Guns and Ammo Enthusiast Blog A blog for and by Guns and Ammo Enthusiast's

Great News for Montana gun and ammo owners

GOOD NEWS! Governor Schweitzer signed HB 246, MSSA’s Montana-made guns bill. HB 246 declares that any guns and ammunition made and retained in Montana are not subject to ANY federal regulation under the authority of Congress to regulate commerce “among the states.”

HB 246 will become effective on October 1, 2009. MSSA is beginning now to plan our legal strategy for vetting the legal principles involved. Soon after October 1st, MSSA will determine if it is necessary to file a lawsuit in federal court to prove the principles established in HB 246. If we do need to file this lawsuit (probably will), MSSA will need to do some serious fundraising to defray the expenses involved.

Meanwhile, we firmly recommend that no Montanans begin making the proposed Montana-made guns until we are able to vet the legal principles. We do not want any Montanan to become subject to possible federal criminal charges until the legal issues associated with HB 246 are resolved.

We are ready now to accept any donations for this project. Remember, MSSA is not a tax-exempt entity – we’ve never sought that status because of the political limitations on tax exempt organizations. So, any donation you may care to make for this effort is NOT tax deductible. If you care to make a donation to MSSA for this purpose, you can make a check payable to MSSA and mail it to MSSA at P.O. Box 4924. Missoula, Montana 59808. In the memo portion of your check, write “Montana-made guns.” Thanks!

Our hearty thanks go out to valiant HB 246 sponsor Rep. Joel Boniek (R-Livingston). Joel is a real hero for having carried this bill and having done it so well. This result is especially complimentary to Joel because he is a freshman legislator. He had a steep learning curve going into this session with no prior legislative experience.

We also thank those many Montana legislators who supported HB 246 during the legislative process, and we thank Governor Schweitzer both for demonstrating the right Montana attitude by signing HB 246, and for doing what he said he’d do on his 2008 MSSA Candidate Questionnaire.

Finally, thanks to ALL of you for having supported HB 246 with messages to legislators. We couldn’t have done it without you!!!

Now if the rest of the States could do this we really would have our freedom

THE WORKBENCH AR-15 PROJECT A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own Legal AR-15 Without Paperwork

The AR-15 rifle is one of the most versatile firearms ever made. The basic design of a barreled upper receiver separate from the lower receiver allows the shooter to have one lower receiver and several uppers to suit a variety of needs, essentially creating several rifles from one. Upper receivers are available in calibers ranging from .22 LR all the way to .50 BMG, meaning one AR-15 can be configured into a rifle that can plink tin cans off a fence or hit targets at a thousand yards out. Now home builders have a way to create their own multipurpose AR-15 with common tools at a fraction of the cost of buying each rifle separately. By purchasing a partially completed lower receiver (available commercially from a number of outlets) and following the step-by-step instructions in this book, anyone with a small workshop can make his own AR-15 for target shooting, hunting, collecting or home defense.

Because the resulting rifle is classified as a homebuilt firearm by the BATF, there is no legal requirement to register it with the government, making it the ultimate expression of a free, law-abiding citizen’s right to keep and bear arms. The Workbench AR-15 Project contains the easiest, most straightforward method to complete the job as well as a number of improvised techniques, advice on substitute parts and simple ways to fix mistakes as you go. Author D.A. Hänks walks you through the entire process with clear text and detailed photos—staying legal, finishing the lower receiver, assembling all the parts and test-firing your completed rifle. For academic study only.
Warning: Actual construction of the firearms described in these books and videos may be illegal under federal law. The BATF actively pursues and prosecutes anybody who violates firearm statutes.

A part-time chief conservation officer on a redwood reforestation project in North Carolina, D.A. Hänks has had a life-long respect for the outdoors and all that accompanies it, including a love for firearms. Fueled by his interest in creating unique projects, he began experimenting with homebuilt firearms at the age of 14. Hänks is also a general contractor, ordained minister, professional driver and a strong believer in the U.S. Constitution, particularly the First and Second Amendments of the Bill of Rights.
Buy this great book NOW!

Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.

The “report” (PDF file here) was one of the most embarrassingly shoddy pieces of propaganda I’d ever read out of DHS. I couldn’t believe it was real.

I spent the day chasing down DHS spokespeople, who have been tied up preparing for a very important homeland security event later today: The First Lady is coming to visit their Washington office. Priorities, you know.

Well, the press office got back to me and verified that the document is indeed for real.

They were very defensive — preemptively so — in asserting that it was not a politicized document and that DHS had done reports on “leftwing extremism” in the past. I have covered DHS for many years and am quite familiar with past assessments they and the FBI have done on animal rights terrorists and environmental terrorists. But those past reports have always been very specific in identifying the exact groups, causes, and targets of domestic terrorism, i.e., the ALF, ELF, and Stop Huntingdon wackos who have engaged in physical harassment, arson, vandalism, and worse against pharmaceutical companies, farms, labs, and university researchers.

