The U.N. claims that guns used in armed conflicts cause 300,000 deaths worldwide every year, an inordinate number of which are the result of internal civil strife within individual nations.
The solution proposed by transnationalists to keep rebels from getting guns is to make the global pool of weapons smaller through government action.
According to recent deliberations regarding the treaty, signatory countries would be required to "prevent, combat and eradicate" various classes of guns to undermine "the illicit trade in small arms." Such a plan would necessarily lead to confiscation of personal firearms.
The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry is a must-read for anyone interested in concealed carry of a handgun. Learn more.
This may seem like a reasonable solution to governments that don't trust their citizens, but it represents a dangerous disregard for the safety and freedom of everybody. First of all, not all insurgencies are bad.
As U.S. history shows, one way to get rid of a despotic regime is to rise up against it. That threat is why authoritarian regimes such as Syria, Cuba, Rwanda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone endorse gun control. Read more.
Buy them both. Magna-tips on the left and Wheeler Engineering on the right. One for the bench and one for the range.
As your humble author was working on this column, it occurred to him that he, long ago, wrote a similar article for this publication. But that’s okay, ‘cuz this one’s better. This month, we want to briefly discuss the tools that the new gunsmith should shell out the initial dough to purchase, and those that he can or may be able to do without. As such, there really aren’t a whole lot of these initial tools, so they will be broken down by section below, with recommendations based upon personal use.
Unfortunately, common tools, like standard screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, and the like have limited use on the bench of the gunsmith. For gross (as in large, not as in yucky) operations they work well, but they are not necessarily suited to the precision work demanded when working on guns. Likewise, fine precision tools like those used in the electronics industry, while great for fine control of springs and pins and stuff, simply aren’t tough enough to last for long under the heavy-handed abuse of the average overweight, under-exercised gunsmith. Fortunately there is a thriving special industry of overpriced (sometimes), overbuilt (often), and convenient (always) tools for dudes to blow their paychecks on.
Hammers
Here are the four slammers the smith will need for 99% of his slamming.
You will need a hammer or four. The first is the most used and thus the most important and essential smasher to acquire. Brownells has a great model that is simply adorable, a 1-inch nylon/brass headed item, weighing about 6 ounces. You will use it every day, and it is the most suited for the most common punching and driving of small pins and parts that you will encounter.
It will wear down and require dressing, the brass head will expand and need to be pounded or turned back into shape, and the nylon head will start to look like it went on a date with a cheese grater. If you can get spare heads, do it. Eventually it will expire and you will be forced to get a new one. Strangely, it is a very inexpensive replacement. For as much as it is used, Brownells should double the price and really make it profitable.
Buy a rubber deadblow hammer for heavier soft work. This is your second hammer.
The third hammer to get right away is a heavier steel model. Many smiths use a standard ball-peen hammer to help loosen those hard-to-move super-tight pins. The typical gunsmith’s tool bench is the home to a 1-pound steel that is quite easy to control and has the necessary mass to overcome all but the most stubborn interference-fit inertia.
The old adage, “Don’t hit it harder, use a bigger hammer,” is oh-so-true in Gunsmithtown. The harder you hit something, the less control you have, and inevitably you will ruin your tools and the piece you are working on. You know, the workpiece that belongs to someone else.
Overcoming inertia requires force. Force is applied with a hammer using speed or mass. Mass is easier to control and far more effective, hence the 1-pound hammer for moving the tapered front sight pins on an AR. Which brings us to the fourth hammer … the Hammer of the Gods. Thor called his “Mjolnir.” I call mine Pickles. Use the 16-pound sledge hammer to beat the ever-living crap out of that old .22 from the thirties that has no value, doesn’t function, and continues to reside in your shop for the sole purpose of relieving frustration. Plus, its effect on box elder bugs has to be seen to be believed.
Screwdrivers
Buy the Magna-tip 58-bit Master Super set, and the thin bits sets from Brownells. Use these for your bench. Very, very high quality tools. If you want a range set to allow you to show off your sexy gunsmithin’ to the hot chicks at the range, buy the Wheeler Engineering 89-piece set from Midway USA. It has several specialty bits that turn three-handed 15-minute jobs into two-handed three-minute jobs.
Punches
Discount sets have their place. But not in the gunsmith shop. Great success has been gained with Starrett punches from Brownells. Also get roll pin punches and those cute little hollow-nosed pin starter punches.
