(Slow news day)
From John Farnam:
(One of John Browning's early autoloading pistols, the .38-caliber Model
1902, had its cocking serrations at the front of the slide. When the US
Army began evaluating autoloading pistols the committee was adamant
about moving the serrations to the rear of the slide, to reduce the risk
of the operator's hand getting in front of the muzzle.)
4 May 05
I need to comment on the relatively new phenomenon of serrations on the
forward portion of 1911 slides. All 1911 slides come with serrations
on the rear portion, rear of the ejection port. They are there, of
course, to provide a firm grip when one needs to pull the slide to the
rear. Recently however, many 1911s have been produced with additional
serrations on the front of the slide, forward of the ejection port. In
fact, most Kimbers, at least the full-sized ones, now come that way.
For recreational/competitive shooters, particularly those who find it
necessary to put optical sights on top of their pistols, the rear of the
slide is difficult to grasp in the traditional manner, ie: over the
top. Front serrations were originally made for them. Soon however,
they found their way onto many other pistols, even those ostensibly used
for serious purposes.
Front serrations don't hurt anything on a serious pistol, so long as
they are ignored! They do tear up the insides of leather holsters but
seem to have little effect on ky-dex. The trouble starts when people
use them when they attempt to reciprocate the slide with the traditional
(and correct) support-hand, overhand grip. The support hand then gets
too far forward and actually occludes the ejection port, making it
impossible for the pistol to cleanly eject a recalcitrant round or an
empty case. In addition, with the hand in this forward position, the
little finger invariably drapes over the muzzle. Poor technique indeed!
Some claim forward serrations are helpful in performing an "underhand"
chamber check. Underhand chamber checks are not recommended, as it is
difficult to precisely meter the amount of force applied in order to
move the slide out of battery, but, as noted above, the technique is
sometimes necessary with pistols encumbered with optics and other
extraneous junk. On serious pistols, the overhand chamber check
technique is the one we teach and recommend. Executing this correct
procedure is not facilitated by front slide serrations.
To summarize, front slide serrations have no legitimate function on
serious pistols. They will surely not be found on any of mine, as I
don't own any "non-serious" pistols. If your serious pistol has them,
just pretend they are not there, and the gun will work just fine.
Covering the ejection port while reciprocating the slide would appear to
be an inherent contradiction. Placing fingers in front of muzzles, for
any reason or duration, is not recommended on any day!
/John
7 May 05
Current Marine Pistol "Qualification," from a friend on active duty, and
one of our instructors:
"Last week, I dutifully went to the known distance (KD) pistol range to
undergo my requiem, annual pistol 'qualification.' The system requires
officers, S/NCOs, MPs and some others to qualify with the M9 Pistol
(Beretta 92F) annually. The ordeal consumes four days. Lecture and
live fire. Total rounds fired, over all four days, is only two
hundred, all at a stationary, NRA bullseye targets, pasted over 'E'
silhouette backers. I look forward to seeing future threats wearing
white shirts printed with concentric rings, standing perfectly still,
and with the middle two rings blackened for my aiming
convenience!
All ranges were 'cold,' of course, and the regimen is sufficiently
undemanding so that no one ever fails. Thus, precious little 'training'
actually takes place. Expectations are low, as everyone shows up merely
to get their tickets punched (between yawns) and nothing else.
Calling the program a frightful bore fails to do it justice!
Participants are never taught, nor required, to draw from a holster.
Pistols are never carried loaded. They're never 'carried' at all!
Tactical pistol presentations are disallowed, as they are seen as
'unsafe.' I was, in fact, bruskly informed that thigh holsters,
actually ALL holsters, were 'unsafe' (hope Marines currently in Iraq
don't find out about this). Thus, I was chastised for wearing my Eagle
holster, that has served me so long and so well, from Panama to Tikrit,
all by youngsters who have yet to fire their first shot in anger. Oh,
my Randall knife was also deemed 'unsafe.' I was tempted to ask if we
should all just report to the range in the nude, but I controlled myself!
