Recent polls show shrinking support for new gun control measures and strong public sentiment for enforcing existing laws instead. So strong is the shift in public opinion that a proposed assault-weapons ban — once backed by three in four Americans — now rates barely one in two.
Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll, told reporters Tuesday that “every bit of data is showing us that Americans are getting more conservative about gun control.”
A CNN poll conducted in April found that 39 percent of Americans wanted stricter gun control laws, down from 50 percent in 2000. Another 46 percent said the gun laws should stay as they are, while 15 percent said they should be loosened — up from 9 percent in 2000.
Andrew Arulanandam, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association, said the latest polls only confirm what his gun-rights group has been saying all along.
“The NRA has always been on the right side of this issue,” Arulanandam said. “There’s a realization that over 20,000 gun laws that are on the books are meaningless unless they are enforced. We have adequate gun laws on the books to address every situation.”
Even an assault-weapon ban is not the political “sure thing” it once was. An April poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal found that support for curbing the sale of assault weapons and semiautomatic rifles has dropped from 75 percent in 1991 to 53 percent today. Read more
The Ithaca 37 Field Grade Featherlight shouldered well and broke plenty of clays at the test range.
The Gun Digest staff took a trio of Ithaca shotguns to the range to put them through their paces and see what we liked and didn't like. There wasn't much of the latter to be found. A field grade 12 gauge; a 12-gauge Deerslayer III and a new Grade AAA 28-gauge M37. We weren’t disappointed.
By Dan Shideler and Jim Schlender
Ithaca Deerslayer III Slug Gun
The Ithaca Deerslayer III features a big, heavy fluted barrel, smooth pump action and a very good trigger. Plus, the barrel is locked up with the action for good slug accuracy.
First up was the Deerslayer III. Its 24-inch fluted heavy barrel made it look like a serious purpose-built slug gun, and that’s exactly what it turned out to be. Our sample gun carried a Nikon 3×9 variable scope, and with some new premium Winchester Supreme Elite Sabots, we found that we could shoot sub-two-inch groups at 100 yards as long as our ammunition held out.
But it wasn’t only its accuracy that really impressed us about the Deerslayer III; it was its remarkably crisp, light trigger pull and slick slide that put the smiles on our faces. Several shooters commented that they had never racked a smoother pump gun.
We wished that we had more time to spend with the Deerslayer III, because at around 10 lbs. with scope, it was a pleasure to shoot.
There’s bound to be some debate about what is truly the Rolls-Royce of pump-action slug guns. Some will say it’s the Remington 870-based Tar-Hunt DSG; others will choose the Deerslayer III. Since both guns perform so well, it’s likely to come down to a matter of personal preference; but the Ithaca’s extremely slick slide and snappy trigger pull will undoubtedly appeal to connoisseurs. At a suggested retail of around $1200, it’s not exactly inexpensive, but you get what you pay for.
Ithaca 12-ga. Field Grade Featherlight
We then moved on to the 12-ga. Field Grade Featherlight. This is as close as you can get to the classic M37s of years gone by but, like the Model 87 that briefly preceded it, it has a 3-inch chamber and interchangeable choke tubes. Anyone who’s ever shot a well-built M37 knows how slick their slides are, and the Field Grade was no exception. Clays just didn’t stand a chance with it. Everyone shot it well, from tiny Corrina Peterson up to linebacker-size Tom Nelsen.
The Field Grade Featherlight 12 gauge retails for around $850. That’s on the high side for pump guns, true, but few who shot the gun would maintain that it’s not worth it. When a 5-foot-nothing young lady such as Corrina can pick up an M37 for the first time in her life and outshoot the rest of our staff with it, well, that gun’s got some serious mojo.
Ithaca 28-gauge Grade AAA
Gun Digest Editor Dan Shideler examines the Ithaca 28 ga. Grade AAA
Next came our chance with the new 28-gauge Grade AAA. It was almost as much fun just to hold this gun, with its slender scaled frame, as it was to shoot it (well, almost). Contributing Editor Jake Edson dusted every bird we threw up with the tiny, pointy little gun. If we had any suggestions for the Grade AAA 28-gauge, it would be to replace the dull black recoil pad with a plain horn or hard rubber buttplate. Who needs a recoil pad on a 28, anyway?