Other Stuff
Polish, polish away. A high speed rotary tool will make you a very happy little tinkerer. Just use it with control and intention. It can also pave your pathway to abject failure and doom.
Get a high quality Dremel type tool. I’ve yet to find one that will stand up to hard use, most being of the hobbying variety. Be prepared to replace this one yearly. Once you have one, though, it is hard to get along without. For some unknown reason, motors and electricity have this funny way of making work easier. You will use this for grinding, polishing, buffing, hogging out stocks for glass bedding, and who knows what else.
A variety of hand files are a must. The models available at your local home supply store are generally of adequate quality, as long as they are the expensive ones. Large bastards, mills, and the little needle files are all needed.
Ceramic or Arkansas polishing stones are essential for trigger work and other fine material removal.
One interesting and miniscule tool to acquire, or make, is a firing pin protrusion gauge. You may not actually need this one right away, but you will need it eventually. Worn firing pins, or badly manufactured firing pins, will cause headaches and this little doozy will help you figure out if either is the case. This tends to be needed on older guns with heavy mileage, and there are a whole lot of those out there.
Get several sets hex wrenches. Preferably ball ended. Without a doubt, get metrics. You’ll need those to handle all those crappy ChiCom red dot sights that are flooding the market. Invaluable tools, they are must haves; and be prepared to order extras after you lose or break a few.
Finally, at the risk of alienating all those manufacturers in the ether of Gunsmithtown, most of the jigs, rigs, and nice-to-have gadgets are not really necessary for immediate accumulation. That’s not to say they are useless, because they are often very handy and make the job more efficient. They just tend to be pricey, and the average dude should put off getting them until he knows he will get his money’s worth.
Lube and Cleaner
Commonly found solvents and lubes, and a couple greases. All have their purposes in the workings of a firearm, and all work at least reasonably well. The perfect lubricant and the perfect solvent have yet to be discovered.
It would be a good idea to get a parts cleaner, and maybe a small ultrasonic tank. Overall, you may find that your selections of bore cleaners, lubricants, and the like will be determined by your nose, or specialty. A lot of guys get positively high off of Hoppe’s #9, which is okay since it works quite well, and you might as well enjoy your work. Some people think its odor is too strong. Well too bad for them. They may then gravitate toward Tetra’s line of cleaners and lubes, which have a completely different aroma.
Fortunately, the great majority of the cleaning solvents and oils in Gunville are reasonably or greatly effective at the tasks for which they were produced. However, my experience with the “green” environmentally friendly, non-toxic selections has been disappointing. If I can drink it and not die, it has no business touching my guns. Gun solvents should be like coffee: great to smell, but revolting in taste, and capable of stripping copper from barrels, and cells from esophageal linings with equal ease.
Conclusion
All of this stuff can be purchased for well under 10 C-bills. Between these tools and those discussed in next month’s column, the new-born gunsmith can accomplish the vast majority of the everyday jobs. And this shouldn’t put him out too much dough if it turns out not to be his cup of tea. A lot of guys just do this kind of thing casually, fewer as a career, and many others try it and change their minds. Starting out small and wise like this will absolutely benefit anyone.
This article appeared in the April 12, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
"The Alaska Firearms Freedom Act frees Alaskans from overly bureaucratic and restrictive federal firearm regulation, and allows our state to assume the responsibility for regulation," said Rep. Mike Kelly, the lead sponsor on the plan endorsed by lawmakers in the recently closed session of the Alaska Legislature.
"The Interstate Commerce Clause is used by the federal government to regulate firearms that cross state borders. The Alaska Firearms Freedom Act makes it clear that Alaskans will be responsible for firearms that are made in Alaska, for use in Alaska, and have ‘Made in Alaska' stamped on them.
"Outdoorsmen, hunters and all Alaskans defending and feeding their families, and protecting their property, should welcome this new law," he said.
Here are answers to all your questions about guns, ammunition and accessories.
know what your firearms are worth with this up-to-date 20th Anniversary Edition of Standard Catalog of Firearms.Buy now
The law also requires the state to defend any Alaskan who is "prosecuted by the federal government under their authority to regulate interstate commerce."
"We welcome Alaska into this states' rights liberty march," said Gary Marbut of the Montana Shooting Sports Association.
He's been called the godfather of the movement for his work on the original state Firearms Freedom Act that took effect last year in Montana. Read more.
