Don't Bring A Gun To A Swordfight?

Freiheit sent this in. What a weird story!

Die by the sword: Suspect killed in Firebaugh home invasion

A suspect in a home-invasion robbery in Firebaugh was killed by a sword-wielding resident early Saturday, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said.

The dead man, Aaron Baeza, 34, of Firebaugh was one of two suspects in the home invasion about 2:30 a.m. in the 800 block of Dodderer Street. The other suspect, Christopher Rupe, 30, left the home and remains at large, the Sheriff's Office said.

So, two goblins burst into this house. At least one of them has a gun. Yet one of them still winds up dead - from a sword, no less. Now, it's entirely possible this is more of the same stellar reporting that brings us "Glock Service Revolver" and "0.9mm", where a machete or a bowie-type knife gets turned into a sword, or perhaps these guys just managed to break into the home of a serious Highlander fan..

What it illustrates, rather graphically, is that the gun is not a magic talisman. Simply waving it in the general direction of your intended victim - or your attacker - may not be sufficient to dissuade them. In the case of the goblin, his unwillingness or hesitation in using the weapon gave his intended victim time to strike first, fatally in this case. It could easily have happened the other way - a goblin breaks in brandishing a weapon who is not immediately halted by the sight of a defensive firearm may strike first.

Never rely on the simple presence of a defensive weapon to stop an attacker - be prepared to use it to your best advantage...

That is all.

iPope

Thought this was pretty interesting...

Pope Francis answers a new calling: Catholic Church's iPad app

The Catholic Church unveiled a new iPad application this week, intended to keep the faithful abreast of Vatican comings-and-goings, as well as other news from the church’s missions throughout the world.

Called the MISSIO App, the new software debuted during a ceremony hosted this week by newly-minted Pope Francis in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall, according to the Catholic News Agency, or CNA.

I downloaded it to see what it was all about; looks like it's mainly videos and news releases. Pretty standard fair, didn't see much that would distinguish it from other news-related sites except for content, of course. It will be interesting to see how it develops, of course; personally, I think it would be really cool if they could get weekly update and coordinate it with one's local parish. Imagine getting your weekly bulletin directly to your iPhone!

Then again, attendance is tough enough now without folks being able to watch mass on their iPads...

That is all.

CAUTION: This Post Is NOT For The Squeamish

There was a terrible, terrible crash this weekend in New Hampshire. The aftermath was pretty horrifying - speed was a factor, and the victim did not survive.

Speed Blamed For Porsche Crash In NH

DUMMER, NH (CBS) – A 60-year-old New York man was seriously injured after he lost control of a Porsche on Route 16 in Dummer, New Hampshire Saturday afternoon.

Police say George Gates was speeding and crashed the 1967 Porsche 911 into a telephone pole and then a tree.

There's a picture of the carnage. It is truly horrific. In the interest of science, we need to see this terrifying image in order to help spread the word about driving responsibly. You have been warned.

Last chance. This picture is extremely graphic. I've put the picture below the break for those with weak constitutions.

Oopsie!

Alternate title: Why I will be thinking long and hard about going to Colorado in the near future.

Shotgun executive taken into custody at Colo. gun show on cabbie terror tip

Daniele Perazzi, president of the Italian Perazzi Shotguns firm, was taken into custody yesterday by Adams County Deputies [see update, below] along with several prototype shotguns. The executive was picked up in the parking lot of the Denver Merchandise Mart, hosting the high-end Colorado Gun Collectors show this weekend, after a taxi driver, likely reacting to a suspicious activity reporting outreach program conducted by law enforcement, told authorities he thought he could be transporting an armed “foreign speaking” terror suspect.

Perazzi, also known as "shotguns that cost more than your car", are the very kind of shotguns that folks like Joe Biden and John Kerry think should be legal. In fact, I'd wager they think that Perazzi is about the lowest end firearm that should be legal to own, because if you can afford a sporting gun like the Perazzi line, obviously you're one of the "right" people.

It's funny, in that of all the people in the gun world, the Italian head of one of the most prestigious gun companies out there is about the last person I'd think would be considered a suspicious person. And therein lies the difference between MA and CO - in CO, the head of Perazzi shotguns gets reported by a cabbie as a potential terrorist and hassled by the police. In MA, the cabbie helped the Boston Marathon bombers get their bomb-laden backpacks into and out of the cab...

