TULSA, OK — Tulsa Police say one of two men shot during a violent home invasion early Thursday morning has died. They identified him as 18-year-old Darreon Carter.
Carter was shot in the head and leg. The secondsuspect, 23-year-old Daniel Holman, remains in critical condition in a Tulsa hospital. He was shot in the head and stomach.
The men were shot by the resident in the apartment in what police say was a case of self-defense. Read more
Early in the War on Terror, the Afghan National Army asked coalition forces for NATO weapons to replace the aging Soviet-Era AK-47’s it had been using for years.
As part of the NATO contribution, Canada donated 2,500 surplus C-7 rifles, the main battle rifle of the Canadian Army. Recently the Afghans returned those C-7’s, in favor of the venerable M-16.
According to the Winnipeg Free Press, “with a renewed focus on training, NATO has quietly decided that the entire Afghan force should be equipped with American M-16s, of which the C-7 is a variant.”
“The M-16 provided by the United States is very similar to the C-7, however their parts are not interchangeable,” said Maj. Andre Salloum, an Ottawa-based spokesman for Canada's overseas command. “As such, the decision was made to recover the C-7 weapons and return them to Canada for disposal.”
Of note, while the Canadian Army supplied its C-7, “the U.S. decided to kick in as well, sending some 104,000 M-16s between 2007 and 2009.”
Interestingly, the Canadians pegged the value of the donated rifles at just under $3 million. However, it cost another $6 million to deliver the rifles and provide 5.56 ammunition. No word as to what it will cost to ship the C-7’s back to Canada.
A new interactive website called Firearms Safety Techniques is designed to help reduce off-duty accidental firearms incidents. The new website was developed by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center and includes information and video presentations that highlight aspects of safe firearms handling. For more information about privately owned firearms safety and to access a link to the new website, visit the U.S. Army/Combat Readiness/Safety Center web site, https://safety.army.mil/
In modern combat zones where soldiers take fire from snipers, it is well-known that carrying a recognizable marksman rifle turns you into a very tempting target. That's one thing that the Iron Ridge Engineering IRA-10 Heavy-Duty Precision Rifle has going for it: It looks like an AR-10, but is really a long-range marksmanship rifle, so it doesn't scream “sniper” as obviously as a bolt-action rifle.
But that's not the only exciting thing about this semi-automatic weapon. AT SHOT Show 2010, I talked with Greg Hult, Director of Law Enforcement Sales for Iron Ridge about the weapon system. Hult said the rifle had been put to the test by Frank Galli of Sniper's Hide. Below you can see video of Galli using the platform to test a U.S. Optics scope. With its Mag-Pul PRS stock, and lightweight 4.5-lb. proprietary IRA series G2 trigger, the IRA-10 provides the sharpshooter with bolt-action accuracy and AR-10 repeatability – the best of both worlds.
Hult had me try a trigger on a cut-away stock to assess the feel. It is just about as good as they get – glass smooth, and not too light as to be unmanageable. The trigger feels lighter than it really is due to its smoothness.
Here are a few more specs on the rifle:
– 7075-T6 Single Billet Aluminum – Type 3 Hard Anodized Coating – IRA Series G2 Trigger 4.5 Lbs – Quad Picitinny Rail – Mag-Pul PRS Stock – Mag-Pul MIAD Grip – 4 Mag-Pul .308 LAR Mags – Full Size Hard Case
Iowa Sheriff Doug Weber was ordered to take a class on the First Amendment after denying a conservative activist a concealed carry permit based on the applicant's views.
It was wrong for Osceola County Sheriff Douglas Weber to deny Paul Dorr of Ocheyedan a permit to carry a concealed weapon three years ago, according to a court ruling issued Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett also ordered Weber to successfully complete a court-approved course on the U.S. Constitution within five months.
"In denying (Dorr) a concealed weapons permit, Sheriff Weber single-handedly hijacked the First Amendment and nullified its freedoms and protections," Bennett wrote in the ruling.
Anger over the sheriff's denial of the gun permit was a factor in inspiring some grass-roots activists to push for changes to Iowa's weapons law. Starting Jan. 1, a new law requires sheriffs to issue gun permits except under a narrow set of circumstances.
Bennett ruled that Weber's denial of Dorr's gun permit in 2007 trampled his free speech rights because the sheriff was retaliating against Dorr for publicly protesting, passing out leaflets and writing letters to newspaper editors on a variety of topics.
