equates to better long-range performance, which is why the Marine Corps chose it.
Since it is nearly the same rifle issued to Marines, it also functions just as reliably. The rifles issued at training units and regular units have seen a lot of use and abuse. Yet, of all the dozens of M16s I’ve fired in 11 years, I can count the number of malfunctions I’ve had on one hand and most of those were blanks being used for force-on-force training.
The M16A2, and subsequently the A4, are the gold standards of reliability, and I trust them with my life. The AR15A4 is no different. In the 400 rounds I put through it, I had not one hiccup. That is out of the box with no cleaning, just three drops of CLP.
The ammo used for testing was American Eagle 62-grain 5.56x45mm NATO XM855 and a couple of magazines of Independence Ammo 55-grain AR 5.56 FMJ. The AR15A4 chewed through them like nothing. Sighting in, the A4 performed impressively. At 25 meters, with iron sights, it took two shots to get to center, then shots three, four and five were all touching.
With an Aimpoint PRO, the three five-shot rapid-fire groups could each be covered with not much more than a Kennedy half-dollar.
From a standing rapid fire, at 25 yards, a whole magazine was dumped inside of a plate-size area. Without a doubt this rifle will perform just the same as the M16A4s being issued. That is, at 500 meters all rounds could be placed in the bull’s-eye of a man-sized target.
Shooting the AR15A4 is a pleasure. Not that any 5.56/.223 AR has a lot of recoil, but with the reduced muzzle flip of the longer barrel and gas system, this thing can really rock and roll, and stays on target while doing so.
It’s been a really long time since I’ve fired a full-size AR, and let me tell you, it just felt right. It brought back a lot of memories, and more importantly it reminded me that if tight quarters aren’t an issue, the full-sized rifle is a superior weapon.
Colt AR15A4
5.56×45 NATO
Semi-Automatic
Aluminum
Chrome-lined, 20-inch government profile barrel with 1:7 RH twist
30-round Magpul
Single stage
A2 front, A2 detachable handle rear
Full-sized A2 style stock
7.71 lbs.
39.5 in.
$1,270
colt.com
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Colt Firearms Announces Spring Fever Promotion
As one of the longest-running manufacturers of the modern sporting rifle, Colt Firearms has earned its stripes when it comes to the firearm.
The Connecticut-based company has built a dedicated following, gun owners who are willing to go the extra mile just to have Colt stamped on their lower receiver. With dedication like that the company rarely has to sweeten the pot to get a shooter behind the trigger of one of its rifles.
Colt, however, is going the extra mile, recently giving potential buyers another reason to choose the iconic gunmaker.
The company announced it is giving away a free gun case with the purchase of any new modern sporting rifle in its Spring Fever Promotion. And like anything associated with Colt Firearms, the gun case the company is offering is top shelf.
The Bulldog’s black Standard Tactical Case is a solid fit for the modern sporting rifle, including all the options a shooter needs.
The case has a specia
lized designed with a reverse slant that allows the proper carrying of a carbine or rifle with the scope up. And it is built to fully protect the firearm from not only bumps, but also the elements.
It features extra thick padding along the side for maximum shock absorption. And the case is manufactured with a water-resistant outer shell to protect the gun in inclement conditions.
The case also has a dash of style. It is embroidered with the Rampant Colt and Serpentine Colt logos and is outfitted with Colt-branded zippers.
In order to receive the Bulldog rifle case, customers need to complete a request form and upload a proof-of-purchase scan at colt.com/springfever. The rifle case will then be shipped directly to the customer from Bulldog. The promotions run now through May 31, 2014.
Recommended AR-15 Resources
Thinking about buying an AR-15 or decking yours out with all the bells and whistles? Then you need the Gun Digest Book of the AR-15 Series Set!
Gun Digest the Magazine, April 17, 2014
Gun Digest the Magazine is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. With a subscription to Gun Digest the Magazine, readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews, how-to instructions and Second Amendment issues.
Inside This Issue:
- Best New Turkey Guns and Loads
- Plan a Road Trip
- Ruger Redhawk Review
- Top Sporting Clays Courses
- Guns for Sale and More!
Click here to start a subscription to Gun Digest. A digital download of the individual issue is also available.
Did you receive a suspicious subscription offer? A bogus company is sending out Gun Digest the Magazine subscription scams.
Recommended: Looking for digital back-issues of Gun Digest the Magazine? Click here
– Instant Downloads
– PDF format
– More great gun reviews and articles!
