anti-authoritarian gun club

Basic Carbine Training Course

2011-08-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

Recently, I took Alpha Dog Tactical’s basic carbine course. Watching stuff like The Nutnfancy Project and Top Shot always makes me want to take courses with experienced instructors to up my skills but a lot of anxiety and intimidation have always prevented me from enrolling. Luckily, enrollment in the course was a gift (and a big push). My initial expectation was that the course would be filled with law enforcement officers and maybe ex-military and that my skills and knowledge would be far less than that of other participants. However, some internet research and thinking-it-over led me to expect more varied skill levels putting me at ease.

Leading up to the course, I had to get all the required gear/supplies. Having minimal real life experience with the AR-15, there was a lot of guess work. (What kind of vest/chest rig fits most comfortably? Where do I want my magazines to be positioned? How essential would knee pads be?)

The day of the course, I felt prepared and made my long drive to the course location. When I arrived, most participants were already gearing up and I rushed to get ready. The participants were about as diverse as one would find at most Northern CA shooting ranges. As the day showed, our skill levels were extremely varied as was our experience with our weapons. I have to give the instructor, Jeff, and his co-instructors, Jimmy and Chuck, a lot of props for handling the varied skill levels so well.

I won’t recount the course entirely. You can find the course list HERE and read it yourself. Jeff, Jimmy, and Chuck all had great demeanors for instructing. They kept the pressure on but were not the type of militaristic asshole rangemasters or gunshop owners we all encounter too unnecessarily often.

Most important are my take-aways from the course. While the instructor’s pressure/stress was minimal, it gave me the greatly desired opportunity to perform and learn while not in a comfortable environment. The drills also showed me what I need to work on and how to do that. Jeff continuously told us how shooting is “the thinking man’s game” and it definitely took me some stretching to try and think outside of my daily office job sheep role. It became painfully obvious to everyone there that the bullshit CA “bullet button” is not meant to be on the weapon and caused problems in learning, adapting, and even weapon malfunctions. Similarly, we all felt the pain of using 10 round CA legal mags. I did find myself in the bottom quarter of skill levels. At least it felt like it. I also made some glaring mistakes. However, I have to keep it in perspective of my goal: Get better. I like the TNP motto of “suck less” and I know I learned a great deal and I suck less than I did before the course.

Most all of my gun enthusiast peers have no military experience nor do we encounter many people who do. Enrolling in civilian training courses is crucial. I would recommend this for pistols and not just rifles. We ran drills transitioning from rifle to pistol and without strong pistol fundamentals, I felt at a disadvantage. It wouldn’t hurt to watch a lot of internet videos about tactical AR-15 usage either. Watching and re-watching TNP and Magpul videos helped me with terminology and ideas on how to run my system. Working on some forearm strength before the course will help avoid some sore muscles/tendons. If intimidation is keeping you from enrolling in a course, get a friend to take it with you. This course had solo and group participants. There isn’t much time for chatting but going with friends might help put you at ease.

Big thanks go out to the Alpha Dog Tactical team for teaching us all some great skills. I am extremely appreciative of the gift enrolling me in the course.

Loughner & Gun Control

2011-01-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Jared Loughner allegedly shot 20 individuals, including his apparent target Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), at a Tucson meet-and-greet. I will refrain from blaming the rhetoric of Sarah Palin or labelling Loughner a rightwing loon at this point. Loughner's motives are not the subject here, "gun control" is.

As could easily be suspected, liberals are using the shooting as a rallying cry to limit gun ownership. Just look at Huffington Post and how anti-gun sentiment is rampant. Articles such as "Only One Fact in Arizona: Loughner Got a Gun" or "Americans Favor Semi-Automatic Weapons Ban..." are pushing for more limits to gun ownership, especially since Loughner apparently purchased his weapon legally.

After a murderous shooting attack, the media likes to immediately begin defining sanity and defining the assailant as insane. This is an attempt to negate extralegal political action as well as label the act as isolated. If we cannot look at reasons why, we tend to only look to how. How is a gun. Another thing that really annoys me is liberals' constant use of "semi-automatic" as a scare tactic. Do these people even know what a semi-automatic weapon is. It is a firearm which automatically reloads, but will only fire one round per trigger pull. That's all. Nothing scary. Give me a break!

This attack cannot be used to further limit people from having guns. As a matter of fact, I read one pro-gun blog that posed the question of how this Arizona attack might not have been carried out to the extent it was if the people present had been armed. (Of course, if people aren't armed in Arizona, I don't know where they would be.)

We must engage people we hear talking about "gun control" as a solution. It isn't a solution and an unarmed populace is far scarier.

Flying with a Firearm

2011-01-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Traveling by air with a firearm sounds like it might be tricky even if it shouldn't be. Here is my account of traveling from Oakland,CA to Casper, WY with my AR-15. Hopefully it will help anyone thinking of making a similar trip and encourage others to travel WITH firearms. It is perfectly legal to check a firearm when traveling by airlines. I had read over the minimal regulations made available by Transportation Security Administration (TSA), my airline (Delta), and Oakland Airport. They all said the same thing which I encourage you to read but which can be boiled down to 1)it must be unloaded and 2)it must be in a locked case. It seemed way too easy so I also checked with a coworker who has traveled with a rifle to hunt on the east coast. He assured me it was, in fact, just that simple and that he was never hassled.

I bought a Pelican Stormcase just for the trip. These are hard cases and maybe a little more fancy than needed but I wanted to be safe with regulations as well as keep my gun safe from any rough handling. Also in the case were two empty CA legal 10round magazines. The case has 6 clasps and at least four holes which could be fitted with locks. I locked the case with one key-lockable padlock.

We arrived at Oakland airport with what should have been ample time to get boarding passes (we had already checked in online) and make it to our gate. We got in the "special check-in" line. A delta staff member checked with us to see if we really needed to be in the special line. I explained I had a firearm and the staff member said "Oh! Ok. You definitely need to be in that line." When it was our turn, the Delta counter clerk checked in my travel companion but when she found out I had a firearm to check, she literally told me someone else would have to help me. She instructed me to just stand to the side. She told another clerk that I needed to check a gun and she left. I patiently waited for over 15 minutes. Finally, I was motioned over to the counter and the clerk rudely said "So you have a gun? How are we supposed to do this?!" She proceeded to have me sign the unloaded firearm declaration and then told me we needed to go to the TSA booth across from the Delta counter. As we approached the TSA booth, this clerk asked if the case was locked. I said yes. She said the one lock wasn't going to be sufficient. Trying to remain polite and calm, I mentioned that the regulations make no mention of multiple locks. She rudely passed me over to TSA pointing out that I only had one lock. The TSA officials asked me to unlock the case. I did. The TSA agents wiped the case for explosives, checked to make sure it was not loaded, and closed the case. They asked me to lock it. I did and they began trying to pry it open while locked (which they could not). They called over another TSA supervisor. She looked at it while they tried to pry open the locked case and told me one lock would not be sufficient. Alarmed, I asked what I was supposed to do. I was instructed to go to the nearby airport giftshop and purchase another lock. I ran to the shop and bought the only locks they had- a 2 pack of combination locks. Then I ran back to the TSA booth. I put a total of three locks on my case to appease Oakland TSA. They then told me I was free to go but I told them I was never issued a boarding pass. Apparently, the check-in clerk must verify with TSA that all is sufficient before issuing a boarding pass. So I had to go get the rude Delta clerk again. She gave me my boarding pass and told me I had better hurry to my gate. No kidding! I ran to my gate. The whole process took approximately 45 minutes. Upon landing in Casper, WY, it was humorous to see so many rifle cases come out of the luggage carousel.