"The court finds a tsunami, a maelstrom, an avalanche, of direct uncontroverted evidence in Sheriff Weber's own testimony to conclude beyond all doubt that he unquestionably violated the First Amendment rights of … Paul Dorr," Bennett wrote in the decision. Read more
Nevada Senator Harry Reid claims to be a defender of the Second Amendment. Is that really the case? You decide. Here is a list of votes he has cast over the past twenty years in the U.S. Senate:
1. June 28, 1991—Voted for a 5 day waiting period for handgun purchases (Vote No. 115).
2. November 19, 1993—Voted to eliminate the five-year sunset in the Brady Bill's five day waiting period, which would have made the waiting period permanent (Vote No. 386).
3. November 19, 1993—Voted to end a filibuster led by pro-gun Senators against the Brady Bill (Vote No. 387).
4. November 20, 1993—Voted for the Brady Bill, which imposed a 5-day waiting period before purchasing a handgun (Vote No. 394).
5. August 25, 1994—Voted to end a filibuster led by pro-gun Senators against the Clinton Crime Bill, which contained the ban on many semi-automatic firearms (the so-called "assualt weapons ban; Vote No. 294).
6. August 25, 1994—Voted for the Clinton Crime Bill, which contained the ban on many semi-automatic firearms (the so-called "assault weapons" ban; Vote No. 295).
7. April 17, 1996—Voted to expand the statute of limitations for paperwork violations in the National Firearms Act from 3 years to 5 years (Vote No. 64).
8. June 27, 1996—Voted to destroy 176,000 M-1 Garand rifles from World War II, and 150 million rounds of .30 caliber ammunition, rather than giving them to the Federal Civilian Marksmanship program (Vote No. 178).
9. September 12, 1996—Voted to spend $21.5 million for a study on putting "taggants" in black and smokeless gunpowder (Vote No. 287).
10. September 12, 1996—Voted to make it a Federal crime to possess a gun within 1,000 feet of any school, private or public, and impose a 5-year prison sentence for violating the law (Vote No. 290). Read more
The 13-6 vote was not a surprise. Democrats outnumber Republicans 12-7 on the committee, and their ranks include the anti-gun extreme wing of their party, such as Charles Schumer, Dianne Feinstein and Dick Durbin.
Six Republicans opposed Kagan, with only turncoat Lindsey Graham of South Carolina voting to confirm the anti-gunner.
As this important battle moves to the Senate floor, it is important to keep the heat on all Senators — especially Democrats coming from rural states who claim to support the Second Amendment. If a handful of these Senators vote NO on Kagan, her confirmation could be defeated.
While Kagan does not have a record of judicial opinions, her views on the Second Amendment are no mystery. Some things that have come to light since her nomination include: * While serving in the Clinton administration, Kagan drafted an executive order to ban certain semi-automatic firearms; * As a law clerk, she advised against the Supreme Court considering Sandidge v. United States in a case that questioned the constitutionality of the D.C. gun ban, writing that she was "not sympathetic" to the gun owner's Second Amendment claims; and
* Kagan was also part of the Clinton team that pushed the firearms industry to include gun locks with all gun purchases and was in the Clinton administration when the President pushed legislation that would close down gun shows. Read more
This decision does not fundamentally change our continued need to fight to preserve and advance our right to keep and bear arms.
In the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito stated, “We made it clear in Heller that our holding did not cast doubt on such longstanding regulatory measures as “prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill,” “laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.” Id., at ___–___ (slip op., at 54–55). We repeat those assurances here. Despite municipal respondents’ doomsday proclamations, incorporation does not imperil every law regulating firearms.
What Justice Alito and the court is saying is simple: your right to keep and bear arms is fundamentally guaranteed so long as you abide by the state and federal laws which restrict those same rights.
In the end, some of the worst gun control may be struck down. In some cases, it may only take a few months. Other cases will grind through repeal after repeal. More supreme court cases in 2-5 years are all but guaranteed.
Meanwhile, anti-gunners will seize on every upheld state law as an opportunity to pass new gun control and they will respond to every defeated gun control law with new legislation designed to continue their anti-gun crusade (as congress did with the gun-free school law after it was struck down and the District of Columbia after losing in the Heller case).
Even anti-gun groups like New Yorkers Against Gun Violence are trumpeting the ruling and pointing out that wording of the ruling means, “your [Second Amendment] rights can be restricted.” Read more
Extreme Shock Ammunition has announced that it will be producing its own line of high quality copper plated, lead core ammunition under the brand name “Allegiance Ammunition.