By contrast, the piece of crap report issued on April 7 is a sweeping indictment of conservatives. And the intent is clear. As the two spokespeople I talked with on the phone today made clear: They both pinpointed the recent “economic downturn” and the “general state of the economy” for stoking “rightwing extremism.” One of the spokespeople said he was told that the report has been in the works for a year. My b.s. detector went off the chart, and yours will, too, if you read through the entire report — which asserts with no evidence that an unquantified “resurgence in rightwing extremist recruitment and radicalizations activity” is due to home foreclosures, job losses, and…the historical presidential election.

In Obama land, there are no coincidences. It is no coincidence that this report echoes Tea Party-bashing left-wing blogs (check this one out comparing the Tea Party movement to the Weather Underground!) and demonizes the very Americans who will be protesting in the thousands on Wednesday for the nationwide Tax Day Tea Party.

From the report, p.2:

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

From the report. p. 3:

(U//LES) Rightwing extremists are harnessing this historical election as a recruitment tool. Many rightwing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs to minorities, and restrictions on firearms ownership and use. Rightwing extremists are increasingly galvanized by these concerns and leverage them as drivers for recruitment. From the 2008 election timeframe to the present, rightwing extremists have capitalized on related racial and political prejudices in expanded propaganda campaigns, thereby reaching out to a wider audience of potential sympathizers.

(U) Exploiting Economic Downturn

(U//FOUO) Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures. Anti-Semitic extremists attribute these losses to a deliberate conspiracy conducted by a cabal of Jewish “financial elites.” These “accusatory” tactics are employed to draw new recruits into rightwing extremist groups and further radicalize those already subscribing to extremist beliefs. DHS/I&A assesses this trend is likely to accelerate if the economy is perceived to worsen.

From the report, p. 5:

(U//FOUO) Over the past five years, various rightwing extremists, including militias and white supremacists, have adopted the immigration issue as a call to action, rallying point,
and recruiting tool. Debates over appropriate immigration levels and enforcement policy generally fall within the realm of protected political speech under the First Amendment, but in some cases, anti-immigration or strident pro-enforcement fervor has been directed against specific groups and has the potential to turn violent.

And echoing the anti-military bigotry last seen in that disgusting Penn State University training video, there’s this on p. 7:

(U) Disgruntled Military Veterans

(U//FOUO) DHS/I&A assesses that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat. These skills and knowledge have the potential to boost the capabilities of extremists—including lone wolves or small terrorist cells—to carry out violence. The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned, or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today.

There’s no hackneyed left-wing stereotype of conservatives left behind in this DHS intelligence and analysis assessment. I asked both DHS spokespeople to tell me who, specifically, the report was accusing of “rightwing extremist chatter” and which “antigovernment” groups are being monitored as “extremists.” They say they’ll get back to me.

In the meantime, be aware of this from the report, p. 8:

(U//FOUO) DHS/I&A will be working with its state and local partners over the next several months to ascertain with greater regional specificity the rise in rightwing extremist activity in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the political, economic, and social factors that drive rightwing extremist radicalization.

It may be time to take back our country

Are you sick and tired of taxation without representation? Are you tired of libs and dems going after your gun’s and ammo? Do you look at $9.00 a pack for cigarettes as insane? (Because the stated reasons for this high of a tax are oxymoronic: Reason’s stated by the libs; to get people to quit smoking AND pay for SCHIP at the same time. You can not have it both way’s) are you tired of all kinds of new bill’s being proposed to stop and take away YOUR second amendment rights? Read amendment 10 of the United States of America constitution. It reads:

Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

To explain this in today’s terms: If it’s not in the Constitution the government can not by law do it, and if it is in the constitution the government is required by law to do it. The only way to be allowed by lay to do it is to add an amendment.

Unless I missed it there is NO amendment to the constitution marking fully automatic firearms illegal. Again as I read this the states by the representation of the people in said state can make them illegal. However, in my state there is nothing in the constitution of my state making full auto gun’s illegal either. So where the hell is my full auto AR-15? What do I have to pay $9.00 for a pack of cigarettes? And why in God’s name are bills being proposed in the congress of the United States of America to force ammunition manufacturer’s to micro stamp? By they way, that will put about half of the ammo manufacturers out of business. Please excuse my language, however, when the fuck will the people stand up and take back our country?

SB 1200 the next Bill to take away your ammunition

The bill that is being pushed in 18 states (including Illinois and Indiana) requires all ammunition to be encoded by the manufacturer from a data base of all ammunition sales. So they will know how much you buy and what calibers. Nobody can sell any ammunition after June 30, 2009 unless the ammunition is coded.