The day had only begun! I also 'learned' the Weaver stance, for no
reason that was ever articulated, was no good. Only the Isosceles
stance would be tolerated. In addition, a proper grip, I 'learned,'
involves crossing one's thumbs, so he can manipulate the decocking lever
with his support-side hand. When I asked how I was supposed to
manipulate the decocking lever when my support-side hand was
unavailable, I drew a blank stare, one that became ever more irritated
as the day progressed. Oh yes, we were to use the 'sling-shot' method
of slide manipulation exclusively.
At this point, my attention-span lapsed, as did that of the other folks
who had previously attended competent pistol training. We all just got
it over with. After all, standards are so low, there is no possibility
of failure anyway.
As the ordeal mercifully wound down, we were instructed to turn in 'old'
magazines (read: Beretta OEM) for 'new' magazines (read: Checkmate) as
the new magazines were 'much improved.' The fact that Checkmate
magazines are inferior, after-market, lowest-bidder crap was
diplomatically ignored. Suffice it to say, my 'old' Beretta OEM
magazines worked just fine and thus stayed with me as I left.
In my naive youth, I had good-natured tolerance for this pitiful BS, but
I can no longer remain silent in the face of such institutionalized
ignorance. With real lives at stake, I can't stomach my valuable time
being squandered on this pathetically outdate trash, masquerading as
'instruction'."
Comment: These young Marine instructors are, I'm sure, well meaning.
But, they have been poorly trained. We thus see "the blind leading the
blind." Their embarrassing ignorance is not their fault. They have
been set up to fail. What they 'teach' is just rote memorization, as
none of them, at any time in their young lives, have actually carried a
pistol for serious purposes. Thus, myths are passed along. They don't
know what they don't know. Their students know even less. Fortunately,
when Marines are exposed to enlightened pistol training, they take to it
like fish to water and routinely ask why all firearms training isn't
conducted the modern way and on hot ranges.
It gets worse: as discouraging as the foregoing sounds, Marines are
"advanced" when compared with the other branches. I am personally
disappointed that I have obviously been unable to generate more positive
change within the system.
/John
From The NRA-ILA:
IF IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK...
The Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call, reported on May 2, on an upstart
"centrist" advocacy (read: lobbying) group known as "Third Way." The
group's co-founders, Matt Bennett, Jonathan Cowan, and Jim Kessler
should be familiar to readers of the Grassroots Alert. All previously
worked for "Americans For Gun Safety" (AGS), an organization that was
founded in 2000 under the guise that it too would be a "centrist" group
on gun issues.
A little more background on each may give those who believe they are
centrists a bit of pause (at least on gun issues). Matt Bennett was a
former Clinton White House aide. Former AGS President Jonathan Cowan
served as former Clinton HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo's right hand man
when the secretary was actively promoting lawsuits against the gun
industry. Conspicuous on Jim Kessler's resume was a stint as Senator
Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) gun adviser. Hardly "centrist" credentials.
(AGS's founder, Monster.com founder and billionaire Andrew McKelvey is a
former board meber of HCI [now the Brady Center], who apparently became
disillusioned with the ineffectiveness of HCI and thus formed AGS.)
Of course, the facade that AGS was somehow moderate was quickly
shattered. The group supports an extension of the Clinton gun ban and
legislation that would end gun shows as we know them. And according to
materials distributed at an early AGS organizational meeting, its "top
national priority" is "passage of licensing and/or registration..."--a
position, to our knowledge, it has yet to repudiate.
AGS has also worked through the years to expand its base by affiliating
not with "centrist" groups, but with radical anti-gun groups at the
state and local levels. In fact, many of the groups that affiliated with
AGS are longtime HCI affiliates: "Remove any guns from your home" (Women
Against Gun Violence); "The second amendment of the United States
Constitution has nothing to do whatsoever with personal use of firearms"
(Citizens of Arizona to Prevent Gun Violence); ad "The best way to
protect your family is not to keep a gun in the home" (Iowans for the
Prevention of Gun Violence).