The return leg of my trip was unsurprisingly very different. Casper airport, to be fair, is far less crowded. The Delta staff there were not bothered by my having to check a firearm. I am sure it is something they have done a million times (50 times by noon of that day alone according to a TSA official). The Delta clerk calmly gave me clear instructions to unlock the case and had me sign the unloaded declaration. I was then instructed to take it over to the TSA area. The TSA agent was not busy and asked me to relock the case. I did. He took it and told me to wait for a sec in case they have any questions or need to unlock it again. I stood in place for about one minute and the agent gave me a good-bye thumbs up.

An interesting thing to note upon my return to Oakland airport- While waiting for baggage at the baggage claim carousel, I saw the "oversized luggage" door slide up only about three feet. A pair of hands tossed in my rifle case. The sliding door closed. There sat my rifle on the floor of Oakland airport unattended.

Third Lawsuit Filed Against AB 962

2010-08-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

Truckers and gun owner groups file lawsuit against California to void handgun ammunition shipping ban

AB-962 Pre-empted By Federal Laws That Regulate Interstate Shipping

READ MORE HERE

No Police? Arm up, people!

2010-08-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Despite a lot of this article being crap, it does point out that Oakland should not rely on police and should arm themselves.

"Be very careful, be vigilant, get in touch with your neighbors, because we're going to have to look after each other."

I don't even think folks in Oakland are aware of this attention or their being used as an example.

Piece Now, Peace Later

2010-07-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

Piece Now, Peace Later: An Anarchist Introduction to Firearms is available online in pdf form.

Nerf Guns

2010-07-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

I posted previously about Nerf's toy guns based on real guns. Recently Gizmodo did a similar piece.

So This Is What Nerf Guns Are Like Now, Huh?

2010-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

"The next amendment is,'A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.' One of the ordinary modes, by which tyrants accomplish their purposes without resistance, is, by disarming the people, and making it an offence to keep arms, and by substituting a regular army in the stead of a resort to the militia. The friends of a free government cannot be too watchful, to overcome the dangerous tendency of the public mind to sacrifice, for the sake of mere private convenience, this powerful check upon the designs of ambitious men.

The importance of this article will scarcely be doubted by any persons, who have duly reflected upon the subject. The militia is the natural defence of a country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people. The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms had justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpations and arbitrary power of rulers; and it will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them. And yet, though this truth would seem so clear, and the importance of a well-regulated militia would seem so undeniable, it cannot be disguised, that among the American people there is a growing indifference to any system of militia discipline, and a strong disposition, from a sense of its burdens, to be rid of all regulations. How it is practicable to keep the people duly armed without some organization, it is difficult to see. There is certainly no small danger, that indifference may lead to disgust, and disgust to contempt; and thus gradually undermine all the protection intended by this clause of our National Bill of Rights."

- Joseph Story, "A Familiar Exposition of The Constitution of the United States", paragraphs 450 and 451 (1840)

from SurvivalBlog

Why liberals should love the Second Amendment

2010-07-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Daily Kos posted a pro gun piece. Something different from their usual anti-gun sentiments.

Why liberals should love the Second Amendment

It seems like a decent article that focuses on gun rights as civil rights.

McDonald Decision Will Challenge Local Gun Laws

2010-07-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

Sayre Weaver is one of the leading legal lights of the gun control movement in California and she says the McDonald decision is likely to spawn lawsuits challenging local gun control laws.

It appears likely that McDonald will generate challenges to a wide range of local firearms regulations, as well as ammunition regulations.....Because the Court has given little guidance on what standard a firearms regulation must meet to survive challenge under the Second Amendment, we anticipate that the decision will embolden individual litigants to challenge a wide range of firearms laws, including long standing laws that have previously survived challenge in the courts.

...ordinances will now be subject to a stricter test in the courts, and the legislative findings that may be needed for a given law to pass muster under the Second Amendment will be of particular importance.

From NO LAWYERS - ONLY GUNS AND MONEY

CalGuns Gets Over on Anti-Gun Forces

2010-07-18T20:31:00.001-07:00

Popular online gun forum, CalGuns, suspected that anti-gun force, Legal Community Against Violence, was monitoring their forums. So CalGunnerss pretended to organize a potentially rowdy protest at LCAV's annual fundraising dinner in San Francisco.

LCAV were listening in and took CalGuns seriously. They even mobilized SFPD. However, no one showed and CalGuns revealed that LCAV had been had.

CalGuns:
As much fun as it would have been to organize a great big ruckus, it was much more fun watching them scramble about in fear that the gun nuts were going to heap insult upon the injury of McDonald at their pyrrhic victory dinner.

And we didn’t have to expend an ounce of energy.

What was the point?

Well, we learned a bunch.

1) That past actions have convinced them to take us seriously. Calgunner attendance at City Council meetings, legislative hearings and court cases has demonstrated that we’re able to mobilize a motivated group of activists on short notice. We’ve proven to them that we show up. We’ve shown that we’re effective, too. Emeryville’s revision of their proposed ammunition ordinance proved that.

2) That they’re paying attention to us. We long suspected that LCAV was monitoring our communications. It’s one of the reasons that CGF boardmembers are circumspect when discussing legal strategies. So, please be patient when folks are using cryptic language to discuss options for regaining our rights.

3) That now they don’t know when we’re bluffing. We’ve spoofed them twice so far. Who knows what other kinds of wild goose chases we can send them on? It will be fun to learn.

4) That they’re afraid of us. Despite my assertions (and requirements) that this “action” not allow any physical contact, trespassing, etc., LCAV felt it necessary to mobilize the police and additional security.

5) That they’re irrational. In every interaction that we’ve had with the antis, we’ve been polite. We’ve been well dressed, well spoken, chivalrous and respectful. We’ve been met with profanities, threats and incivility. I wouldn’t be surprised if local officials are starting to take notice the difference in style.

What a great tactic. It would be fun to employ this and redirect other forces and expend their energy/resources if we knew we were being spied on.