CMMG’s New AR Rifle Line Offers Versatile Hand Guard
If CMMG’s latest edition to its AR rifle lineup appears familiar, it should. The base components that go into the Mk4 T series are used in a majority of the Missouri manufacturer’s other AR rifles.
What is different in the line is the addition of the company’s new RKM11 KeyMod free-floating hand guard and a 1913 Picatinny upper rail.
The hand guard adds an element of versatility to the platform with KeyMod slots at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions. The slots give a lower-profile mounting option compared to Picatinny rails. But if your are Picatinny dedicated the company offers five-slot adapter rails, attachable to any of the KeyMod slots.
There are four rifles available in the new AR rifle line, including 5.56×45 NATO, .300 AAC Blackout, 9mm and .22 long rifle.
The 5.56mm and .300 BLK models are offered with either a 416 stainless steel or a nitrided 4140 chrome-moly steel barrel in a medium taper profile. The 9mm and .22 LR versions come standard with the nitride 4140 chrome moly M4 profile barrel.
CMMG Mk4 T Specifications:
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO/.300 AAC Blackout/9mm/22 long rifle
Barrel: 16″ medium weight tapered profile (5.56mm, 300 BLK)
Muzzle: A2 Comp., Threaded ½-28 (5.56mm, 22LR), ½-36 (9mm), 5/8-24 (300 BLK)
Hand Guard: CMMG RKM11 KeyMod hand guard
Upper Receiver: Forged 7075-T6 AL M4
Lower Receiver: Forged 7075-T6 AL AR15
Trigger: Single stage mil-spec style trigger
Furniture: A2 pistol grip, M4 butt stock with 6-position mil-spec receiver extension
Weight: 6.3 pounds (unloaded)
Length: 32 inches (stock collapsed)
MSRP: 5.56mm/.330 BLK Bead Blasted 416 1:7 Twist Barrel, 30-roundd PMAG $1,049; 5.56mm SBN Nitrided 4140 CrMo 1:7″ Twist 30-rd PMAG $999.95; 9mm Nitrided 4140 CrMo 1:10″ Twist 32-rd $1,149.95; .22LR Nitrided 4140 CrMo 1:16″ Twist 25-rd R3 $899.95.
Recommended AR Resources
Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to the AR-15
3 Laser Sights Worth Drawing a Bead On
When it comes to aiming devices, laser sights are becoming more and more popular. They are smaller, more convenient and more compatible with more handguns than ever before. Here are three laser sights definitely worth drawing a bead on.
Crimson Trace Rail Master
The CMR-204 (green) and the CMR-205 (red) lasers are new models that also have LED lights in the same unit. They have Secure Lock technology that will match many firearms and can be removed and snapped onto another gun in seconds. The device is waterproof up to one meter and it runs on a CR-2 battery. The green model gets two hours of burn time and the red one gets up to four hours. The units can be run with both light and laser, laser only, light only, laser with strobe and just the light in strobe mode. ($270, crimsontrace.com)
LaserMax Micro
The Micro is perfect for compact and sub-compact handguns that have Picatinny or Weaver rails. Small and lightweight, it only takes up one inch of rail space and therefore, is compatible with numerous handguns. It has a sleep mode that protects against unintentional draining of the battery—after ten minutes the laser automatically switches off. The gun owner can easily install the Micro on the rail with minimal effort. ($130, lasermax.com)
Veridian CSL
Veridian’s bestselling unit is the C5L and most likely it is because it will fit on any gun with a rail. It has a green laser and a 100-lumen tactical light that also has a strobe setting. The unit fits snug between the muzzle and trigger guard, with no overhang to snag on a holster. It has Instant-On activation technology that turns on the laser as soon as the gun is drawn from an enhanced combat readiness-equipped holster. It runs on a CR2 battery that will last four hours with the laser alone and an hour-plus with the light and laser used together. ($349, viridiangreenlaser.com)
This article appeared in the Dec. 30, 2013 edition Gun Digest the Magazine.
Photo Gallery: New Revolvers for 2014
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When it comes to dependability and versatility in handguns it's hard to beat revolvers. Not to mention, there is just something eye catching about the classic lines of wheelguns. This year's new market offerings in the way of revolvers have plenty to offer. Whether you're shopping for a revolver for self defense, competition or hunting one of the 11 following guns has you covered.
Recommended Revolver Resources
Gun Digest Book of the Revolver
Concealed Carry: What To Do If You Are “Made”
At a defensive pistolcraft class I was running one of the students with a carry permit asked what might happen if somebody noticed they were armed.
This is practically never discussed at the concealed weapons qualification classes and should be a minimal risk if common sense is used in manner of carry and concealing garments.