The new 28-gauge Featherlight starts at around $1000 in its Grade A dress; for that you get nice but not super-deluxe wood and a plain roll-engraved receiver. Those who favor the 28 gauge for upland hunting may decide that the Remington 870 Express is all they really need, while others will prefer the very elegant Browning BPS Hunter. We have shot all three and done rather well with them. Still – and perhaps for no other reason than plain old sentimentalism – we rather like the new 28-gauge Ithaca.
Some shooters may have issues with the red-orange Raybar front sights that graced both the 12 and 28 gauges, but to your editor, an Ithaca fan of long standing, they just wouldn’t be M37s without them. Like them or not, you will certainly know they’re there, even on overcast days. On bright, sunshiny days, the Raybar sights glow like a neon sign at midnight.
Your editor’s very first shotgun, purchased back in 1974, was an Ithaca Deluxe Featherlight 20-ga.
Coincidentally, I had just dropped it off at Poly-Choke in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, for a new rib just before I had a chance to shoot the new Ithacas. As fond as I am of that old 20-gauge, the quality of the new Ithaca M37s is even better. In terms of fit, finish and function, I found nothing to complain about and plenty to praise.
With annual production at around 3,500 M37s of all types, you won’t see as many of them in the fields or on the lines as you would, say, Remington 870s. But if you get a chance to shoot one, I recommend you take it. In my opinion, it’s the smoothest, slickest, sweetest pump gun on the market.
For more information on the new Ithaca 37s, I don’t think the company would mind it one bit if you visited their website at www.IthacaGun.com.
Editor's Note: article appears in the 2010 Gun Digest Annual book.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat and member of the so-called Blue Dog Coalition, plans to introduce an assault weapons ban this week. Gillibrand, the junior senator from New York, was at one time highly rated by the NRA for her advocacy of the Second Amendment.
Newsday claims Gillibrand has “undergone a transformation” over the last three months and has moved away from “her House record that won the NRA’s top rating while remaining a supporter of Second Amendment rights to gun ownership.” Since her Senate appointment, she has “passed just about every test on guns set by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy,” who reintroduced a bill closing the so-called gun-show loophole at a news conference last week.
It appears likely Ms. Gillibrand was a gun-grabber all along and used the Second Amendment as an election ploy. Polls indicate a large percentage of voters strongly support the Second Amendment.
McCarthy’s bill, H.R. 6676, would utilize the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for background checks on all gun store employees and dealers. In addition to H.R. 6676, three other bills have been offered including laws that would make it illegal for known or suspected terrorists to buy guns. Read more
The National Rifle Association and big-city mayors have rarely agreed on gun laws. But they’ve found something they may both support: the Obama administration’s call for full law-enforcement access to data from traces of guns used in crimes.
The rare, and somewhat vague, consensus between the NRA and the mayors appears likely to increase the chances that Congress will pass the reform
The administration is proposing a partial rollback of a 2003 amendment named for Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.). Under the changes, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would be able to share gun-tracing information with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors would be privy to the information.
Supporters say the change would help law enforcement target the source of guns used in crimes and would help prevent illegal drug trafficking.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other mayors support the change, arguing that removing the limitation on local police departments’ ability to access the information will make cities safer.
Christopher Cox, an NRA spokesman, stopped shy of endorsing the reform but did not oppose it: “While we do not believe any change is necessary, we appreciate the President’s decision to support law enforcement and not gun control activists.” Read more
New protections for gun owners are on the agenda in Utah, where state Rep. Carl Wimmer is preparing to introduce a bill that would assert the state's sovereignty under the Ninth and Tenth amendments.
Utah apparently is following Montana's lead in attempting the plan that would protect residents' Second Amendment gun rights.
Wimmer intends his legislation to exempt from federal gun regulations any Utah resident seeking to own a firearm made in Utah.
Wimmer explained to WND that he intends to introduce a bill, not a resolution. Read more
A home-built .50 Caliber produces recoil lighter than a .270 Winchester.
While a lot of gun writers specialize, that’s not me. If it shoots, I like it. Handguns, rifles, shotgun, muzzle loaders you name it. But there was one area I had not fully explored and now, thanks to a friend, I am moving into that vacant territory.
Towsley having fun shooting the big .50 BMG, and thankful for the freedom to shoot these impressive cartridges.
My entire experience with a .50 BMG was a few shots with the big machine gun deep in the bowels of the FN factory in Belgium eight years ago. They were a bit stingy with the ammo and the gun firing full-auto is not really the definition of ammo conservation, so my introduction was brief. But, the experience left an indelible mark on my soul.