Talking About Guns, Fighting About Race

2010-07-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

In These Times posted an interesting article about guns and race.
Check it out

via Bring The Ruckus

Victory on Second Amendment Freedom in McDonald v. City of Chicago

2010-07-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

In a 5-4 decision, The US Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment applies not just to Washington, D.C. and other federal enclaves, but protects the rights of all Americans throughout the country. The opinion in McDonald v. City of Chicago brings an end to the nearly 30 year-long handgun ban that the city has imposed on its citizens.

As hoped, this ruling could challenge (and end) regulation of firearms. READ HERE for details on how.

Swiss Gun Party

2010-07-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Every five years, Switzerland holds the Eidgenössische (Federal) Schützenfest. This year, there were 2300 teams made up over over 45,000 individual shooters.

CA Long Gun Registration Still Moving Forward

2010-07-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

Assembly Bill 1810 was passed by the Senate Public Safety Committee by a vote of 4-2. The bill now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

AB1810 would establish a registration system, similar to the one currently in place for handguns, for all newly-acquired long guns. Under AB1810, the make, model and serial number of the firearm as well as the identifying information of the purchaser would be recorded and kept on file by the California Attorney General’s office.

You can contact the CA Senate Appropriations Committee and urge them to not pass the Bill.
CONTACT INFO HERE

5 Hollywood Gun Myths

2010-07-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

Cracked compiled an awesome and hilarious list of gun myths perpetuated by Hollywood films. Check out their list which has extensive examples and fact checking.

#5. Silencers Turn Gunfire Into a Gentle Whisper

#4. Machine Guns are Magical Death Machines

#3. Bulletproof Vests Are Magical Force Fields

#2. Gratuitous Cocking

#1. Bullets Explode Everything

One myth not listed which I think is used the most and perhaps the most important is that guns do not automatically and neatly kill a person. In reality, it can be very messy.

Stop California's Assembly Bill 1810

2010-06-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

California’s Long Gun Registration Bill Scheduled for a Hearing on Tuesday, June 29

AB1810 would establish a registration system, similar to the one currently in place for handguns, for all newly-acquired long guns. Under AB1810, the make, model and serial number of the firearm as well as the identifying information of the purchaser would be recorded and kept on file by the California Attorney General’s office.

Contact the members of the Senate Public Safety Committee and voice your opposition to AB1810.
SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

CA: Stop AB1810!

2010-05-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

On May 28, the CA Assembly Appropriations Committee passed Assembly Bill 1810. The bill now heads to the Assembly floor for consideration where it could be heard as early as next week.

AB1810 would establish a registration system, similar to the one currently in place for handguns, for all newly-acquired long guns. Under AB1810, the make, model and serial number of the firearm as well as the identifying information of the purchaser would be recorded and kept on file by the California Attorney General’s office.

Please contact your Assemblymember TODAY and strongly voice your opposition to AB1810. Contact information can be found HERE.

toy gun

2010-05-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know if they make toy guns like this anymore, but Nerf sells some pretty cool guns.

Amazing Shooting Range

2010-05-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

check out this amazing shooting range and store in Germany!!

Gun Safety Poster

2010-05-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Gun Safety Poster

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SIZE PDF

The Firearm Blog

2010-05-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Firearm Blog is a great resource on all things gun related.

Some recent things covered on The Firearm Blog:

- Instructions for painting rifles

- More people shoot than play golf

- European AR-15 rifles

The Firearm Blog on Facebook
The Firearm Blog on Twitter

NRA, HuffPost, Fear Mongering, & Gun Owners

2010-05-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Huffington Post's fearmongering headlines

The Huffington Post along with NY Mayor Bloomberg take the position that no one on the so-called "no fly" list should be able to legally purchase guns. Why? These people have not been convicted of any crime. They haven't even been accused of committing a crime! Show us this supposed list. Explain to the public exactly how one makes the list.

Bloomberg is working hard to make it so that people cannot legally purchase firearms based on their political and/or religious affiliations/beliefs.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) are .
We all know how the FBI chooses their targets.

There is something very dangerous about allowing the government to declare individuals unable to possess firearms based on them possibly being legal dissidents with no oversight or transparency.

Part of this hysteria is also to revoke US citizens of their citizenship without having been convicted of any crime.
_____

What about the part of HuffPost's headline about NRA members disagreeing with the NRA on this issue?
Think Progress conducted a laughable survey of NRA annual conference attendees. Apparently a lot of those asked agreed that anyone put on the "terrorist watchlist" should not be able to buy guns. It wouldn't be surprising if the rightwing membership of NRA went along with the law and order argument for restrictive laws (that they don't think will affect them directly).

This could easily be where the government gets the support of rightwing gunowners to restrict gun ownership to those who pass a political litmus test!
_____

As for the part of HuffPost's headline about Palin claiming that Obama wants our guns, her speech was just a list of paranoid ramblings about how Obama will take our guns and loves abortion.

Militia

2010-05-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

The above image is the swearing in ceremony of Venezuela's civilian militia.
Obviously, Venezuela's militias come from a top-down state structure but it does bring up the idea of an armed citizenry. An armed and trained citizenry can defend itself from threats inside and out.
A standing army needs wars for profit.

coexist

2010-05-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

You have probably seen those silly "coexist" bumper stickers.

Check out this clever one!

Arms v. Votes

2010-05-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

This startling map is based on OKCupid data.

I don't know which would be more frightening to live in- a state that doesn't value (the myth of) democratic voting or a state that doesn't value citizens being able to arm themselves.

Afterall, an armed citizenry can defend freedom An unarmed citizenry would have no defense against powers whether voted in or not. Of course, a citizenry that doesn't value what is presented to them as democratic are probably not protesting the undemocratic nature of our voting system and more likely willing to side with fascism.

Girls With Guns

2010-04-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

While maybe not specifically about guns, AK Press has put together a "Girls With Guns Snack Pack."

Titles included in the “Girls with Guns” snack pack are:
-Free Women of Spain: Anarchism And The Struggle For The Emancipation Of Women
-Las Soldaderas: Women of the Mexican Revolution
-Atamansha: The Story of Maria Nikiforova, the Anarchist Joan of Arc

Buy them as a set and get all three books for $27.50

Progress of Concealed-Carry

2010-04-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

Sociological Images has posted a piece detailing the increase in legalizing concealed-carry.

1986

1993

2010

I think it is important to note that concealed-carry laws in no way equal easy/unrestricted access to the purchase of firearms.

_____

Arizona will be the third state in the nation to let any adult who can legally own a gun carry it concealed without getting a permit.

Hidden Handguns

2010-04-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Fun little image regarding hidden handguns

Facebook Update

2010-04-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

We need to acknowledge how fast AAGC on Facebook is taking off. In the past couple weeks, we have gone from a handful of "members" to over 60!
The best part is that folks are contributing.
Keep it up!

"Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns."

2010-04-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

A former New Orleans police officer told federal authorities he saw a fellow officer shoot and kick unarmed, wounded civilians in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.

This is precisely why we need to stay armed!

Remember, New Orleans Police Superintendent Eddie Compass ordered local police, National Guard troops, and US Marshals to confiscate all civilian-held firearms. He said "Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns." Seizures were carried out without warrant, and in some cases with excessive force. National Guard troops, armed with assault rifles, were used for house to house searches, seizing firearms.

After refusing to admit that it had any seized firearms, the city eventually revealed that it did have a cache of some 1000 firearms seized after the hurricane.

We cannot rely on the law to guarantee our safety nor can we assume they will even respect our legal rights.
The state instinctively could not allow people and communities to defend themselves. Allowing that would run counter to the police and military's reason for existence.

Canada May Repeal Rifle Registration

2010-04-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

Canada may end the required registration of long guns, or shotguns and hunting rifles.

The legislation would delete from federal law the obligation to register so-called nonrestricted firearms, though licensing requirements for long-gun owners to buy or possess firearms and to buy ammunition would remain in place. The legislation would also require all registration information collected to date to be destroyed.

Outreach

2010-04-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

The other night I was doing a bit of AAGC outreach. It was actually not outreach at all but I was among friends and initiated conversations about guns. At one point, I got the sense that some friends might have thought the discussion bordered on bad security culture. I could have just been projecting but it made me think about when/if guns, gun laws, and training are safe topics to discuss among friends in public areas.
I used to worry about this and refrain from such discussions. However, I realized that this did nothing except keep my strong belief that people need to be armed for self-defense and community defense closeted. The entire reason I made the push to learn more about firearms and related topics and then contribute to AAGC was to share knowledge/information/skills and equally important- to demystify firearms and who owns them. We still need to be safe and aware but pretending we are underground militia members or that possessing guns should be hidden will not help get more people comfortable around firearms, possessing firearms, and trained in how to use them. It is all of that which we need.

who wants stickers?

Range Recommendation

2010-04-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

When practicing at the shooting range, especially if in a group, be mindful of how you dress. In some areas, ranges have a diverse mix of folks and in other areas, they don't. There is really no need to draw extra attention to yourself as an "anti-authoritarian" or any other type of ruffian who might not love law, order, and/or the government. It might be common sense but avoiding clothing with anarchist, socialist, subversive, punk, or other imagery/words that might be seen as anti-establishment is just good security culture and keeps you safe and unnoticed.

off hiatus

2010-04-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

The AAGC blog hasn't been updated in a while. Sometimes life gets in the way. We are becoming more active on facebook if you want to check us out there.

During the hiatus, we had a AAGC outing to a gunshow to coincide with the Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair. That was a lot of fun and perhaps we will share more about that in the future.

and... WE GOT STICKERS!!

Games + Guns

2010-03-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

The Escapist has an interesting article on the connection between gamers and guns.
CHECK IT OUT HERE

can haz?

2010-03-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

I randomly came across this shirt on the internet and then found where you can purchase it. I don't know anything about who is selling them but they look pretty cool.

Free Weezy

2010-03-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

"Law is mind without reason"

WY's Firearms Freedom Act

2010-03-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

Wyoming Legislation asserting that firearms made, sold and kept only in Wyoming are exempt from all federal gun laws is set to become law. Tennessee and Montana have enacted similar laws.

WY's law also states that any state or federal official who tries to enforce any federal gun law on a firearms made and sold in Wyoming could face a $2,000 fine and up to a year in prison.

So how many guns are even manufactured in WY?! Freedom Arms, the largest gun manufacturer in Wyoming says, “The big (firearms) companies put out more in a day than we put out in a year.” Freedom Arms only makes revolvers.

(Unfortunately, the legislation doesn’t cover fully automatic weapons or rocket-propelled grenade launchers.)

Montana is testing that state’s Firearms Freedom Act in federal court and it could be found unconstitutional.

_____

Are laws such as these worth it? Are they more moral-victory-seeking attempts than meaningful ways to ensure gun ownership?

You could probably bet that if the Federal Government wanted to strike down these laws or just go round up all firearms in these states, they could do so legally or with military force.

It might be more effective if a more heavily populated state that manufactures a lot of guns enacted such a law... and even better if multiple adjoining states enacted such laws that could somehow acknowledge eachothers' laws.

In the end, we can't expect to rely on laws to protect us from the law.

Keep an eye on the SCOTUS

2010-03-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

You can easily find better coverage of the Scotus (Supreme Court of the United States) hearing of McDonald v. Chicago elsewhere, but it should at least be noted here that oral arguments for the case have occurred.

“The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed poised to require state and local governments to obey the Second Amendment guarantee of a personal right to a gun, but with perhaps considerable authority to regulate that right."

Chile

2010-03-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

Cost of Policing

2010-02-24T19:10:00.000-08:00

Vermont proposed a law to apply a tax to those individuals who do not own and maintain a firearm. It is highly unlikely that this law will be passed (due, in part, to protecting religions). What is interesting is one of the justification in support of the law and tax; the cost of a standing police force.

What does it mean when people reclaim their need to protect themselves and their communities from standing militarized police forces? An end to the 'protection racket.'

Anarchist Criminology

The Long Road to Getting My AR-15

2010-02-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

My obsession with owning an AR-15 began last summer while visiting my family in the Rocky Mountain region. My uncle had just gotten a Remington R-15 and I was psyched to get to shoot it. We destroyed plenty of melons and with that R-15's Leupold scope, I decimated some apples from a decent distance. The handling of the rifle coupled with the amazingly dead-on scope felt better than any other rifle I had shot. (Ironically, I ended up not opting for the amazing Leupold scope.) The price of somewhere around $1,000 was high to a novice gun buyer like myself but wasn't out of reach.

My uncle's Remington R-15 with Leupold Mark AR 3-9

After thinking about it, I decided to begin looking into actually purchasing one. This was a long road and I learned more than I thought I would. It is some of this knowledge or experience which I hope to share for someone else's benefit. Thinking back, I wish I had kept notes of some sort so that I could hit specific points that might be helpful.

Initially, I looked a lot at manufacturer's websites. I intended to buy a fully assembled system. Being familiar with Remingtons, I looked a lot at their site. Most of Remington's Ar-15's are designed for hunting and I knew I would rather have some sort of combat/tactical gun. That led me to Bushmaster. Bushmaster has a lot to offer. This is when I got serious and really tried to find out what exactly I wanted. I knew I wanted a flat top (optics ready), 16'' barrel, rail system, and collapsible stock.