It does happen occasionally and, as a matter of fact has—oops!—even happened to me.
Us cops call it “being made” and it merits at least a little thought to keep an awkward moment from becoming dangerous.
Getting made usually occurs one of two ways: (1) “drops” and (2) “prints.”
Believe it or not, cops get calls from citizens who report, “Somebody just dropped a gun on the floor in the bathroom at my store.” It happens.
What to do with your gun while sitting on the throne is one of those awkward little pieces of business that you have to pay attention to. Don’t hang the gun by the trigger guard on the garment hook on the back of the stall door! (The wrong tug can cause an accidental discharge.)
Rather than let the holster and gun clank on the deck when your pants drop, keep a grip on it with your strong side hand and learn to tidy up with your weak-side hand. This keeps the gun and holster above the level of the gaps at the bottom of the stalls. Or use the “handicapped” stall. They usually have more distance between the walls and the toilet so nobody can catch a peek at your “hardware.”
Far more common is that somebody who knows what to look for sees the outline of the gun through the covering garment or catches a glimpse of the holster or mag pouch if you do some awkward movements.
This is known as “printing” and it happened to me three times. Once at a restaurant with an open backed chair. Once at a lumber yard where I was reaching high to load material on my truck and once at the car repair shop when I bent way over to look in the engine compartment. The response was different each time.
The first time at the lumber yard a guy walking behind me just asked, “You got a permit for that?” “Yep”, I immediately answered and pulled out my badge.
At the repair shop shortly after I finished talking to the tech guy, a marked unit pulled up to the bay and a local deputy contacted me. The manager had called it in and a unit was close. I showed him my ID and we ended up talking “shop” for about a half an hour.
At the restaurant, another patron stopped by our table and asked me a code question cops use and I gave the right answer. (I won’t disclose the code but if you have any cop buddies you might ask them to share it with you.) It was so discreet that my wife didn’t even figure out what happened until I told her when we got in the car.
In every case I was wearing a small frame semi-auto in an inside-the-belt, thumb snap holster covered by an outer garment. It must have worked pretty well most of the time because I only got made three times in thirty one years.
What was common to each one of those instances was this important tip. Immediately apologize for disclosing that you are armed and then say “I’m going to show you my permit.” Very S L O W L Y get out your wallet and your permit.
If you are contacted by a police officer they may move close to you when they first approach. This is to put them within disarming distance if you make a sudden move. Believe me, you do NOT want this to happen, so keep both of your hands raised in front with your palms out and politely ask “May I show you my permit?” if they move in close and ask if you are carrying a gun.
What you do not want to happen is to be made and appear in any way belligerent or aggressive. One such citizen complaint is likely to get your permit pulled. With a cop it will probably get you busted.
Getting made? Carry every day and you either have been or should assume you will be eventually. If it happens, be cool. Remain polite. And stay safe.
Video: In Memory Of Mr. Kalashnikov, 700 Round AK Burn
Firing 700 rounds through an AK seems a fitting tribute to the late Mikhail Kalashnikov and his ever-reliable design. But will the gun used in this test catch on fire, melt or ultimately triumph? Watch the video and find out.
I Recommend these AK-47 Resources:
The Gun Digest Book of the AK & SKS
AK47: The Complete Kalashnikov Family of Rifles
The Insanity of Gun Registrations, Restrictions
There have been some pretty shocked politicians in Hartford and Albany the past couple weeks. The source of their befuddlement? The noncompliance of gun owners.
Apparently the gun and magazine restrictions Connecticut and New York recently enacted have struck a sour note with the citizenry.
Only a smattering of gun owners have lined up to register their “assault weapons” and “high capacity magazines” in Connecticut. Things do not appear much better for the applicable firearms in New York, though it is hard to tell for certain given the state refuses to divulge compliance numbers.
These acts of civil disobedience have left some politicians downright slack-jawed. But should they really be surprised with the citizens' reaction to what have been perceived as unjust laws? Not at all. The history of gun registrations and restrictions more than readily predicted the present outcome.
J.D. Tuccille detailed the subject just before the most recent rounds of gun-control laws were hustled through the state legislatures. His lengthy piece is worth dedicating some time too, the Reason.com editor does a comprehensive job dissecting the history and failure of gun registrations and restrictions, here and abroad. And the results he details are dismal. How dismal? Well, consider what was perhaps the most successful gun-control push in America:
The high water mark of American compliance with gun control laws may have come with Illinois’s handgun registration law in the 1970s. About 25 percent of handgun owners actually complied, according to Don B. Kates, a criminologist and civil liberties attorney, writing in the December 1977 issue of Inquiry.