This new line of ammunition comes in response to the demand for affordable, high quality ammunition and a shortage of components in the market.
Each Allegiance round will undergo the same strict quality control procedures as the Extreme Shock tactical line. The 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .223 and .308 will have the case mouth and primer sealed, or waterproofed to US mil spec standard.
This procedure will give the Allegiance brand of ammunition an estimated 20-year shelf life. Allegiance is economically priced for target shooting, yet performance enhanced for self-defense situations.
Though the .380 ACP is the first caliber available, a 9mm will be available in late October, 2010, with .40 S&W, .45ACP, .223 and .308 following soon after.
MSRP for a 50-round box of Allegiance .380 ACP is $23.66. To learn more about Allegiance Ammunition, call (276) 926-6827. To learn more about the full range of products offered from Extreme Shock Ammunition, visit www.extremeshockusa.net
The Model 11-87 Sportsman Field shotgun is no cheap knock-off, but is designed with the wallet in mind. Available in 20 and 12 gauge, it sports many of the features that made the original Model 11-87 so great.
I BOUGHT MY first Remington Model 11-87 a year after the shotgun’s debut, which – perhaps not surprisingly – was in 1987. Mine was a purchase born out of necessity, or so I reasoned. I’d been invited to the Finger Lakes Region of central New York to hunt Canada geese, and didn’t, as the saying goes, have a thing to wear. Or in my case, a thing to shoot. A brief discussion with Rich Vance of Vance’s Sporting Goods in Columbus, Ohio, and a few dollars saved from a bartending gig, and I was headed home in the company of the familiar long cardboard box treasured by all shooters.
Today, my original M11-87 is semi-retired; however, over the course of its 22-year coast-to-coast life, it accounted for a tremendous variety of game, both furred and feathered, ranging from whitetails to grey fox to my first harlequin tagged on Washington state’s Birch Bay. Certainly, the piece looks its age – scars, scratches, dents, and wear – but then again, so too do I. That said, the autoloader has never once failed me, and that says a lot given the muck and mire and general abuse to which I oft-expose my firearms.
Recently, I had the opportunity to work with the M11-87s 21st Century cousin, a spin-off known simply as the M11-87 Sportsman Field. And while it’s true I did notice some, let’s call them, economical downgrades which set this version apart from its older brother, the Sportsman Field is definitely not a cheap knock-off; rather, a well-made – and actually quite nice-looking – piece designed with the wallet-watching ‘fowler or clays enthusiast in mind.
Technically Speaking
Like the original M11-87, and the wildly-successful M1100 before it, the Sportsman Field is a gas-operated autoloader of, at least in my opinion, elemental design. Operational innards, i.e. the gas-regulating system for the 12-gauge model consists of a barrel-mounted gas cylinder and separate gas collar; a gas piston and barrel seal, also known as the familiar Remington O-ring, ride the magazine tube, and round out the assembly. It was interesting to note the 20-gauge version also included a thin-walled barrel seal activator in addition to the twin pistons and O-ring.
A second item of note is the 20-gauge’s skeletonized action bar assembly, the component which travels fore and aft on the magazine tube, and upon which the bolt rides. I’m assuming the change was not prompted by cosmetics, as the muzzle-most portion of the assembly is encased, and thus concealed, by the forearm.
Aesthetically, as well as operationally, the Sportsman Field remains, for the most part, Old School M11-87. Checkered American walnut, matte finish, twin beads, ventilated rib, simple one-piece two-pin trigger group, cross-bolt safety – this really is your father’s M11-87, with the exception of a gold-plated trigger and a nickel-plated bolt. Both of these upgrades, I’ll call them, are purely visual; an effort to psychologically transform a mid-priced autoloader into something slightly more upper crust, perhaps.
Barrel length options are 28 inches for the 12-bore, and 26 for the 20-gauge. Both feature 3-inch chambers, and both come packaged with a single choke tube, which in this case is modified. Both models, too, sport Remington’s ‘R’ logo laser-engraved on the pistol grip cap.
My Personal Report Card
Overall, my only less-than-positive comments about the Sportsman Field either are related to cosmetics or have to do, I’m sure, with the company’s goal to produce a reliable yet affordable shotgun; a note which then translates directly back to the aforementioned cosmetic factor. For example, while I would imagine the nickel-plated bolt lends somewhat to corrosion-resistance, the golden trigger is but gingerbread on an otherwise relatively utilitarian firearm, and as such, seems slightly out of place.