Remington R-15 VTR Predator Carbine CS

Bushmaster Modular Carbine

Preferring to buy the weapon in person (I don't even know what kind of shit one has to go through to order a gun), I had been attending gun shows and looking for guns I liked to then research and potentially purchase. After not seeing exactly what I wanted, I thought I would try out Mountain View, CA's Gun Vault at the advice of a friend. A store that specialized in "black rifles" sounded like a good place to talk to someone about what I wanted. I walked in to a very very crowded shop right after New Years. When I told the old dude that I was interested in AR-15's, he asked me if I wanted gas or direct impingement. I didn't know. I inquired about Bushmasters. He told me Bushmaster lowers are illegal in CA and launched into a list of all illegal lowers. It was a rather intimidating and unpleasant experience except that the man did mention that they could build me an AR which started to sound good. The other piece of information I took away from the visit was to not get caught up thinking of brand name parts as a lot of brand names parts are manufactured by others anyway.

It was time to put in some serious studying about AR parts. I spent a lot of time looking at sites like LaRue, watching YouTube videos from Nutnfancy, and eventually the CalGuns forums. It seemed like everything I learned presented new options I wanted as well as new things I didn't know about. It is really tough to figure this all out via the internet. I almost wished I had contact with someone who was military/ex-military to pick their brain about preferences. (Of course, given the nature of my politics, that was unlikely.) Finally after thinking about AR-15's so much my brain overloaded, I thought I was ready to try The Gun Vault again.

I went in to The Gun Vault early on a weekday in hopes of avoiding any crowd and getting some one-on-one customer service. It worked. The employee who helped me seemed to know a lot, was ex-military, and not pedantic at all. I was prepared with a full list of questions to ask and thing I was looking for. I highly recommend gathering your thoughts together in a list to take in with you. It ensures you hit all the points you want and get all questions answered. It could have been bullshit customer service but I really paid attention to dude's military experience in his preferences and suggestions. Of course, with such a customizable gun, I didn't find everything I was looking for. I did find enough that I felt satisfied.

Optics are, of course, a whole topic on their own. As soon as I decided I did not want a hunting style magnification scope. I started looking at reflex sites. As much as I wanted to buy the optics when I bought the gun, I told myself I would need to check out my options firsthand before buying anything. I was most interested in the Aimpoint Comp 3 or Eotech's XPS. Luckily, The Gun Vault had both for me to check out. I looked through both and preferred the Eotech XPS-2. (I know Aimpoints are supposed to be better/cooler or whatever but I liked the Eotech and it was much cheaper.)

Aimpoint CompM3

Eotech XPS2-0

The actual purchase of the gun was quicker and easier than I expected. One does not need to take the CA Safety test when purchasing a long gun and I didn't have to show any stupid display of how to load the weapon or anything. The only bummer is the 10 day waiting period. When the 10 day wait was over, I went in and picked up my AR-15. I brought in a case I had purchased for the gun and the store made me buy a lock from them since I didn't have one (or a receipt for one). I should note that I did go way over my initial projected budget but that can easily happen when customizing something like this.

point of purchase

Something like 6 months later and I finally have the weapon I wanted. I also learned more about AR-15's and CA gun laws than I ever expected to and that feels really good.

LWRC lower, GG&G Dominator upper, RRA stock, Eotech XPS 2-0 sight.

Thank you to all my friends and family that helped inform this purchase. Thank you to the Nutnfancy Project. Thank you to CalGuns, specifically aPlinker's AR thread (a must read for any new AR buyer/builder!).

disarm citizens

2010-02-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

Oath Keepers = modern day Bonus Army

Marketing Firearms

2010-02-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

Sociological Images has an interesting chronicle of how guns have been marketed in the US. From tools, to patriotism, to hunting, and now primarily for self defense. The fairly new self defense angle plays into our culture of fear and also targets groups that have not traditionally purchased firearms.

Another entry on Sociological Images takes an anti-gun tone but has even better images. These images are advocating guns for self defense against sexism, racism, and homophobia.

I think this is my fave:

Oakland Adds More Anti-Gun Laws

2010-02-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

Oakland City Council's proposed gun/ammo limitations was discussed previously.

The council approved the firearm ordinance without any no votes. Keep in mind, this useless ordinance just "enhances" already existing laws and it doesn't even affect any current businesses (because no gun or ammo stores exist in Oakland)!

Over 30 people showed up to say that the city’s new proposal would not serve as an effective deterrent to crime and infringed on Second Amendment rights. Several opponents of the measure tried to link Oakland’s budget problems to its decision to make further prohibitions to the sale of handguns in the city. The City didn't care.

“You’re going to get sued and you’re going to lose,” said Kevin Thomason, a lawyer who lives in East Oakland. “It cost San Francisco $380,000 when they lost their case against us. It will probably working out to be a million dollars when you lose.”

Councilmember Jean Quan, aware that this could most likely bring lawsuits against the city, says, "we're not backing off."

These new laws:

-implement AB 962 ammunition sales restrictions immediately instead of waiting for the state law to take effect next year;
add ALL ammunition, including rifle and shotgun ammunition, to the restrictions;

-require that all ammunition sellers obtain an FFL,

-require that all lost or stolen firearms be reported within 48 hours; and

-require the Chief of Police to send a letter to all handgun purchasers outlining their “obligations” as owners of nasty guns.

Wanna contact The Oakland City Council?

Facebook

2010-02-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

AAGC is now on Facebook.
CLICK HERE

Oakland City Council Hates Guns

2010-02-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

Oakland City Council unanimously approved a measure proposed by Larry Reid, who represents East Oakland. It includes three proposed changes:
-Require the reporting of lost or stolen firearms to the Oakland Police Department
-Requiring a thumbprint for all ammunition purchases
-Enforcing strict permit requirements for the sale of firearms and ammunition in Oakland

Of course, Oakland does not have any firearms or ammunition dealers who sell to the public.

It is expected that the Supreme Court will decide in favor of the plaintiffs in McDonald v. Chicago, and that the Second Amendment will be incorporated as against the states. Oakland City officials look to spend tax dollars on a futile attempt to make gun ownership more difficult in Oakland. The City of Oakland could be forced to pay the legal fees of prevailing counsel if/when they lose in Federal Court.

The City Council is expected to consider the proposal for a final vote on Feb. 16.

CalGuns Forums has a great thread discussing this issue HERE

There is also a thread for the upcoming Fe.16th City Council Meeting HERE

This is such a bullshit attempt at some liberal moral victory that will be hollow in any positive effect and will cost a lot of tax dollars.

Women & Guns

2010-02-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

Life Magazine recently ran a cool photo collection of women with guns.
CHECK IT OUT HERE

One of the initial goals of the AAGC is getting people who haven't been exposed to firearms comfortable with them.
Women, in particular, tend to be discouraged from getting comfortable with weapons. As if protecting oneself wasn't ladylike.

AAGC Gun Show Gathering!