Fast forward seven years when I stopped in to see my dad’s long-time best friend. Lee Houghton is retired now and has rediscovered shooting and guns in a big way. Lee is one of those clever guys who can do anything. He built an airboat in Vermont years ago when nobody outside of the everglades had likely seen one. He built his own airplane in the 1970s and the level of craftsmanship he shows with wood or metal has always amazed me.
I stopped in to show Lee a new rifle I had bought and he was working on a blueprint drawing. “I am building a .50 BMG rifle” he said with a big grin. Well now, a year or so later, it’s nearing completion. He bought an action and picked up a used machine gun barrel someplace or other and bought a muzzle brake. The rest he built from scratch, including one of the best bipod systems I have ever seen.
He didn’t copy anybody, but just did his own design without ever really looking at any of the others, which is genius if you ask me. The result is a huge, heavy, stretched out T-Rex of a rifle that is as cool as it gets.
.50 BMG ammo isn't cheap, but the goal is well-placed shots at great distances with a heavy bullet.
But the bigger issue, as far as I am concerned, is that his enthusiasm is contagious. Every time I stepped into his shop he had something new to show me and it wasn’t long before I decided that I needed to look into this .50 BMG thing myself. Having neither Lee’s time nor talent, I ordered a Barrett single-shot rifle.
Of course, I decided to do this right in the middle of the “Obama Firearms and Ammunition Sales Stimulus Program” so finding ammo was like a quest for the Holy Grail. The gun languished in my vault for a couple of weeks before Cabela’s came to the rescue. I managed to get 40 rounds of Brazilian-made full-metal-jacket ammo from them and last weekend we made some noise.
Lee’s rifle is still not complete, but it was done enough to shoot. He still needs a cheek piece on the stock, which I suspect will be finished by next weekend, and to put the finish of DuraCoat on the gun. But neither would deny a trial run. We took his rifle and mine out to the cold, muddy, March field near his house.
For those of you who don’t know, the .50 BMG is a huge cartridge. It’s a scary proposition to lie down behind the rifle for the first time, not knowing what to expect. Even with a gun approaching 50 pounds and a muzzle brake that looks like something off a Star Wars fighter ship hanging on the 44-inch barrel, the concept of putting that huge cartridge in a rifle, putting the rifle on your shoulder and pulling the trigger has some psychological aspects that are a bit scary to explore.
Lee’s son Kurt took the first shot while we stood back, stiff with anticipation.
The result was actually a bit of a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, this cartridge leaves no doubt when it goes off. Grass and mud filled the air and the sonic wave pounded our chest like the bass line in the front row of a Hendrix concert. The distinctive boom rolled across the valley and echoed back off the mountains, but the gun barely moved. Kurt described the recoil as being like that of a .270 Winchester.
When asked about the muzzle blast, however, he used far more descriptive language. While the recoil may disappoint, the blast must be experienced to be properly appreciated.
Then it was time for me and the Barrett. This gun is about 20 pounds lighter than Lee’s rifle, but it still takes a full-grown man to pack it around. The recoil is not all that bad; far less than any of my dangerous game rifles and probably even less than a lot of the guns I’ve used to hunt deer. But the big arrowhead muzzle brake laid down a blast zone that didn’t disappoint.
Once we had the guns zeroed we moved the targets out to 350 yards, which was all we could get at this location. It was child’s play and both guns were shooting groups small enough to make me happy at half the distance.
The percussion from the .50 BMG blast is one of the funnest aspects of shooting these big guns
Within days I ordered a reactive target from R&R Racing (www.randrracingonline.com) which is designed for the 50 BMG and we are scouting locations with longer distances so we can challenge these rifles. I ordered more ammo, as well as reloading equipment and components. The Barrett is just on loan, but Lee has talked me into building my own rifle. And, well, I guess I am hooked.
There is something almost mystical about controlling this much power. Shooting these big rifles is not like anything else I have experienced. For a true gun guy this is another pinnacle of shooting. I would not say it replaces any of the other shooting interests in my life, but rather enhances them.
At seven or eight dollars a pop for good ammo it’s not something you shoot in the volume of an AR-15. But that’s not what it’s about. It's about being able to reach across vast distances and deliver a big, heavy bullet with precision. But, it’s more than that. It’s about unleashing the raw power of this big cartridge. Like one spectator said, “that was as much fun as I have ever had shooting and I didn’t even pull the trigger.”