Sling swivels are absent, as perhaps they should be on a piece of this nature and price point – NOTE: New-in-box firearms can be found online from $600 to $660 – as is the traditional slotted recoil pad, both elements I do enjoy having. And yes, it’s nitpicky and has everything to do with visuals, but I do miss the M1100’s white diamond inset on the underside of the pistol grip. Call me sentimental, if you wish.
To break from the discussion on aesthetics, I have experienced two mechanical problems, perse, with my M11-87s during the time I’ve owned them. On three or four different occasions, the feed latch, a long flat piece located on the inboard ejection port side of the receiver responsible for holding rounds inside the magazine tube, on my 1988 model has detached while in use afield.
While not rendering the shotgun inoperable, it does effectively transform an autoloader into a single shot – and that’s a somewhat frustrating situation when the mallards are on the move. The second situation involved my wife’s M11-87 (1994) and a broken breech bolt buffer, the hard plastic sleeve encasing the rearward portion of the firing. This I attributed, albeit unscientifically, to my installation of a Sure Cycle System in this particular piece, and the subsequent increased impact force imparted on the rear of the bolt upon firing. In the first instance, the feed latch was reinstalled by a local gunsmith; the broken bolt, on the other hand, was quickly replaced, no questions asked, by the folks at Remington.
Positively speaking, the Sportsman Field offers plenty. Internally, the switch from a two-piece piston seal assembly to a one-piece unit in the 12-gauge model does, to me, make a certain amount of sense from both a routine maintenance, as well as a design standpoint. Remington, in the case of the M11-87, has done an excellent of keeping their firearms internally simple. By my count, a good cleaning requires the removal of but two parts – gas cylinder collar, and piston seal assembly – excluding the barrel and O-ring. An end-of-year wash increases this parts count by six; however, the gun is now as naked as it need be, with the task of reassembly taking not more than a couple minutes.
For more than two decades and after having digested thousands of rounds, my M11-87s have performed admirably. Minor mechanical glitches aside, the shotguns have proved themselves exceptionally reliable through all types of conditions and environmental situations, including repeated exposure to saltwater. I have no reason to doubt this new version, the Sportsman Field, will handle itself – and anything that flies, flushes, or is thrown before its muzzle – just as well.
Model 11-87 Sportsman Field Specs Action – Semi-automatic; gas-operated Gauge – 3” 20- and 12-gauge Length – 48” Weight – 8.4 pounds (12-gauge); 6.13 pounds (20-gauge) Trigger – 4.15 pounds (average of three) Sights – Traditional (silver) front bead – small mid-bead Barrel on model tested – 28” Stock – American walnut; 13.5” Finish – Flat matte Choke – Interchangeable Rem- Choke system Recoil pad – .875” solid rubber
This article appeared in the July 5, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
COOPER CITY, Fla. — Three men posing as FBI agents took off when the owner of a Cooper City home they were trying to rob shot at them, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.
Threemen wearing baseball hats and T-shirts with the letters FBI on the back pulled a sport utility vehicle into the driveway of the home shortly after 4 a.m. Monday, Miami TV station WPLG reported.
Two of the men got out of the SUV, while the third acted as alookout, police said. Read more
CHARLOTTE — Police say a man shot a would-be robber Thursday night at an east Charlotte ATM.
According to police, the man wasattempting to use a Cash Points ATM on Eastway Drive at North Tryon Street around 11 p.m. A suspect seemingly saw that as an opportunity and tried to rob the victim at gunpoint.
TULSA, OK — Tulsa Police say one of two men shot during a violent home invasion early Thursday morning has died. They identified him as 18-year-old Darreon Carter.
Carter was shot in the head and leg. The secondsuspect, 23-year-old Daniel Holman, remains in critical condition in a Tulsa hospital. He was shot in the head and stomach.
The men were shot by the resident in the apartment in what police say was a case of self-defense. Read more
Smith & Wesson introduced their first large frame (referred to as the N-frame), swing-out cylinder, DA revolver, the .44 Hand Ejector – also known as the ‘Triple Lock” or “New Century” – in 1907 to compete with Colt’s New Service revolver.
Up until this time all of S&W’s large-caliber revolvers had been of the hinged-frame, top-break variety, and, while popular, they were never viewed as quite rugged enough or chambered for powerful enough cartridges to be a real threat to Colt’s predominance in the American military and civilian markets. S&W brought out their first swing-out cylinder revolver, the .32 Hand Ejector, in 1896 followed by the 38-caliber Military & Police revolver in 1899.