Of the Charlotte Marriott City Center, where signs posted during the NRA convention made inadvertent criminals of conventioneers, Thomas promised signs had already been removed.
But on Tuesday, signs at Marriott properties – including the Charlotte hotel – remained in place while Marriott executives became “unavailable” for, according to office receptionists, a litany of conflicting reasons. Meanwhile, Charlotte Marriott Director of Loss Prevention Sammy Jones refused to comment on the status of signs.
Some gun rights supporters are now expressing concerns that the claim by Thomas was merely a dodge to deflect the thousands of e-mails and phone calls pouring in from around the country. In addition to the mounting boycott “going viral” on gun forums, it was featured by nationally syndicated radio host Tom Gresham on “Gun Talk.”
This 3-DVD set includes all of the previous 63 editions of the Gun Digest annual, from 1944 to 2009. Buy now.
But evidence suggests a more sophisticated corporate disinformation campaign in operation: By putting out the false message that Marriott is removing signs, the corporation sought to have gun rights activists do its bidding by putting out messages to that effect on Internet forums.
Those of us who have spread the “Marriott is pulling signs” message are, in fact, spreading their disinformation. To counter their effort, see “Immediate Action Required” below.
MARRIOTT CEO LINKED TO ‘COALITION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE’ In what might explain Marriott International’s decision to prohibit lawful firearms in all of its hotels, a reader recently discovered a link between its Chairman and CEO J.W. Marriott, Jr. and a longtime gun control organization, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, formerly the National Coalition to Ban Handguns.
Run by longtime anti-gun activists Michael Beard and Joshua Horowitz, CSGV’s recent agenda includes registering private gun sales at gun shows, banning semi-automatic firearms, mandating “microstamping” of firearms and generating propaganda against lawful concealed carry.
A March 10, 2010 press release by Marriott lists Mr. Marriott’s accolades and “achievements,” including the following:
“Mr. Marriott is actively involved in various boards and councils including…the board of trustees of the National Urban League…”
Among many left-wing causes advocated by the National Urban League, it is listed prominently among members of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Does J.W. Marriott, Jr. know his charitable efforts are being used to undermine your rights? Read more.
This represented a radical re-interpretation of the Gun Control Act that has been on the books for more than four decades, and will likely cost businesses, and gun owners, more money.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), “As a consequence [of the new ruling], legitimate business-related shipments will now require the recipient to complete a Form 4473 and undergo a Brady criminal background check. In many instances, these requirements will force shipments to a third party, thereby lengthening the process and the time that the firearm is in transit.”
NSSF continued, “BATFE officials have acknowledged this is a radical change from BATFE’s long-standing interpretation that this was not a ‘transfer’ under the Gun Control Act that was set forth in a 1969 ruling… and further clarified in a 1972 ruling. In other words, BATFE is now saying its long-standing rulings, issued shortly after the Gun Control Act was enacted, were wrong.”
Whether you're a professional gunsmith or just an interested amateur, you'll find everything you need to know about keeping your AR perking in Gunsmithing: The AR-15. Buy now >>
“For more than four decades manufacturers have shipped firearms to agents for bona fide business purposes. BATFE is unable to identify a single instance during the past 40 years where a single firearm shipped in reliance upon BATFE's rulings was used in a crime.
This unwarranted reinterpretation of the law will cause significant disruption and additional costs for industry members and increase the cost of doing business, while doing nothing to advance public safety.” Read more.
ROSSVILLE, GA (WRCB) — It has been nearly two months since Gary Anderson shot a man that broke into his home. His first television interview is with Channel 3 Eyewitness News.
Anderson was upstairs when the men came through the back door. Andersongrabbed his gun and ran down stairs to the kitchen. There he came face to face with the two intruders. Jenkins ran out the front door. Anderson says he shot Wallace after the man pinned him up against the wall.
“I'd never taken that pistol out of that night stand in four years,” said Anderson, “but I got it that day and I'm glad I did.” Read more
A Lake Forest woman shot a dog after it attacked her 6-year-old daughter outside their home Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Thegirl and the woman's 3-year-old daughter were walking to a neighbor's house on a quiet cul-de-sac when a dog, thought to be a boxer or a pit bull mix, attacked the older girl, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.