Then, on May 4, Third Way's VP for Public Affairs, Matt Bennett, wrote a
letter to the editors at Roll Call to set the record straight, noting in
fact, the group doesn't profess to be a centrist organization. Bennett's
letter states, "...Third Way is a nonpartisan advocacy group. Our
mission is to promote and strengthen the progressive cause..."
Those who choose to align themselves with Third Way should bear in mind
the co-founders' previous place of employment before turning to them for
assistance with issues relating to our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
CONTINUE YOUR SUPPORT FOR S. 397 AND H.R. 800
The "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" (S. 397/H.R. 800) would
protect law-abiding firearm manufacturers from reckless, predatory, and
potentially bankrupting lawsuits.
The bill currently has 239 cosponsors in the House, 56 cosponsors in the
Senate, and has the full support of President Bush and numerous other
groups and associations.
It is imperative that you continue to contact your U.S. Senators and
your U.S. Representative and ask them to cosponsor and support S.397 and
H.R. 800--without any anti-gun amendments--and put a halt to these
reckless lawsuits once and for all. Again, please be sure to let your
lawmakers know that you consider any votes in support of anti-gun
amendments to this legislation as votes against the bill itself.
To access the most up-to-date information on this issue, and to find out
if your lawmakers are cosponsoring this legislation, please go to the
"Help Save America's Firearms Industry" heading at, www.NRAIA.org
<
http://www.nraila.org/>. This function will allow you to easily send an
e-mail or letter to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators. Please
forward this link to your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners.
For additional information on effectively communicating with your
lawmakers, please go to:
http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/ActionAlerts/Default.aspx
(Grassroots Alert, Vol. 12, No. 12).
You may also call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, or your U.S.
Representative at (202) 225-3121.
BRADY CAMPAIGN FINED FOR ILLEGAL CONTRIBUTIONS
The gun-banning "Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence" just can't win
for losing. Fresh off their failures at the polls in 2004, the Brady
Bunch is now under fire for their actions in the 2000 campaign.
This week, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) announced that the
anti-gun outfit and its Political Action Committee (PAC) had been forced
to pay $12,000 in fines for illegal corporate campaign contributions
they made five years ago to the coffers of several endorsed candidates.
The illicit money streams originated from the Brady Voter Education
Fund, and covered ads and endorsements for several Democratic candidates
in the 2000 election cycle.
The American Conservative Union filed the original complaint with the
FEC in 2001, in the aftermath of the tumultuous 2000 elections.
OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL DEFENDS RIGHT-TO-CARRY LAW
Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro (R) defended the constitutionality of
Ohio's new carry law by intervening in the case Ohioans For Concealed
Carry, Inc. v. City of Clyde, where an Ohio city challenged one of the
key provisions of the new law.
The new law specifically bars cities and towns from enacting or
continuing in existence any ordinance that restricts the places where a
person with a valid carry license may carry a handgun concealed. Most
cities and towns are in compliance, but the City of Clyde flouted the
law, and passed a new ordinance banning the carrying of firearms on
their property.
Ohioans For Concealed Carry, with support from NRA-ILA and the NRA
Firearms Civil Rights Defense Fund, brought suit against the City of
Clyde to force compliance with the law. The City of Clyde claims that
the law violates its "home rule" powers, but Attorney General Petro
counters that the "Concealed Carry law is an issue of statewide
concern....The mobility of today's society accentuates the ned for
uniform regulation throughout the State of Ohio."
In April, in response to an inquiry from another community, Attorney
General Petro issued a clear opinion that a county could not prohibit a
person with a license from carrying a concealed handgun on county
property that was not within a building, whether or not they charged a
fee for admission to the property.
ATTEND "FREEDOMFEST 2005" IN LAS VEGAS
Don't miss "FreedomFest 2005," to be held May 12-14 at the Bally's/Paris
Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Come hear NRA Executive Vice President Wayne R. LaPierre speak at the
West's largest freedom event. Enjoy three days of speakers, networking,
and a discussion of freedom, all on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip!
Draw upon incredible resources that will improve your debate skills and
strengthen your resolve for the principles of freedom.