That's gun-crazy America for you. Or is it? When you plumb the data concerning gun registrations and restrictions around the globe you come to find the United States is hardly a solitary figure when it comes to noncompliance. Tuccille touches on exactly how distasteful gun-control policies have been off American soil, combing through the Small Arms Survey:
[T]he United Kingdom, with just shy of 1.8 million legal firearms, has about four million illegal guns. Belgium, with about 458,000 legal firearms, has roughly two million illegal guns. In Germany, the number is 7.2 million legal guns and between 17 and 20 million off-the-books examples of things that go “bang” (a figure with which the German Police Union very publicly agrees). France, says the Survey, has 15-17 million unlawful firearms in a nation where 2.8 million weapons are held in compliance with the law.
Some back-of-the-envelope math from the numbers supplied from the Small Arms Survey puts the European Union's overall registration compliance rate at around 36 percent. But the Europeans' rebellious streak is hardly the most damning example Tuccille presents in the article. Instead, the most disturbing aspect of the report — in context to recent events — deals with New York. The state has had strict firearms registration laws since the Sullivan Act was passed in 1911. And the city of New York has among the strictest laws anywhere in the country regarding firearm ownership. But these rules and regulations have done little to get citizens to snap in line:
In a city that, as I write [Dec. 22, 2013], has roughly 37,000 licensed handgun owners and about 21,000 rifle and shotgun licenses, the running guesstimate of illegal firearms stands at two million, give or take a bit. That’s the number the U.S. Department of Justice has used in its official publications in recent years.
That works out to around a 3-percent compliance rate in the Big Apple, but citizens can hardly be blamed for their reluctance to be counted. Registrations have lead to confiscation, which has been attributed as a factor of worse governmental-sanctioned atrocities throughout history. Not to mention, the policy's stated goal of violence reduction is dubious (this and this offer a couple more perspectives on this subject).
So domestically and globally, it is no surprise rebellion appears to be the norm when it comes to gun registrations and restrictions. What is shocking, given these unfeasible policies' history, are elected officials trying them again, but this time anticipating they will work. Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein had a name for something attempted over and over again with the expectation of different results — insanity.
Recommended:
Video: World’s Fastest Trap Shooter
Think you're quick breaking clays? Hate to break it to you, but you most likely don't hold a candle to John Yeiser IV. The high-speed shooter set the Guinness World Record as the world's fastest trap shooter Nov. 7, 2013, when he set the 16-yard line on fire. Yeiser broke 25 clays in 64.14 seconds — following American Trap Association rules — at the Green Head Gun Club in San Diego. Just watch the video to see his record-setting performance. The man is a relentless shell-shucking, pigeon-busting machine. Yeiser was armed with a 12-gauge Fabarm XLR5 Velocity, outfitted with IC choke, 92 millimeters in length. He was firing off 2 3/4 Winchester AA Tracker shells, loaded with No. 8 shot.
Recommended Shotgun Resources
Gun Digest Book of Trap & Skeet Shooting
Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Shotguns
The Practical Mathematics of the .22 Caliber Firearm
Let me make my case for the .22 Long Rifle as the ultimate survival choice in terms of rifle cartridges. What does the .22LR have that would make someone even consider it as a survival choice, let alone the best all-round?
I was able to find a chart on the Internet that compared the weights of various pistol and rifle (both rimfire and centerfire) cartridges in bulk. I did a bit of checking on my own using a postal scale, and found it took 143 rounds of .22LR to equal 16 ounces.
Digging a bit deeper, I learned that one pound equals:
•10 rounds of 12-gauge shells
• 21 rounds of 30-30 cartridges
• 23 rounds of .243 cartridges
• 17 rounds of .30-06 cartridges
My point? Though very much concerned with pinpoint accuracy, I am also a believer in the mantra: Peace (or Continued Existence) through Superior Firepower.
That said, I would opt for 143 effective, though admittedly circumstantially limited, cartridges over 17 or 21 or 23 bigger, more powerful rounds. The bottom line is the .22LR offers the option to carry an absolutely ridiculous number of rounds easily; the others, not so much.
Even in the most out-of-the-way country grocery store, there’s almost a 100-percent chance they’re going to have a box—or several boxes—of some sort of .22LR ammunition lying around.
Inside 100 yards, you should be able to hit what you are shooting at easily with a .22LR. If it’s a meal you’re in need of, there’s really no cause to look further than a .22LR. Whether it’s red squirrel or cottontail rabbit or sitting duck, the .22LR works with precision shot placement.
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