The .38-44 Heavy Duty was designed for serious police work and fired a special heavy-duty .38 Special loads that came close to equaling the .357 Magnum. PHOTOS BY JAMES WALTERS AND BUTCH SIMPSON
The .44 Hand Ejector used the same basic mechanism as these smaller caliber revolvers. The cylinder was locked by a rod that passed through the ejector system and latched into a recess on the face of the breech while a second lock was provided by a spring loaded stud in a lug underneath the barrel that snapped into the forward end of the ejector rod.
But S&W felt that a stronger system would be required with the powerful cartridges they intended to use, so additional locking was provided by a bolt housed in the ejector rod shroud that locked into a mortise on the cylinder yoke. The .44 Hand Ejector could be ordered with 4-, 5-, 6- or 6.5-inch barrels, with wooden or hard rubber grips and a choice of blue or nickel finish.
S&W also introduced a new cartridge that was to become as famous, if not more so, than the revolver itself: the .44 S&W Special. This was based upon their popular .44 Russian but used a case 0.2 inch (5mm) longer and loaded a 246-gr. lead bullet moving at 755 fps. In addition to becoming popular for law enforcement and self defense, it quickly earned a reputation for accuracy and preempted the .44 Russian as the dominant target shooting cartridge of the day.
While .44 Special guns accountedfor the majority of sales, the Triple Lock revolver was alsooffered chambered for the .44-40,.45 Colt and, for the British market,.450 Boxer and .455 Webley.When World War I broke out in1914, the British government placedlarge orders with S&W for revolvers.In addition to producing purpose-built .455 revolvers, many 44-caliber gunswere retrofi tted with .455 cylinders andbarrels to supply the anxious British.
But in the brutal conditions of trenchwarfare it became obvious that the Triple Lock was far too fi nely made arevolver: the third lock and the ejector rod shroud often became clogged withmud or debris, preventing the cylinderfrom closing.
S&W rectified these problems by thesimple expedient of removing the offending parts. The modified revolver, dubbed the .455 Hand Ejector, Second Model or.455 Hand Ejector, Mark II, went into production in 1915. All British issue MarkIIs had 6.5-inch barrels and boasted a commercial-grade blued finish. The big Smith proved popular and by 1918 more than 68,000 had been supplied to Britishand Canadian forces.
As it became obvious that the United States would soon be entering the conflict on the Allied side, the U.S. Army began casting about for additional weapons and while they were committed to the 1911 Colt pistol, it soon became obvious that not enough could be produced to meet demand. In 1916, the Army approached S&W about a “substitute standard” handgun and were offered the Hand Ejector, Second Model.
S&W pioneered the “half-moon” clip with their famed .45 caliber M1917 revolver (right). The new Performance Center M625 revolver continues this tradition with “full-moon” clip loading. PHOTOS BY JAMES WALTERS AND BUTCH SIMPSON
But while the Army was not adverse to using revolvers they insisted upon one precondition: any substitute standard handgun MUST use the issue .45 ACP cartridge!
This presented a problem as the rimless ACP cartridge would not function with the standard revolver ejector system. Working in conjunction with Springfield Armory, S&W’s engineers developed what has become known as the “half moon clip,” a semicircular piece of flat stamped steel with cutouts into which three rimless .45ACP cartridges could be snapped.
This allowed the rimless cases to be ejected by the extractor bearing on the clip and had the secondary advantage of allowing very fast reloading. The only modifications required to the design were a shorter cylinder to provide clearance for the half moonclips and wider cylinder stop stud to keep the cylinder in place when swung open. When the U.S. declared war on April 2, 1917, S&W began production and delivered the first Smith & Wesson Revolver, Caliber .45, Model 1917 on September 6, 1917.
While the Army’s original intention was to issue these revolvers to rear echelon and support troops, shortly after the first M1917s reached France, they began appearing in the trenches. It proved to be a rugged, powerful fighting handgun capable of standing up to the vile conditions of trench warfare with aplomb and were soon much in demand by American doughboys.
By the time contracts were canceled in 1918, S&W had delivered 163,476 Model 1917 revolvers to the U.S. Army.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
TULSA, OK — Tulsa Police say one of two men shot during a violent home invasion early Thursday morning has died. They identified him as 18-year-old Darreon Carter.
The Gun Digest Book of the Glock, 2nd Edition