I understand that Denver does not equal Colorado, much like the same way that Boston does not equal the rest of Massachusetts. It just concerns me that I could find myself in a police station trying to explain the evil black rifle in my luggage based on outreach program. Even more worrisome is the poorly-written CO law on magazines, where my "readily convertible" AR-15 magazines - even the 10 rounders - might potentially be illegal. If I'm coming out to hunt prairie dogs at distance, I want my Conspirato - not my .30-30...

There's currently a legal challenge being mounted by CO sheriffs, NSSF, Magpul, and firearms retailers in CO. I'll be keeping a sharp eye on these proceedings to see how future trips will be panning out. With the news like the above story, though, I'm not particularly hopeful that CO will unscrew itself in the near future - which is particularly unfortunate given the hardiness of the area and the good folks from CO I'm proud to call friend.

It's just too bad they decided to go all Massachusetts on gun control...

That is all. 

New Gear!

Picked up a couple of items that I'll be testing in the coming weeks and months at the NRA convention. The first item you might notice from the rotating ads in the right sidebar:

That's a VersaCarry for a 3.5" barrel semi-automatic handgun - just perfect for the Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm compact or the Ruger SR9 compact. I had the presence of mind to grab a quick video from the helpful folks at VersaCarry; this is Justin explaining the system:



Now, when I saw the concept of the VersaCarry, I was a bit skeptical. I'm really not a fan of the trigger being exposed, and I'm not sure how I feel about the gun being supported by the barrel. It should be fine; the trigger is exposed on the inside near the body, so as long as care is taken during holstering, it should be fine.

And another item announced later in the week!

That is all.

What It's All About...

NRA 2013 - 86,000 polite friends meetup in Houston

Go read the most excellent recap of Houston at the Knoxville Examiner. Liston - who I had the pleasure of meeting at the NRA Convention in Pittsburgh in 2011 - encapsulates the feel of the NRA convention very well. Good exhibits, great people, friendly times, and clueless protestors. Yeah, that's about it. Although this time, there was cajun food *and* BBQ... While I enjoy seeing the new shiny, the real reason I go to the NRA convention is to meet up with my internet friends.

It's always a good time, and it's well-worth the trip.

That is all.

Only The Police Should Have Guns. They Have Training...

I really don't know what to think about this.

Hofstra student was killed by police, authorities say

MINEOLA, N.Y. – A Hofstra University student being held in a headlock at gunpoint by an intruder was accidently shot and killed by a police officer who had responded to the home invasion at an off-campus home, police said Saturday.

Junior public relations major Andrea Rebello was shot once in the head early Friday morning by an officer who opened fire after the masked intruder pointed a gun at the officer while holding the 21-year-old student, Nassau County homicide squad Lt. John Azzata said.

The cop did hit the bad guy 7 times out of 8, which - given the performance of other New York cops, puts him in the top 1% for marksmanship. It's that 1 other shot that missed the bad guy that did it. Now, this is about as bad as it gets for any kind of confrontation shooting - the perp had a lengthy criminal history, an actual illegal gun (serial numbers filed off), and had the victim in a headlock while heading for the exit. This is a split-second decision made by the officer, and had that one shot not hit the victim, he'd be hailed as a hero with his excellent marksmanship held up as an example for all to emulate.

But he didn't. He missed with that shot, and the person he was trying to save was killed as a result of that miss.  Now, I wasn't there. It is absolutely possible that the bad guy was going to shoot the cop, keep going, and kill the victim later anyways. It is entirely possible that we'd have two dead innocents rather than one dead innocent and one dead goblin.

Unfortunately, in life the no-shoots don't just cost you points.

That is all.

Another dispatch from...

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Still Laughing Here, Boss...

Several folks sent me this story.

Man put in closet where guns were; suspect shot

HOUSTON (AP) -- Houston police say a group of thieves broke into a house and forced a resident into a closet so they could ransack the place.

The closet chosen during the Tuesday afternoon home invasion was the one where the resident kept his guns.

Heh. Heheheheheheheheheheh... Now, see, a lot of folks sent this to me thinking I'd identify with the homeowner. There may be a few firearms (safely and legally) stored in my closet. The thing is, I don't think I would have engaged the burglars. Not that I'd be afraid to, mind you, but that I'd spend so much time trying to decide which of my guns I should grab that they'd finish ransacking the place and leave long before I ever got out...

This is one of those cases where what you *should* do and what you most likely *would* do are pretty divergent. Honestly, if you're the only person in the house, the smartest thing to do would be to arm up, call 911, and wait in the closet while covering the door. You're in a known area, they're not likely to just start shooting at you (else they would have killed you rather than stuff you in a closet), and you're armed should they hear the police and decide you'd make a good hostage.