Any privately held uncoded ammunition must be destroyed by July 1, 2011. (Including hand loaded ammo.) They will also charge a .05 cent tax on every round so every box of ammo you buy will go up at least $2.50 or more!

If they can deprive you of ammo they do not need to take your guns. And if they can track who buys ammunition and what kind, they don’t necessarily need gun registration.

This legislation is currently pending in 18 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington.
View the bill for yourself

Thomas Jefferson Quote

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
Is it time for patriots and tyrants to bleed? I leave it to you decide.

The Webley & Scott 912G (900 series 12-bore game model) shotgun review

The Webley & Scott 912G (900 series 12-bore game model) is part of an expanding selection in a broad price range.

In the 900 range there are game and sporter models, barrel lengths from 26in to 32in, 12- or 20-bore versions and internal or external (protruding) chokes to choose from.

All are supplied with cases, a selection of choke tubes, a key and owner’s manual.

The first impression of the game model on test is of a cobby, handy gun, enhanced by its 26in barrels. Interestingly, even at 26in, the weight distribution has a positive bias towards the barrels, giving a firm feel.

The chunky fore-end and a good handful of stock combine to make a useful general-purpose gun.

Well thought-out safety
The 912G’s appearance is one of contrasts – silky black barrels against reddish-brown wood and a striking light-coloured action boldly bearing the Webley & Scott name.

The action body is machined from a substantial piece of steel incorporating hinge discs for the barrels to pivot and lockwork of a design which is the norm for a modern over-and-under.

The barrel selection is operated from a button in the middle of the ramped safety catch and the changeover is mechanical rather than relying on an inertia block. The cranked arm, which operates the automatic function of the safety, is well designed. The helical mainsprings are conventional for this design and though these seem a little on the small side, they are good quality.

Attention to detail
Proofed in Birmingham for steel shot and a 76mm (3in) cartridge, the barrels are assembled on the monoblock system. There is extensive jewelling around the sides of the block where it fits into the action and the sprung ejectors.

The proof sizes on the two barrels are 18.3mm and 18.4mm. In old British Imperial measurements both qualify as ‘tight’ 12. They were both exactly in the middle of the size range.

The barrels’ exterior is true with well-laid side ribs and a slim non-glare top rib fitted with a conventional brass bead foresight.

Very good attention to detail has been applied to the finishing at the muzzles – something users now notice with screw-in chokes. The bores are flawless inside as indeed they now need to be to pass the viewing stage of the UK Proof Houses.

Five internal chokes are provided. Two are already fitted and the others come in separate containers for protection. They are all well marked, including those not for use with steel shot, and have a notch-mark at the muzzle for quick reference.

They are easily interchangeable and sizes range from cylinder to full choke, so there is something suitable for most purposes.

The length of pull is 14¾in and combined with its other substantial dimensions this makes the 912G a man-sized gun.

Drop across the comb is 1½in at the tip and just over 2in at the heel. These dimensions and the fairly wide comb follow a trend among major manufacturers. I normally find such dimensions a bit high for a game gun, but the results showed up on the pattern plate.

The laser-produced chequering is uniform and deeply cut, giving an outstanding grip. This is not an expensive gun so one cannot expect superb-grade walnut. However, the fore-end had some attractive dark veining and fiddleback.

Even the stock – a plainer piece of wood – had some nice fiddleback around the pistol grip.

An oiled finish is always a good idea, though at first the stock felt a little sticky. It may have been too fresh from fi ishing, but with a bit of handling it soon felt as dry as the fore-end. This type of finish is a boon to the enthusiast who likes to do some palming-in of stock oil.

Impressive shot patterns
On test, the 912G showed another side of its character. The trigger pulls are almost 6lb and a little long but even. This is the norm and a legacy of the ultra-safety conscious approach manufacturers have to take nowadays. The ejection of fired cases was crisp and clean and the timing of double ejections was spot-on.

The safety button snicked back into place each time the gun was opened. Initially the primer strikes were a bit lighter than expected but got better as the gun was used.

Surprise patterns
The biggest surprise of all was to be found on the pattern plate. The shot patterns with the cartridges I used were most impressive and on a par with some much more expensive guns.

However, with my shooting style it threw the patterns rather high. Though well-centred on the plate, due largely to a reasonable amount of cast-off on the stock, the bottom of the patterns from more open chokes was only clipping the aiming mark by 2in or 3in.

With full choke it was possible to place the pattern a little above the mark – good for more traditional shooters who like to see the bird as though perched on the foresight bead. This is not a problem for someone whose sight picture is the target in full view above the rib.

Results that count
The 912G is an interesting gun as you get more than you might think. At 26in the barrels might be thought short and yet they are entirely suited to the gun on test and they look right. Having had the chance to try a longer-barrelled model, I would have no hesitation in choosing this gun.