The woman tried to scare the dog away by yelling and stomping, but whenthat failed to work, she got a 9-millimeter Glock semiautomatic pistol from the house and shot it once in the neck, Amormino said. Read more
ROAN MOUNTAIN — A Roan Mountain man shot and killed his stepfather on the back porch of his residence Friday morning after he said his stepfather threatened to break into his house with an ax and cut off his and his wife’s head, according to police.
The initial investigation by the Carter County Sheriff’s Department indicated the man was trying to break into the home when he was shot by the homeowner.
Carter County deputies Lt. Patrick Johnson and Sgt. Kenny Cornett responded at 12:18 a.m. to a call about an intruder trying to break into the residence at 309 Sawdust Trail. Upon arrival, the deputies found Gary D. Parker, 46, 305 Sawdust Trail lying on the back porch. He was suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head A short time later the Carter County Rescue Squad arrived and the paramedics were unable to find any signs of life.
A sheriff’s department news release said the investigation revealed that Parker had been “very confrontational, threatening and belligerent with his neighbors for some time.” Witness statements and evidence at the scene indicated that Parker was trying to break into the residence of Jonathan and Ashley Townson at 309 Sawdust Trail. Parker was said to be using an ax to break in.
Parker allegedly threatened the Townsons saying “he had an ax and was going to cut their heads off,” after he had broken through the back door. Townson had a rifle in the residence and he used it to shoot and kill Parker, according to the sheriff’s department release. Read more
Tactical Tip: Learn how to hone your defensive pistol technique when you read Tactical Pistol Shooting, Your Guide to Tactics that Work, 2nd Edition.Click here
The attempted theft of a Wave runner led a juvenile to kill the suspected thief with a shotgun.
Miami-Dade police are investigating whether a juvenile armed with a shotgun was justified in killing an intruder who tried to steal his family’s wave runner.
During the confrontation, the unidentified juvenile shot Reynaldo Muñoz, 20, in the head, and he died at the scene, police said. Muñoz’s girlfriend has been charged with felony murder for her participation in a crime that caused the death of another.
The attempted burglary happened about 2:30 p.m. Saturday when Muñoz and Carolina Lopez, 19, drove to Pelican Marine Harbor Marina in Miami Shores. He parked his truck, and Muñoz put his own Wave runner in the water, navigating it to a waterfront home at 9275 N. Bayshore Avenue.
Police said he then jumped into the water and started walking along a concrete seawall onto the property. As he removed the family’s Wave runner, he was “confronted by the homeowner who armed himself with a shotgun in an attempt to protect his family,’’ the police affidavit said. Read more
TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma police are calling a fatal shooting self defense after a homeowner shot two burglars who were trying to break into his home, killing one burglar and wounding the other.
The incident happened around 4:40 a.m. Monday at a home in the 400 block of South 38th Street.
Neighbor Trudi Mann woke up to sounds of people arguing next door, then heard two gunshots.
“A little before four, I heard gunshots and at that point called police,” she said. “It's scary. My kids are grown, but I told my son I'd be a little concerned. He keeps our garage really locked up.”
Tacoma police said the homeowner was woken up by dogs barking. He had been a victim of burglaries recently and went outside to investigate.
The man spotted two burglars trying to break into his garage and home.
“He was armed, held them at gun point. And at one point while he was detaining them, both subjects charged at him. He fired at both and hit both of them, ” said Mark Fulghum, Tacoma Police Department. Read more
A reported argument among housemates at 5545 Xanadu Street proved deadly, with Denver Health staffers unable to revive a man transported there on Saturday night after being shot.
However, Denver Police aren't calling the incident a murder. Instead, they characterize it as an act of self-defense.
At this point, neither the dead man nor the alleged shooter has been identified. No charges have been filed to date.
Update: At this point, the Denver Police Department continues to characterize a Saturday night shooting at 5545 Xanadu Street as an act of self-defense. Now, however, we know the identity of the man who died in the incident.
The Denver coroner's office has ID'd him as Gary Chavez, 51. Cause of death: a “penetrating gunshot wound of the abdomen.” Read more
The show ran there for 15 years and is well remembered by the attendees. The reopening of this show will feature high quality collectable, utilitarian sporting firearms, military firearms, the best custom knives shown by the makers and purveyors and an impressive display of antique firearms.
Featured among the large number of quality dealers will be George Neumann who is an expert in Revolutionary War weapons and accouterments and has authored several books on the subject.