But, really, how likely are you going to be to actually do that? Here you are, stuffed in your own closet by people ransacking your house. Your. Damn. House. And you're sitting a closet packed with your own guns? Oh hell no. Load up the AR or the Remington 870, and it's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. You know the layout of your own house; they're certainly not expecting resistance, never mind armed resistance; and as this story showed, a determined homeowner trumps bumblin' burglars every time.

Obviously, a lot depends on your location. In a state like Massachusetts, you're a lot better off hunkering down, calling 911, and hoping your homeowner's insurance premium is paid up to cover anything that's stolen. Even though you may be perfectly justified in confronting the burglars, is it worth the legal costs from the civil suit? If there is no clear and present threat to you or your loved ones, it's a lot cheaper (and much less messy) to let insurance replace any items stolen than to shoot someone, no matter how righteous it may be.

In Texas, of course, they'll fine you for using too small of a caliber...

That is all.

Backin' Up The Numbers...

By happy accident, I also happened to get this video from the NRA today:

Maggie Reese is a 3-gun competitor who has even been featured on History Channel's “Top Shot.” Maggie is passionate about recruiting more women to her sport and educating the public about the types of firearms she competes with.

Please note the evil assault weapons that "serve no purpose except to kill a lot of people" being used in her participation in her sport. Not that I adhere to the "sporting purposes" BS that has been foisted on us for 45 years now, mind you; just another example of how the forces against freedom have to lie to move their agenda forward. They'd be perfectly happy to make the tools that Maggie uses to compete illegal; stripping her of the equalizers that allow her to best men twice her size in competition on a routine basis.

You know, because the forces against freedom support a woman's right to choose - so long as its not her means of self-defense...

That is all.

There Are Other Cool Things About This Future World...

This is an amazing story.

Scituate Man Gets Bionic Hand

SCITUATE (CBS) – A Scituate man is the first person in the United States to receive a high tech bionic hand. At age 14, Mike Benning lost his arm below the elbow to cancer.

Now, he’s cancer free and has the i-limb ultra revolution. It is the first upper limb prosthesis that can be controlled with a smartphone application.

There's a video at the link. It is so awesome, I have to re-post:



This is the stuff that, thirty years ago, was the realm of science fiction entirely. Controlled with an iPhone app. Simply amazing! It continues to amaze me to see how much progress I've seen in my life. My parents' generation was born in the aftermath of WWII - they grew up with the automobile, radio, and television; my generation grew up with video games, cable, and saw the birth of the personal computer. My children have always known smartphones, MP3s, and cheap personal electronics.

Life keeps getting better, doesn't it?

That is all.

Now THIS Is Some Good Friday Math!

NSSF Updates Firearms Retailer Survey Results

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- For the past five years, the National Shooting Sports Foundation has surveyed federally licensed firearms retailers across the country to find out what products are the biggest sellers and who is buying. NSSF has just issued the latest version of that report from an online survey conducted last month. The data shows which types of firearms and ammunition were most popular in 2012, and at the same time allows retailers to compare their businesses to that of other gun stores across the country.

Here's the real meat of the results:

• 84 percent of retailers surveyed reported that overall sales in 2012 exceeded sales from the previous year.
• 76.9 percent of retailers surveyed said sales of AR-style modern sporting rifles in 2012 exceeded sales from the previous year (60.1 percent), the largest increase in the firearms category.
• Retailers surveyed said that 25.8 percent of their customers were first-time firearm buyers in 2012 compared to 25 percent in 2011 and 20.8 percent in 2010.
• For the third year in a row, the number of female customers increased. For the year 2012, 78.6 of retailers surveyed said more women came to their stores, compared to 72.8 in in 2011 and 61.1 in 2010.

Sales are up, more ARs are selling than ever, more first time customers, more women getting into the shooting sports. I can't see any downside to this, I really don't - well, except for not being able to find ammo. New shooters of every kind, buying more firearms - and evil black rifles, to boot. The appeal of the AR-15  - whether because it's an excellent, modular platform or just contrarian "they want to ban it so I'll buy one" - continues to shine.

One thing is clear, though. When the forces against freedom tell you that gun ownership is on the decline? They're lying. When they tell you that it's just the same people hoarding guns? They're lying. When they tell you that "no one needs an AR", they're lying. When they tell you that only old white men own guns? They're lying.

Basically, if they're issuing any statement at all, they're lying - it's all they have.

That is all.

Don't EVER F**K With Mama Bear...

I love a story with a happy ending. Thanks to Joseph in IL for the feel-good story of the day.