Sign up now at the discounted rate of $197 for general admission, and
you'll save $50 off the standard price! Just use the code "sponsor50"
when prompted.
To register now, or for more information, including a complete list of
speakers, sponsors, and reduced hotel rates, or if you have any
questions, please visit www.freedomfest.com
<
http://www.freedomfest.com/> or call (800) USA-1776.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
(For all of the action items below, you can find contact information for
your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives"
<
http://www.capwiz.com/nra/dbq/officials/> tool at www.NRAILA.org
<
http://www.nraila.org/>. As always, thank you for your efforts!)
CALIFORNIA
SB 357 would establish a program requiring serialization of handgun
ammunition to be enforced by the Department of Justice. The manufacture,
transfer, and possession of non-serialized handgun ammunition after July
1, 2007 would be considered a crime. SB 357 would also require
ammunition vendors and manufacturers to register with the Department of
Justice. SB 357 passed out of the Senate Public Safety Committee and is
on its way to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Please contact
members of the committee at (916) 651-4101 and urge them to oppose SB
357. AB 352 is expected to be heard on the Assembly floor May 9. AB 352
expands the definition of "unsafe handguns" to include semi-automatic
pistols that are not designed and equipped with a microscopic array of
characters, which identify the make, model, and serial number of the
pistol, etched into the interior surface or internal working parts,
which are then transferred by imprinting on each cartridge case whn the
firearm is fired. Please contact members of the Assembly at (916)
319-2800 and ask them to oppose AB 352.
CONNECTICUT
HB 6657 was referred to the Public Safety Committee and could be
considered as early as next week. HB 6657 seeks to make criminals out of
crime victims by imposing a misdemeanor charge for the failure to report
a stolen firearm. The measure would also further diminish the ability of
licensed firearm dealers to hold gun shows, creates new restrictions on
who may sell firearms, and allows cities to shut down legal gun stores.
After years of working to erode the rights of Connecticut's law-abiding
gun owners, "Connecticut Against Gun Violence" is surprised to find
themselves in the position of actually having to fight to get what they
want, so they are pulling out all the stops. Your phone calls to
lawmakers have been making a difference, so keep it up! Please contact
your State Representatives today and urge them to oppose HB 6657.
DELAWARE
On May 4, the Delaware Senate passed SB 46, which would allow certain
handguns to be used for hunting deer. Special thanks go to the bill's
prime sponsor, Senator Venables (D-21), for all of his efforts in
passing this bill. The bill is now scheduled to be heard May 11, in the
House Natural Resources and Environmental Management Committee, and may
be considered by the full House as early as Thursday, May 12. Please be
sure to call your Representative before Wednesday and voice your support
of SB 46. You can reach the Delaware legislature at (302) 744-4114. Your
lawmakers need to hear from you, so please make the call!
ILLINOIS
This week, by vote of 117-0, the Illinois House of Representatives
passed SB 2103, which seeks to improve the existing range protection law
in Illinois. The bill now awaits action by Governor Rod Blagojevich (D).
Please contact Governor Blagojevich at (217) 782-6830, and urge him to
sign SB 2103. Still awaiting a final floor vote in the House are SB 53,
which seeks to allow the mail order sale of ammunition to Illinois FOID
card holders, and SB 2104, a preemption bill that seeks to establish
statewide, uniform standards on the transportation of firearms. Please
contact your State Representative and urge him or her to support SB 53,
and SB 2104. On the anti-gun side, HB 990, which seeks to create the
bureaucratic redundancy of requiring all FFL holders to also be licensed
as firearm dealers by the state, has been revived, and now awaits a
floor vote in the House. In addition, there is word that legislation
banning certain semi-automatic firearms and .50 cal. rifes, most likely
HB 2414, will also be revived. Although anti-gun extremists have failed
on a number of occasions to maintain enough support for banning firearms
to call their legislation for a vote, there are indications that these
gun banners may get another chance to infringe on the Second Amendment
rights of law-abiding citizens. It is critical that you contact your
State Representative and urge him to oppose HB 990 and HB 2414, or any
other legislative vehicle that would ban legal firearms from the
law-abiding citizens of Illinois. Your State Representative can be
reached at (217) 782-8223.