2010-02-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair in San Francisco coincides perfectly with the Crossroads of the West gun show also in SF. AAGC plans to organize an outing to descend on the gun show on either Saturday, March 13th or Sunday, March 14th. This is not, in any way, meant to be adversarial or confrontational. It simply presents a no-brainer situation for anti-authoritarians interested in firearms and defense to get some firsthand information and potentially go shopping.
More information will follow as available.

Peet's & CPK don't want your service (or your guns)

2010-01-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

Peet's Coffee & Tea and California Pizza Kitchen now refuse service to any customer carrying a gun without a uniform.

It is well within their private property rights to do so.
Of course, I would say the key part of Peet's statement is "without a uniform." While CPK seems to think "firearms would be particularly disturbing to children and their parents." I wonder if CPK asks law enforcement to leave weapons at the door.

Straight Outta Concord

2010-01-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Let me draw your attention to a like minded blog, Straight Outta Concord.

SOC reminds us of the ABCF's Tactical Defense Caucus. The Caucus seems inactive on any internet level and it did draw attention from the FBI but still serves as an inspiration for anti-authoritarians and leftists to train in tactical defense.

Open Carry Events Gain Popularity

2010-01-24T10:11:00.000-08:00

Open Carry aims to make it possible for Americans in every state to legally carry loaded guns in public. In CA, Open Carry advocates rely on a section in the California Penal Code that prohibits concealed weapons. It states that "guns carried openly in belt holsters are not concealed." It is legal to do so as long as the group or individual is 1,000 feet away from a K-12 school.

The Bay Area Chapter has been organizing meet-ups to socialize and a sort of 'show of force'.

Bay Area Open Carry FaceBook
Bay Area Open Carry Twitter

LAW:
The California Penal Code makes it a crime to carry a concealed weapon without a county-issued license, but it also says that firearms "carried openly in belt holsters are not concealed." In most cases, though, it is a crime to carry a loaded gun in a public place. Unloaded firearms may not be carried at government meetings that are public. A person may have ammunition in a pocket away from the gun, and may even carry a speed loader, but carrying both ammunition and a gun is a crime if the two have direct contact. A law enforcement officer who sees someone openly carrying a gun may stop that person to make sure the weapon is unloaded. Violent felons and most of those on parole or probation may not possess firearms in any circumstance.

Trijicon Optics revisited.

2010-01-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

As soon as I read about Trijicon inscribing their optics with Christian 'dog-whistle' codes, I posted it. At the time, there was virtually no info about the Christian optics.

Now that story has blown wide open! I knew it was big news when Al Jazeera ran a story about it and how Taliban is using it to their advantage. As a friend pointed out, it is reminiscent of the Indian rebellion against the British in 1857.

Trijicon Optics = Pro Christian

2010-01-17T00:31:00.000-08:00

Michigan-based Trijicon Inc. discretely places references to Bible passages on Trijicon optics products.

ACOG Scope — ACOG4X32JN8:12
John 8:12 — “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

Cow Palace Gun Show

2010-01-17T00:23:00.000-08:00

Not long ago, anti-gun forces tried to ban San Francisco's Cow Palace from having gun shows. Luckily, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed it.

Today, I attended Crossroads of the West's gun show at The Cow Palace. I had never been to a gun show of that size. Initially, it was almost a bit overwhelming. It seemed very well attended. (I wonder what the figures are?) There were so many different kinds of dealers!

I made some purchases, learned new things, and have added some stuff to the ever growing list of stuff I would like to have.
I encourage everyone to check out a gun show (especially one this size). Even if you are a novice, gun shows are a fun way to look at so many items you unfortunately don't usually get to browse.

54 Members of Congress Support Handgun Ban

2010-01-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, had 54 members of congress join his friend-of-the-court brief Wednesday that urged the court to leave Chicago's handgun ban in place.

The following Members of Congress have signed the amicus brief mentioned above:

Representative Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04)
Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Representative Gary L. Ackerman (NY-05)
Representative Timothy H. Bishop (NY-01)
Representative Robert A. Brady (PA-01)
Representative Lois Capps (CA-23)
Representative Michael E. Capuano (MA-08)
Representative Yvette D. Clarke (NY-11)
Representative Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-01)
Representative Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11)
Representative Elijah Cummings (MD-07)
Representative Joseph Crowley (NY-07)
Representative Danny K. Davis (IL-07)
Representative Diana DeGette (CO-01)
Representative Eliot L. Engel (NY-17)
Representative Sam Farr (CA-17)
Representative Chaka Fattah (PA-02)
Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)
Representative Mazie K. Hirano (HI-02)
Representative Michael M. Honda (CA-15)
Representative Steve Israel (NY-01)
Representative Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (IL-02)
Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18)
Representative Henry C. Johnson, Jr. (GA-04)
Representative Patrick J. Kennedy (RI-01)
Representative Carolyn C. Kilpatrick (MI-13)
Representative James R. Langevin (RI-02)
Representative John B. Larson (CT-01)
Representative Nita M. Lowey (NY-18)
Representative John Lewis (GA-05)
Representative James P. McGovern (MA-03)
Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14)
Representative Doris O. Matsui (CA-05)
Representative Gregory Meeks (NY-06)
Representative George Miller (CA-07)
Representative Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Representative James P. Moran (VA-08)
Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-08)
Representative Grace F. Napolitano (CA-38)
Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-08)
Representative Donald M. Payne (NJ-10)
Representative David E. Price (NC-04)
Representative Charles B. Rangel (NY-15)
Representative Steven R. Rothman (NJ-09)
Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34)
Representative Bobby L. Rush (IL-01)
Representative Linda T. Sánchez (CA-39)
Representative Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09)
Representative José E. Serrano (NY-16)
Representative Louise McIntosh Slaughter (NY-28)
Representative Fortney Pete Stark (CA-13)
Representative Edolphus Towns (NY-10)
Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20)
Representative Anthony D. Weiner (NY-09)
Representative Lynn C. Woolsey (CA-06)

Microstamping NOT being applied for now.

2010-01-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

A new California law requiring that all new semi-auto handguns sold in California incorporate microstamping technology was to go into effect on January 1st, 2010. Too bad the technology to do this microstamp isn't even available! The law is NOT being applied for now.

Second Amendment Singles

2010-01-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

I'm finding a date here!
Second Amendment Singles

CALIFORNIA FIREARMS LAW ADVISORY/WARNING “ASSAULT WEAPON MODIFICATIONS”

2009-12-26T15:43:00.000-08:00

Some California firearm owners are subjecting themselves to possible criminal prosecution by leaving a “tool” (similar to the “AR Mag Magnet” or “Wonder Wrench”) within or attached to a device (such as a “bullet button”) that prevents a magazine from being “removed readily from the firearm.”

Read full warning as PDF

Firearms Sales By Region

2009-12-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) has issued an interesting report charting gun sales by US region. Southerners like handguns, and those in the Great Lakes states purchase the most shotguns by far. In 2008, southern Atlantic states led per capita in handgun purchases and also accounted for 31.4 % of all handguns bought in the United States. East north central states led per capita in shotgun purchases and accounted for 33.4 % of shotguns sold.