Mom in NM chases down child abductor; man arrested

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A mother whose 4-year-old was being abducted chased the suspect down and crashed her vehicle into his car, triggering a manhunt and the arrest of the suspect, Albuquerque police said Thursday.

The young girl was playing in her yard at St. Anthony's Plaza Apartments in Albuquerque's North Valley about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday when a group of teenagers saw the kidnapping and ran to alert the girl's mother, police said.

Madam, my hat is off to you. Chased him down, ran him off the road, and caused him to flee the scene in terror. The only way this could have been better would have been for you to have caught him, beaten him to within an inch of his life, and video with audio recording played at his court hearing so all the other prisoners hear him screaming as you beat his ass.

Don't mess with Mama Bear. Dad'll just kill your ass dead. Mama bear will make sure you suffer, first.

Little girl safe? Check.

Predator stopped? Check.

Predator captured? Check.

Predator never going to show his face in that town again? More than likely.

Excelsior, good woman; excelsior.

That is all

Friday Gun Pr0n #319

Today's gun pr0n comes to us courtesy of Formynder:

Yes, that really is one of the new IWI Tavors. In real life. Not vaporware. In stores for purchase. Really!

I'll let Formynder tell you about it:

16 inch barrel version. My first experience with a bullpup. I love it. The trigger is a little mushy, but I understand that is just how bullpups are due to having a trigger linkage. Feels kind of like the M16s I had in basic, the ones we joked about being left over from Vietnam. 

That being said, it's fun to shoot, just not as crisp as my RRA AR.

I first grew enamored with Israeli weapons when I got my Baby Eagle, still one of my favorite pistols.

He sent in a picture of the Baby Eagle, but I'm going to save that for another Gun pic. Funny story regarding arms from Israel. The other night, TheBoy started asking me about firearms while he played Call of Duty. Where they came from, who I thought made the best firearms, etc. He asked where the Uzi came from, and when I told him "Israel", he was surprised. Guess you just don't think of the birthplace of Jesus as being a hotbed of firearms production, but who knew?

All I know is I can't wait until their ban-compliant model comes out - I would love to try one of these for T&E!

That is all.

Same SQRPT Time, Same SQRPT Channel, Same SQRPT Subject...

If it's Thursday, it must be time for the Squirrel Report!

Last week we had intended to discuss the 142nd Annual Meeting of the National Rifle Association that was held in Houston, Texas at the beginning of the month. The poorly-attended protest, the after-parties; all was fair game for our discussion. Except, well, the best laid plans of squirrels and men (and Breda) meant that the audio portion of the show was, well, complexious...

Tonight we're hoping for better audio quality. Please join us as we discuss the NRA convention, plus I have a feeling we'll be talking about the recent plethora of items in the news, from the IRS admitting to auditing conservative groups to the FedGov listening in on AP phone calls (best response to that yet? The line about the Democrats just checking up on their employees)...

He's beginning to look a lot like Nixon, indeed...

So, join in the Squirrelly fun tonight at 9:00 PM Eastern time!

That is all.

I Think They Used The Wrong Word There...

NH Mom Confronts Intruder In Daughter’s Bedroom

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Police say a Concord man has been arrested on charges of burglary and sexual assault after a woman says she woke up and found a man in her daughter’s bedroom.

Police say 42-year-old David Mandigo was arrested Friday at his home after a daylong investigation.

Three o'clock in the morning I find a guy my age in my daughter's bedroom, the word "confronts" wouldn't be in the sentence. "Beat into a reddish brown smear", perhaps. "Shot 48 times with six different calibers", maybe. I walk into my daughter's room and find a man there, I guarantee you he will not be walking out of my house. Something tells me that, even in Massachusetts where self-help is actively discouraged, it would be difficult to find a jury of my peers that would convict me.

It sounds like the woman was surprised to find the man there and when she opened the door, he stopped his assault and ran away. She - and her daughter - were extremely lucky. Had he been a violent sort, this story could have ended much, much worse. I don't think she realized what she was in for when she opened the door to her daughter's room - but the fact that something told her she needed to check should have also clued her to arm herself...

Now, if my wife woke me up and told me she thought that someone was in our daughter's bedroom, I would grab the closest items at hand and investigate. I wouldn't bother to get dressed. So imagine the look on the guy's face when an irate, six foot tall shaved head biker looking dude in boxers shows up with a 5 D-cell Maglite in one hand and a Cold Steel Kukri in the other.

I'd have to hope my son catches the episode on video...

That is all.