LOUISIANA
SB 319, the state level gun ban which is more extensive than the federal
ban that sunsetted last year, has been re-referred to the Senate
Judiciary C Committee. SB 319 would ban the possession and future
purchase of certain semi-automatic firearms unless an individual has
obtained a two-year, $100 permit from the State Police. The bill also
imposes restrictions on firearm sales and record keeping requirements on
licensed dealers, including a $50 tax on ammunition that can be used on
firearms targeted by the bill. The committee is expected to hear the
bill on May 17, at 9:00 a.m., in Committee Room A of the State Capitol
in Baton Rouge. Please make plans to attend that hearing and begin
contacting committee members and urging them to oppose SB 319. For
committee members' names and contact information, please visit
http://www.legis.state.la.us <
http://www.legis.state.la.us/>. The
Louisiana Senate Judiciary C Committee can be reached at (25) 342-1771.
MAINE
This week LD 1579, introduced by Senator Ethan Strimling (D-8), was
voted down by the members of the Criminal Justice & Public Safety
Committee by a unanimous decision. This insidious proposal would have
banned hundreds of so called semi-automatic "assault weapons" as well as
all .50 caliber rifles. The Joint Committee on Criminal Justice & Public
Safety voted 6-4 today in opposition to LD 333. LD 333 would have ended
gun shows as we know them in Maine by eliminating private transfers of
firearms.
MISSOURI
On May 3, by a vote of 28-3, Missouri's Senate passed HB 365, introduced
by Representative Brian Munzlinger (R-1). HB 365 ensures that Missouri's
Right-to-Carry permitting process is administered fairly and equally
throughout the "Show Me State." The significance of this legislation is
underscored by the overwhelmingly bipartisan support it received in the
General Assembly. HB 365 now heads to Governor Matt Blunt (R), and the
law will take effect immediately upon his signature. Special thanks to
all of the pro-freedom legislators in Jefferson City, and in particular,
House Speaker Rod Jetton (R-156), Representative Scott Lipke (R-157),
Senate President Michael Gibbons (R-15), Senator Jason Crowell (R-27),
and of course, Representative Munzlinger, for their leadership on this
bill.
NEBRASKA
LB 454, the "Concealed Handgun Permit Act," is currently being debated
on the Senate floor. Nebraska requires eight hours of debate on a bill
before it can be voted upon. Unfortunately, the legislature closes for
business before the eight hours can be reached, so debate will continue
next week. Please continue to contact your Senator and urge him or her
to support a cloture vote on this important legislation which can still
come up for a debate as early as next week. To contact your Senator,
please call (402) 271-2271.
NEVADA
AB 232, an NRA-supported bill by Assemblyman Richard Perkins (D-23,
Clark County), which clarifies the Nevada Revised Statutes regarding the
definition of concealed carry, passed unanimously out of the Senate
Judiciary Committee. It is now headed to the Senate floor. AB 232 will
also amend state law to allow for compliance with the federal "Law
Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004," which allows for retired law
enforcement officers authorized under the federal law to carry a
concealed firearm. It is vital that NRA members contact Senate members
and ask for their support of this important measure. For information on
how to contact your Senator, please call (800) 978-2878 or visit
http://leg.state.nv.us/general/feedback.cfm.
NEW JERSEY
On May 21, the Salem County Sportsmen's Club and South Jersey Sportsmen,
Inc. will host the third annual "NRA Day"--a free day of gun safety and
recreational shooting instruction for the entire family. The event will
be held at the Sportsmen's Club from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. "NRA Day"
activities include rifle and handgun shooting, an air gun range for
children with adult supervision, and a special exhibit, "Firearms in
America," by the South Jersey Arms Collectors which will feature a
number of historically significant firearms. All firearms, targets,
ammunition, and eye and ear protection will be provided. The event is
free and open to the public. The club is located on eastbound U.S. Route
40 in Carney's Point. For more information, please call Bob Viden at
(856) 881-7575.