The Mountain states led per capita in rifle purchases and accounted for 10.7 percent of rifles sold. But the South Atlantic states’ residents buy the most rifles overall — 22% of the nationwide total. It is interesting that the Pacific states (California, Oregon, Washington) encompass 14.7% of the U.S. population, but that region accounts for only 10% of rifles and shotguns sold. On the other hand, Pacific states’ residents buy 14.2% of all handguns, the second highest figure among regions. Maybe all those crazy gun control laws in California haven’t made things any safer, and people feel the need to arm themselves.

(thanks AccurateShooter)

Fun Gun Links

2009-12-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

-Top Shot! History Channel is working on a shooting competition show.

-Need a ridiculous gift? Here:

Gun Links

2009-12-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

- US Military's "God Gun"
This electronic weapon instantaneously "kills" personnel or vehicles and removes them from the fight when participants are within the kill zone or blast radius of virtual explosions delivered from both grenades and IEDs.

- Quietly Winning Battles For Looser Gun Laws
Over the last two years, 24 states have passed 47 new laws loosening gun restrictions.
Public attitudes toward gun control have shifted strongly over the past 50 years, according to Gallup polling. In 1959, 60 percent of respondents said they favored a ban on handguns except for "police and other authorized persons." By last year, Gallup's most recent crime survey found 69 percent opposed such a ban.

-Switzerland's Armed Citizenry
Free guns! Free ammo!

"The key to freedom is the ability to be able to defend yourself and if you don't have the tools to do that, then you are at the mercy of whoever wants to put you away. And the tools for that are guns."

AAGC Weekend

2009-12-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend it was a friend's birthday and what better way to celebrate than to head to the range and shoot?!
We went to San Leandro Optimist Rifle and Pistol Range. I really recommend this range. The staff are always friendly and unpretentious. I was glad to get the opportunity to try some of the techniques I am picking up from Daniel Shaw on The Gunfighter Cast. Good times!

We also headed to the Code of the West gun show in Vallejo. There wasn't as many interesting finds as the last time I went. I am still in search of a (CA legal) Remington R-15 VTR-CS.

Hopefully this blog will have other contributors soon!
We would also really like to get a proper logo. I might get some fgolks to work on that for me. If you would like to help, hit us up:
antiauthoritariangunclub @ gmail dot com

The Supreme Court Is Coming

2009-12-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Supreme Court has set a date to hear the landmark civil liberties case that will determine whether the Second Amendment prohibits state and local governments from enacting stiff anti-gun laws.

Oral arguments in the lawsuit, McDonald v. City of Chicago, will be held on the morning of March 2, 2010. A decision is expected by late June or early July.

From a lay-person's glance, it seems like guns rights has the upper hand.
Even as anti-authoritarians, we must recognize the benefit to having legal rights to own firearms. It is because of this and the hope that gun restrictions could be loosened in states like CA that I suggest we throw our individual support behind efforts to repeal laws like Chicago's.

Chicago Gun Case dot com

Guerrilla Sniper Class

2009-12-06T17:39:00.001-08:00

Suarez International is offering a Guerrilla Sniper course in Arizona. The 3 day course costs $500.
Check it out

Suarez International has a ton of other courses they offer at various locations.

Legal Heat

2009-12-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

Legal Heat is an iPhone app that lists the Firearm Laws of each state.
It is fun to browse through and interesting to see where you CANNOT take loaded firearms in some states. Living in CA, I found that I cannot take a loaded firearm to a picket line, or public meeting!

I'm sure this info exists on the internet and maybe even in an equally simple form. That would beat paying $1.99.

iPhone link

(thanks to The Firearm Blog)

FN Herstal ‘Black Box’

2009-11-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

FN Herstal has created a new electronic device named the “Black Box”, which can record and store a rifle’s round count and firing sequences. In addition, when coupled to a GPS, the FN Black Box can transmit the gun’s ID and location to a monitoring authority!

Where To Shoot

2009-11-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

Where To Shoot (dot) Org provides a comprehensive directory of target shooting facilities across the country.

Talk about exhaustive lists! wow.

Money Shot

2009-11-15T23:42:00.000-08:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Word - The Money Shot

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

U.S. Speedskating

Ammo Day

2009-11-15T23:20:00.000-08:00

Next Thusday, November 19th is the 8th annual Ammo Day.
The backers of this event want each and every gun owner to purchase 100 rounds of ammunition. The purpose of Ammo Day is to support the Second Amendment and to send a message to politicians.

Bay Area Folks! Where is your favorite spot to get ammo?

Mr Kalashnikov's Birthday

2009-11-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

November 10th was Mikhail Kalashnikov's 90th birthday. Kalashnikov designed the AK-47.
Happy Birthday Mikhail!

I have been fortunate enough to shoot one.

Lock 'N Load Premiere

2009-10-21T22:25:00.001-07:00

Showtime's Lock 'N Load premiered tonight. The show is a (supposedly) hidden cam show a la Taxi Cab Confessions. The "host" of the show, Josh T. Ryan, is a bit of an obnoxious bro-ham but is also very nice and welcoming to the clientele of his gun ship outside of Denver, CO.

Each episode is only 30 minutes and moves along quickly from one vignette to another. The general theme of the show seems to illustrate the diversity of gun buyers. IT also shows regular people firing guns in a range. Both of which are positives. I think showing people fire weapons could be even more powerful than showing a diverse group interested in them. Seeing people use guns demystifies them and shows them to be tools (the guns not the shooters).

I did find odd and disturbing the show giving air time to the two dudes who basically just made comments about keeping one's wife quiet and joked about murdering women.

Swiss Shooting Traditions

2009-10-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Accurate Shooter has an interesting article on Swiss Shooting Traditions.

In Switzerland, universal military training is required of young men, and after military service, Swiss men retain their military weapons, including assault rifles, in their homes. In addition, target shooting remains a hugely popular activity among the Swiss. Though it has a population of just 7,000,000, Switzerland boasts over 2,000 rifle ranges.

Health Care & Naive Paranoia

2009-10-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

Gun Owners of America are hyping up some odd paranoia. They are claiming that healthcare "reform" (or public healthcare) under Obama will lead to denying more people access to guns and the creation of an "anti-gun medical database."

The federal government already uses medical diagnoses (such as PTSD) to deny people the right to own guns.

GOA claims: "legislation in Congress will very likely empower anti-gun bureaucrats to deny medical reimbursements to individuals who engage in supposedly “dangerous” activities, like hunting or keeping loaded weapons for self-defense."
Odd.

Trust me naive conservatives- If the government wants to take our guns, they don't need to sneak something in with public healthcare. They will just come and take them and call us terrorists.