If there is a modern advertisement for the benefit of shorter barrels the 912G 26in is a worthy contender.

As for the shot patterns, it is important to remember it is good shot patterns and pellet energy that make consistent clean kills possible – not fancy wood or engraving. In the end, with any gun, it is the results that count.

Look out New York Guns and Ammo owners your state is after you AGAIN!

A proposed Albany County law that would require gun shops to register ammunition sales � a measure that has created a firestorm � is being reviewed for its constitutionality.

Sponsored by Legislators Phil Steck of Colonie, and Wanda Willingham and Doug Bullock, both of Albany, all Democrats, the measure would regulate the storage, possession and sale of ammunition in the county. It would also require dealers to record each ammo sale and the caliber, make, model, manufacturer’s name and serial number of the firearm for which the purchase was made.

Introduced at the March meeting of the County Legislature, the proposal, called Local Law A, was sent to the Law Committee for review. Two weeks later, committee Chairman Bryan Clenahan sent the proposed local law to County Attorney Craig Denning for a ruling on its constitutionality.

Steck, who is an attorney, said he believes Local Law A will pass constitutional muster. Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association and an NRA board member, disagrees, calling the measure “an affront to every legal and lawful gun owner in Albany County.”

King said “over the course of many years, the Supreme Court and many other courts have said it is illegal for authorities to keep lists of guns that are sold to individual people, and that’s what this is going to do � create a list, a de facto registration by making the gun dealer keep a list of the type of guns and caliber they are buying ammunition for. The courts have said it’s unconstitutional, it violates privacy laws.”

Last month, at the public forum before the start of the legislature meeting, King was among many gun advocates who showed up to speak.

If approved, the law “could push the largest gun dealer in New York state out of Albany County,” King suggested. He was referring to B&J Guns on Central Avenue in Colonie, which is owned and operated by Brian Olesen. It is one of several gun shops Olesen runs in the Capital Region and the only one in Albany County.

Steck referred to a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision last June that struck down a gun ban in the District of Columbia and held that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to own a gun. Steck said the proposed local law is in line with that ruling.

New York has had handgun control laws on the books since 1965, the legislator said, and he specifically referred to a section of state law that makes it unlawful for any firearms dealer to sell ammunition for use in a handgun to someone not authorized to possess the handgun. Violating that section of the law constitutes a Class B misdemeanor.

The local law is an “enforcement mechanism” that would require people to display gun licenses. “Quite frankly, I never expected it to generate this type of controversy,” the lawmaker said. On the other hand, no one has told him the law, which he labeled as “mild,” is unnecessary because gun shops are already checking who they sell ammunition to, he said. While the state penal law doesn’t require a pistol license be shown, “in the end isn’t it easier that they just show their licenses?” Steck said.

If you are going to a tea party tomorrow be very careful

The government is looking for any reason to lock down this country and forcibly take away our guns and ammo. DHS, obama, the libs, are all looking to do it. Leave your guns and ammo at home, don’t even leave them in your car. Just DO NOT take them to the tea party. A civil war could start that we are not ready to fight yet. obama and his democrat friends flat out hate guns, and hate you for owning them, and don’t think you should have the right to do so. Any excuse to institute martial law and order the removal all guns and ammo will be used. This is not right wing extremism, this is not a paranoid theory of the new world order, or anything like that. Please I beg you NOT to take your guns to the tea parties. Leave them at home. If you read this blog on a regular basis you know I am pro gun ownership, and gun rights. It is just not worth it.

Countering the Drive By Media’s Reality

Unfortunately we are closing in on the first 60 days of BHO’s “historic” presidency, and already we have learned a lot about this man who was to bring us “Hope and Change”. The pundits and media figure heads have all debated this man’s actions continuously, wondering if his actions are the result of inexperience or ignorance. After this current trip to Europe, it has become clear that his actions are a direct attempt to subvert this great country.

America is in big trouble. Our enemies are emboldened, our President is bowing to the Saudi King, and Iran is a few months away from a nuclear weapon. Israel is in danger of a another holocaust. What can average Americans do? Here is a short list:

* Attend the nationwide Tea Parties on April 15th
* Stock up on guns and ammo. Not only does Obama want to ban them, there are increasing signs that civil unrest may be on the horizon.
* Connect with other conservatives via the new media: Twitter, Facebook, blogs.
* Start educating moderate democrats on the danger Obama poses; use the old fashioned art of asking them questions about their core beliefs, and relating them to what Obama stands for.
* Call your senators and congress critters. Let them know if they do not stand up to Obama, you will not vote for them when their term is up.

These are frightening times to be an American. Like many others, I am scared to death of losing this great country. The time to act is now. God Bless America.