NEW YORK
May 10 is Special Election Day in your area. Please be sure to get out
and vote! Volunteers are needed now through Election Day. For more
information on NRA-PVF-endorsed candidates, please call the NRA-ILA
Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
OREGON
HB 2373, NRA-backed legislation protecting gun manufacturers from
reckless lawsuits, and HB 2529, the NRA-backed "No Net Loss of Public
Hunting Lands" bill, will both be up for a vote on the Oregon House
Floor on May 9. Both bills would further strengthen the rights of
Oregon's hunters and firearm owners. Please call or e-mail your State
Representatives over the weekend, or first thing Monday morning, and
urge them to support this legislation. For contact information, please
visit
http://www.leg.state.or.us/house/, or call (503) 986-1187 for the
House operator. In addition, local NRA-ILA Election Volunteer
Coordinator (EVC) Curt Greer (OR-4) needs your help in supporting our
Armed Forces. Curt entered a float in last year's Veteran's Day Parade
representing NRA and the award-winning Eddie Eagle Gun SafeR Program.
Volunteers are needed to help assemble the float and to also participate
in the parade. The parade will begin on Main Street, in Cottage Grove,
on May 21, at 9:00 a.m. To volunteer your time for this worthy event, or
for additional information, please contact Curt Greer by phone at (541)
746-7806 or by e-mail at
[email protected] <mailto:
[email protected]>.
SOUTH CAROLINA
On May 3, the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee passed H 3110,
the NRA-backed Right-to-Carry reciprocity bill. This bill now awaits a
vote by the full Senate. Please call your Senator at (803) 212-6200 and
urge him or her to support H 3110.
TENNESSEE
SJR 44, a resolution intended to establish a constitutional right to
hunt, fish, and trap, is currently being considered on the Senate floor.
Unfortunately, the provisions of the current resolution do little to
protect sportsmen from future attacks initiated by radical animal
"rights" organizations. Your NRA is working to see that the language is
substantially strengthened to protect, for instance, the hunting of
"traditional species" by "traditional means and methods." This will
guard against politically-motivated bans on the hunting of animals such
as dove and bear, as we've seen in other states. It will also protect
against bans on specific types of hunting, such as bow hunting. This
specific protection is critical in light of the fact that radical
anti-hunting organizations have made a bow hunting ban their top
priority as part of their plan to eliminate hunting one method at a
time. The first step in strengthening the language of the Resolution is
the adotion of Senator Mark Norris'(R-32) floor amendment the afternoon
of Monday, May 9. It is critical that you call your State Senator before
Monday afternoon and respectfully request that he or she "please vote
for the Norris floor amendment to SJR 44" because Tennessee needs a
meaningful individual right to hunt and fish. NRA is committed to
continuing efforts to pass a constitutional amendment that protects the
rights of individual sportsmen for generations to come, while also
recognizing the state's responsibility to manage game populations
through laws and regulations driven by science, not anti-hunting politics.
TEXAS
This week, the Senate Criminal Justice Committee reported out HB 225 by
Representative Joe Driver (R-Garland) and Senator Bob Deuell
(R-Greenville). HB 225 extends the term of a renewed Concealed Handgun
License (CHL) from four to five years. The bill now moves to the Senate
floor for consideration, where anti-gun Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston)
is expected to try and amend several anti-gun provisions onto the bill.
Please contact your Senators and urge them to SUPPORT HB 225 and to
OPPOSE Senator Ellis' amendments to the bill. You can reach the Texas
Senate Criminal Justice Committee at (512) 463-0345. Also, the Senate
Criminal Justice Committee will consider HB 823 by Representative Terry
Keel (R-Austin) and Senator Juan Hinojosa (D-McAllen) on Tuesday, May
10, at 1:30 p.m. or upon Senate adjournment, in Room E1.016 of the State
Capitol in Austin. HB 823 takes important steps toward clarifying that
law-abiding Texans may carry a handgun for protection in their veicles
without a CHL. Please contact committee members and urge them to support
HB 823. For a list of committee members and their contact information,
visit www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Commit.htm
<
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Commit.htm>
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