Firearms Deaths By State

2009-10-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

Number of Deaths Due to Injury by Firearms per 100,000 Population, 2006

CLICK HERE for more details.

Do with it what you will.

Support for tougher gun laws at lowest point in decades

2009-10-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

A new Gallup poll shows that the number of Americans who favor tougher gun control laws has dropped to its lowest point in nearly 20 years.

We should seize upon sentiment to educate our peers about guns and encourage a further armed populace (especially the anti-authoritarian segment!).

AB962 Passed! Buy Your Ammo before 2/1/11

2009-10-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

AB962, the bill that would restrict ammunition sales in California was signed into law by Governor Schwarzennegger.

This measure would require vendors of handgun ammunition to keep a log of information on handgun ammunition sales (including purchaser's fingerprints) and require the face to-face transfer of ammunition sales.
It goes into effect February 1, 2011.

It makes one wonder what the point of such a law is? It would seem it is just another restriction on ammo in hopes of simply discouraging its purchase. Or as Schwarzennegger says, "to arrest and prosecute persons who have no business possessing firearms and ammunition."

Assemblyman Curt Hagman has pledged to help repeal AB962. While I cannot endorse Hagman, I would like to see this bill repealed.
_____

In better news, Schwarzennegger did veto an attempt to ban gun shows from Cow Palace in San Francisco.

NYC's Anti-Gun Crusade

2009-10-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

New York City released the findings of its undercover gun buying operation. The operation didn't even take place in New York!! The Mayor of NYC sent investigators to Ohio, Tennessee, and Nevada to catch private gun sales to those who sellers have reason to suspect could not pass a background check.

The targets of this operation are private gun sellers and the so-called "loophole" in Federal gun laws that does not require private sellers to conduct a background check. So, who would win in changing that law? Big gun dealers who have the money and means to conduct such background checks.

It is NOT a "loophole" or "gap" in the law. It IS the law.

Supreme Court decision may challenge gun laws

2009-10-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

By agreeing to hear a 2nd Amendment challenge to Chicago's handgun ban, the justices may open the door to similar lawsuits in cities and states nationwide.
At issue is whether the right to keep and bear arms is a full-fledged constitutional privilege that can be invoked by individuals against the government at all levels, or a freedom that applies only as it concerns the federal government.

It looks good because legal experts have said that gun rights advocates are likely to prevail in the this case. Even so, this case won't end all gun control. We will need to apply pressure inside our own states.

(It is interesting to note that the linked article makes the distinction between Liberals and libertarians or progressives. Hhhmm)

Lou Dobbs Decides Who/Why Can Be Pro-Gun

2009-09-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

Fear-monger Lou Dobbs and Bill Tucker are scared that President Obama's regulatory "czar", Cass Sunstein, is going to take away our guns.
Here's why:

DOBBS: And the czar here, Cass Sunstein -- I mean, what's his deal?

TUCKER: He's a vegetarian, and he believes that hunting ought to be banned.

DOBBS: So, he's not big on hunting.

TUCKER: He's not big on hunting at all. But he has openly supported the right of animals to sue. He believes animals ought to have rights...

DOBBS: I'm sorry, repeat that again?

TUCKER: He believes animals should have rights, which would include the right to sue if they have been mistreated.

DOBBS: If they were hunted.

TUCKER: Or I guess hunted.

DOBBS: If they were hunted -- really?

TUCKER: I can't explain it, Lou, I'm just telling you.

DOBBS: I just think we should let this sort of percolate, because, presumably, the president knows this man, knows who he put there...

TUCKER: Yes.

DOBBS: ... as the regulatory czar over guns. That's truly, truly interesting.
_____

Cass Sunstein, the regulatory czar over guns? Not exactly.

Sunstein has been nominated to head up the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, whose role it is to review draft regulations under Executive Order 12866; additionally, "OIRA reviews collections of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act, and also develops and oversees the implementation of government-wide policies in the areas of information technology, information policy, privacy, and statistical policy."

Guns have NOTHING to do with the position.
_____

Apparently, guns can only be trusted with hunters and certainly not vegetarians/vegans!
Fuck off, Dobbs.

(Lifted from Orcinus)

imfdb

2009-09-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Internet Movie Firearms DataBase

cool!

Kel-Tec <3s Michael Savage

2009-09-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Kel-Tec have teamed up with fascist douchelord Michael Savage to produce a limited edition .380 P3A pistol.

I can only guess the team up was to produce a beautiful weapon for those fighting against Michael Savage's stated enemies:
women, people of color, and homosexuals.

Another reason iPhone's rule

2009-09-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

You can use one to level your scope!
HERE:

Turning Birdshot into Slugs for Self-Defense

2009-09-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

I don't know how much anyone reading this can or will put this info to use but it sure is clever.

Follow the link over to The Firearm Blog for the demo.

Turning Birdshot into Slugs for Self-Defense

The Firearm Blog is a great blog, by the way.

Gunfighter Cast

2009-09-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

I have searched for decent gun-related podcasts. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them are completely infected by rightwing paranoia. I did find one that was entertaining, very informative, and useful for all skill levels.

Gunfighter Cast

The cast is hosted by Daniel and sometimes-co-host Justin. Both are US Marines and located in the Southern US. I will be honest, I might look at you funny if you suggest me listening to a show by two Marines but these guys know their shit inside-and-out. They sound like nice guys who just wish to share their knowledge of weapons.

Recently, the show began a back-to-basics series which is an excellent time to get into it. I also recommend checking past episodes' content via iTunes (or whatever) for topics which might interest you.

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Turn Up The Heat: A Firearms Primer

2009-09-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Turn Up The Heat: A Firearms Primer For Anarchists and Punks by Felix Von Havoc was originally printed in Profane Existence #18. I got this version from Making Punk A Threat Again.

I have found it to be a very good introduction to firearms. Published some 16+ years ago, parts might be a bit outdated but it contains a lot of solid information.

(click for larger/legible images)

Gun Club #1

2009-09-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

THE GUN CLUB

This is a living document: Always open to critique and change. This is a beginning: Something to build upon.

My/our hope is to create an exchange of ideas, information, and skills in relation to guns and ammunition. Specifically, we want to share all of this as it pertains to the urban metropolis and without the reactionary political element too often associated with weaponry and defense.

It is imperative to embrace all skill levels; from expert to novice. Elitist attitudes will only alienate and isolate. As a non-hierarchical entity, there is no room for this type of division. Those with knowledge and/or skill are to freely share it for the common good.

Self-defense: Arms are to be maintained in the broad sense of “self-defense”: In defense of ourselves as individuals, our families (however defined), our communities, and our world.

As anti-authoritarians, we do not recognize any body as having natural reign over us. However, we do acknowledge the importance of recognizing, defending, and expanding the legal state apparatus that allows us to bear arms.

Forward.