Additionally there will be a great deal of related accessories, holsters, swords, parts, ammunition at great prices and an engraver is planned. In the services area Smoke n Gun Shop will provide a course that will facilitate getting a Westchester pistol permit. Perfect Trigger will offer a course to obtain a Utah pistol carry permit which is honored by numerous states.
The show will have some 300 tables in the most prestigious trade show facility between the Javits Center and Albany. Collectors and those interested in purchasing hunting, target and home defense firearms as well as those looking for an accessory or ammunition will be well served by this revived show.
The single defining quality of this show will be the wide variety of purchasable items. Attendees are encouraged to bring in any firearms they wish to sell or trade to dealers there. All firearms will be checked for safety at the door.
The Westchester County Center is a refurbished art deco style building with air conditioning. The building is at the point Rt. 119, the Bronx River Parkway and Central Ave. come together in White Plains. Ample parking is available.
June 19-20, 2010.
Show hours are 9AM to 5PM Saturday and 9AM to 3PM Sunday. Admission is $11. with $1.50 going to the County of Westchester. Children under 12 are free with a parent.
The public is encouraged to attend as early in the day as practical for the best choices and to attend the courses.
The number to the Westchester County Center is 914- 995-4050.
Mr. Calderone said he respects the Second Amendment, but argued that violence south of the border spiked in 2004 after the expiration of a U.S. ban on semiautomatic weapons. Echoing statements made by President Obama Wednesday, Mr. Calderon said the U.S. bears some responsibility in propping up the drug trade with its demand for narcotics and supply of guns.
Pointedly, he warned that U.S. failure to rein in weapons dealing leaves America vulnerable to the drug-war violence wreaking havoc in Mexico.
"With all due respect, if you do not regulate the sale of these weapons in the right way, nothing guarantees that criminals here in the United States with access to the same power of weapons will not decide to challenge American authorities and civilians," he said.
Mr. Calderon told a joint session of Congress that of the 75,000 guns seized by Mexican authorities over the last three years, 80 percent are traced to the U.S.
The Gun Digest® Book of the AR-15 By Patrick Sweeney. Buy Now>>
That assertion is suspect as gun-rights advocates and several media outlets have debunked similar figures in the past. Indeed, Mr. Calderon's comments drew a harsh rebuke from the National Rifle Association on Thursday.
"The answer to Mexico's drug and violence problem does not lie in dismantling the Second Amendment; it lies in making sure that the Mexican government takes care of problems on their side of the border," NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said. "With all due respect to the president, he's either intentionally using false data, or he's unknowingly using bad numbers." Read more.
Last year a man was arrested by the Pittsburgh Airport Police for open carrying a holstered handgun in Pittsburgh International Airport. In Pennsylvania, like most states, no permit is usually required to open carry a handgun at age 18.
But the Allegheny County ordinance enforced by the police was in conflict with Pennsylvania law – and thus the law, not the gun, was illegal. The judge entered a judgment of "not guilty."
According to OpenCarry.org's Pennsylvania is not alone in allowing gun carry in airports as 42 states appear to allow gun carry in airports.
But US Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) has introduced a bill in Congress to ban gun carry in the non-sterile non-federally controlled portions of all US airports. Neither house of Congress is expected to override the judgment of forty some states on this issue, and the bill may also have significant constitutional problems. Read more.
The House voted 65-29 vote to override Henry's veto of the bill, three votes shy of the two-thirds majority needed. Two-thirds of the 48-member Senate must also agree before a measure can become law without the governor's signature.
The measure would give Oklahoma residents with a concealed-carry permit the right to carry firearms openly. It originally passed the House 74-24.
The Gun Digest book of combat Handgunnery. Buy Now >>
Its author, Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, said pressure from the Democratic governor may be the reason 11 Democrats who originally voted for the bill either voted against the veto override or did not vote at all.
"The swing was due to Democrats," Duncan said after the vote.
Democratic Leader Danny Morgan of Prague said the concerns of constituents, not pressure from the governor's office, was the reason some Democrats changed their minds.
"I think it was just a matter of hearing people from around their districts," said Morgan, who voted for the bill on May 4 but was absent when the override vote was taken. "It was amazing the number of calls some of our members received. It's a concern of ours."
Henry expressed the same concerns in a veto message he delivered on May 14 that said the measure could endanger citizens as well as police officers. Read more.
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.
The U.N. claims that guns used in armed conflicts cause 300,000 deaths worldwide every year, an inordinate number of which are the result of internal civil strife within individual nations.