It gives me an understanding why so many anti-gun people want to ban these rifles. Shooting them is raw fun, and no good liberal ever wants anybody to have fun. But, I’ll tell you something else, these guns are freedom. When you pull that trigger for the first time and experience a .50 BMG up close and personal, your life will change. You will finally understand the importance of freedom. We are living in one of the few places in the world that Joe Average can have this experience. Let’s keep it that way.
Among Patrick’s proposals is legislation, “which would allow district attorneys to seek to hold defendants charged with possessing, using or trafficking illegal firearms without bail, pending trial,” MetroWest Daily News reported. “Other portions of the legislation would limit gun purchases to one gun a month to reduce trafficking; make it a felony punishable by a decade in prison to possess a gun while committing a misdemeanor that involves the use of force; and change the definition of “firearm” so prosecutors do not have to prove the gun is operable. In addition, anyone wanting to sell a gun would have to conduct the transaction at a licensed dealer so the sale is entered into the government's electronic database of firearms.”
Jim Wallace, executive director of the state Gun Owners Action League, said that while his group certainly supported keeping guns out of hands of bad guys, the new laws would punish law-abiding citizens.
“Someone who's just in possession without a license or the wrong license facing prison time without any other issues, is just ridiculous on its face,” Wallace said.
Some police officers also disagreed with limiting how many firearms someone could buy per month.
“There are some people who are collectors and there are people who are aficionados,” said Framingham Police spokesman Lt. Paul Shastany. “If people are law-abiding citizens and they can legally purchase the guns and they are properly secured according to the law, what's the problem?”
Said Ashland Police Chief Scott Rohmer, “I know people who buy and sell guns and who enjoy the art of shooting. I don't see the need of restricting those people.”
According to an online Yahoo program, the Global Position System coordinates for the White House, probably one of the best-known publicly owned buildings in the world, are 38.898590 Latitude and -77.035971 Longitude. And since you know that, it's no big deal for the White House to know the coordinates for your front door, is it?
Some people think it is, and are upset over an army of some 140,000 workers hired in part with a $700 million taxpayer-funded contract to collect GPS readings for every front door in the nation.
The data collection, presented as preparation for the 2010 Census, is pinpointing with computer accuracy the locations and has raised considerable concern from privacy advocates who have questioned why the information is needed. The privacy advocates also are more than a little worried over what could be done with that information.
Enhancing the concerns is the Obama administration's recent decision to put White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in an oversight role over the census, which will be used to determine a reapportionment of congressional seats and could be used to solidify a single political party's control over the nation, its budget, military and future. Read more
Story #1 comes from Middletown, CT, where 21-year-old Johanna Justin-Jinich will not see another birthday because a man identified by police as Stephen Morgan shot her dead on May 6 at an off-campus bookstore café. Morgan was caught by a surveillance camera with a gun in his hand.
Alarming about this tale is that two years ago, Justin-Jinich filed a harassment complaint against Morgan when the two were attending a summer school session in New York. Published reports say the 29-year-old suspect had sent the woman “dozens of insulting e-mails” and had called her repeatedly on the telephone.
Police found a journal in Morgan’s car that suggested he planned to murder the young woman, and then go on a campus shooting spree
Police responding to the fatal shooting of a Wesleyan University student found a journal with an entry saying “I think it okay to kill Jews and go on a killing spree” and “Kill Johanna. She must Die,”
He is in custody, charged with murder, and she is dead, and it is not because the college campus environment is safer without guns. There is no way of knowing if this young woman might have availed herself of a firearm for personal protection, but on college campuses around the nation, and in the immediate surrounding neighborhoods, guns are frowned upon by the PC set because, as we all know, there is some sort of moral superiority to being a murder victim, rather than a survivor whose attacker is found lying dead because he made a fatal error in the victim selection process.
And that brings us around to Story #2, from College Place, GA where ten college students were celebrating a birthday party at an off-campus apartment early on May 3 when two thugs came crashing in. One of these gentlemen was later identified by police as 23-year-old Calvin Lavant Jr., and he will not be doing home invasion robberies anymore. Read more
Times are scary, and south of Boston and across the state, gun sales are up.
Firearms of all types are in demand as well as the ammunition to feed them. Customers run the gamut from the seasoned hunter and skilled marksman to the novice. Training classes for new gun owners are not only full but booked months into the future.
Eric Goldman, president of the Braintree Pistol & Rifle Club's executive board, said training class enrollment has gone up dramatically over the last several months.
“Classes are required of all new owners,” Goldman said. “It teaches safe gun handling. We offer new members' classes once a month, and used to have from 30 to 35 people take them. Right now, our classes are 70 to 75.”
The Braintree club boasts more than 3,000 members. “It's gone up lately because of new gun users,” Goldman said.
Firearms dealers and other experts attribute the increase in gun sales to a couple of factors. The first is concern over the resurgence of the Democrats in Washington after years of Republican dominance. Some fear the change could result in the reinstatement of a past assault weapons ban put in place during the Clinton administration. That ban, which barred the sale of certain automatic weapons, expired in 2004 under President George W. Bush. Read more
Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and more. Readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews and practical how-to instructions. Subscriptions are the First Amendment way to stand up for your Second Amendment rights. Click here to begin your subscription to Gun Digest.
Inside This Issue
• A look at Dakota Arms, Inc.
• American Arms, Inc. shotguns are worth a second glance
• Handguns: Smith & Wesson
• Learn to keep records for best handloading performance
Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews and practical how-to instructions. Subscriptions are the First Amendment way to stand up for your Second Amendment rights. Click here to begin your subscription to Gun Digest.
Inside This Issue
• Editor Kevin Michalowski explains the benefits of taking a kid to the range in his “Editor's Shot” column. Click here to read it.
• Dressing up your .45 with stag
• Lies! Ninety percent of illegal firearms do not come from the United States. It's a myth.
AURORA, Colorado (CNN) — Gun shops across the country are reporting a run on ammunition, a phenomenon apparently driven by fear that the Obama administration will increase taxes on bullets or enact new gun-control measures.
Ron Cardwell fires his 9 mm semiautomatic at a paper target at a range in Aurora, Colorado.
“In the last two months it's gotten very, very difficult to find ammunition,” says Richard Taylor, manager of The Firing Line, a gun shop and shooting range in the Denver, Colorado, suburbs.
“There are a lot of rumors floating around that the present government would like to increase taxes on ammunition. I think [there is] just a lot of panicked buying going on.”
While campaigning for the White House, Obama supported re-enacting the now-expired ban on assault weapons. But there is no indication that the administration will take up that measure — or any other gun-control initiative –anytime soon.
Nonetheless, some gun owners aren't taking any chances.
Two weeks ago, The Firing Line was forced to impose a four-box-per-customer limit on ammo. Before that, the shop was selling 10,000 rounds of 9 mm handgun ammunition a day.
Some calibers of ammunition have been unavailable for months. Read more
Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has worked to assure uneasy gun owners that he believes the Constitution protects their rights and that he doesn’t want to take away their guns.
But before he became a national political figure, he sat on the board of a Chicago-based foundation that doled out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated the opposite positions.
The foundation funded legal scholarship advancing the theory that the Second Amendment does not protect individual gun owners’ rights, as well as two groups that advocated handgun bans. And it paid to support a book called “Every Handgun Is Aimed at You: The Case for Banning Handguns.”
Obama’s eight years on the board of the Joyce Foundation, which paid him more than $70,000 in directors fees, do not in any way conflict with his campaign-trail support for the rights of gun owners, Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Obama’s presidential campaign, asserted in a statement issued to Politico this week.
LaBolt stressed that the foundation, which has assets of about $935 million, doesn’t take “detailed policy positions,” but rather uses its grants to “fuel a dialogue about how to address public policy issues like reducing gun violence.”
As with most foundations, Joyce did not record how individual board members voted on grants, but former Joyce officials told Politico that funding was typically approved unanimously. Read more
ST. MARYS — For the second time in two years, an area legislator is attempting to change the concealed and carry law via a new bill. State Rep. John Adams, R-Sidney, last week introduced House Bill 129 — a measure that seeks to change the current concealed and carry law.
The proposal would not require residents who are legally allowed to carry, possess and purchase firearms to obtain a permit to do so. Other changes include stripping the stipulation requiring permit holders to carry the permit while carrying a firearms as well as informing approaching law enforcement officials that a person is carrying a concealed weapon.
“I introduced this last year in the General Assembly and it only had one committee hearing,” Adams said. “We made some changes to it.”
Adams said the most glaring change comes in the form of stripping the requirement of obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The change, Adams said, is aimed at protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens.
“You still have to go through the training and keep the paper that says you went through the training,” Adams said. “All it does is eliminate the licensing aspect, but it does allow you to choose to go through that process. It's a hybrid — you can do either.”
The bill, which Adams likened to the Alaska-style Carry, also repeals mandates for re-qualification. The proposal also would allow the weapons to be carried on college campuses. “Vermont has no licensing aspect whatsoever,” Adams said. 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.
