A Geek With Guns

Apparently adding another barrel to existing firearms is the new rage today. First Arsenal Firearms introduced a double barrel 1911 and now an Israeli firm is introducing a double barrel AR-15:

Israeli firm Silver Shadow are said to be debuting a double barreled AR-15 next month in Paris at the Eurosatory expo.

Interesting. I wonder when the double barrel M82 will be released. Or better yet a double barrel GAU-8.

The Firearm Blog has a report about allegations that the H und K G36 doesn’t perform well once the barrel heats up. For those who don’t know the H und K G36 is Germany’s standard issue infantry rifle. Apparently the rifle is unable to accurately hit targets past 200 yards when the barrel gets toasty, a rather worrisome problem. Well, it’s a worrisome problem until you realize the weapon is made by none other than Heckler and Koch, who are the peddlers of high prices weaponry that is desired by mall ninjas the world over because H und K doesn’t like civilians.

Knowing H und K they will probably send out a press release regarding this issue that merely states “You’re using the rifle incorrectly.” I also expect H und K fanboys to make numerous excuses about why this isn’t actually a problem. If there is one group of firearm fanboys more zealous than the 1911 crowd it’s the H und K crowd. It is an understandable zeal, after all H und K firearms appear in every Rainbow Six game.

The beauty of the free market is that it doesn’t judge and doesn’t question it merely attempts to fulfill individuals’ desires. While the advocates of gun control continue to claim that gun ownership is on the decline the free market indicates otherwise. Clothing manufacturers better known for serving the needs of business men and women are now catering to those who carry firearms:

Woolrich, a 182-year-old clothing company, describes its new chino pants as an elegant and sturdy fashion statement, with a clean profile and fabric that provides comfort and flexibility.

And they are great for hiding a handgun.

The company has added a second pocket behind the traditional front pocket for a weapon. Or, for those who prefer to pack their gun in a holster, it can be tucked inside the stretchable waistband. The back pockets are also designed to help hide accessories, like a knife and a flashlight.

The chinos, which cost $65, are not for commandos, but rather, the company says, for the fashion-aware gun owner. And Woolrich has competition. Several clothing companies are following suit, building businesses around the sharp rise in people with permits to carry concealed weapons.

It’s not just Woolrich getting in on the action, Under Armour is also joining the game:

Other companies are rushing to meet the demand for concealed-carry clothing. Under Armour, best known for its sports and action gear, will be adding a jacket and a plaid shirt with Velcro pockets for easy gun access.

Kevin Eskridge, senior director for outdoor product and design at the company, said the company had seen demand double in the last year for such clothing from traditional outdoor and sporting goods stores, like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cabela’s.

Mr. Eskridge said the Under Armour apparel was catching on because of fashion but also because of its features, including moisture-wicking fabric.

So many people now carry firearms that the market is responding to better serve our needs. No longer are we relegated to wearing mall ninja gear (although I happen to like my 5.11 Covert Cargo mall ninja pants and will continue to wear them). Now we can actually walk around and look like normal people. Either way it must really make the gun control crowd angry knowing that carrying a firearm is now so mainstream that companies are outright advertising new products geared towards the carry market.

I wonder how long it will be until the gun control advocates to start protesting clothing manufacturers for catering to us?

You know what are great? Holsters:

There’s a story that has been circulating around the Web for weeks now with a rather gruesome headline: Arizona Man Shoots Himself in Penis. It’s the last thing any firearm owner wants to read about.

Joshua Seto, 27, tried securing his fiance’s pink handgun in the front waistband of his pants while exiting a local convenience store and the gun fired, striking Seto’s penis and continuing through his left thigh. It’s not a pretty picture.

Emphasis mine. That right there was the bad decision that lead to a bad result. If you every consider sliding your gun into your waistband, don’t. It’s just a bad idea that can lead to nothing by injury. Use a holster, it may save your life and the lives of your future children.

The four rules of firearm safety apply to more than traditional powder powered lead launchers:

A New Jersey man is making a quick recovery after accidentally shooting a 4-inch (10cm) nail into his heart.

Dennis Hennis, a 52-year-old self-employed builder, was working on his neighbour’s roof when his nail gun jammed and he tried to clear it.

The nail pierced the right side of his heart and he went into cardiac arrest.

Does the device you’re handling launch dangerous projectiles? If you answered yes then rule two applies, only point the muzzle at things you’re willing to destroy.

I’m not going to lie, I have a love hate feeling towards bullpup rifles. On one hand they’re usually slower to reload, not friendly to left-handed shooters (as somebody who practices shooting with both hands this is annoying), and the triggers usually suck. On the other hand bullpups allow you to bring a full power rifle cartridge to bear without having to lug around an extremely long firearm. Needless to say I’m interested in the IWI TAVOR:

It looks like the perfect combination of ugly as sin and not really being all that ugly. Unfortunately this rifle is looking to have the same problem other bullpup rifles have:

The projected MSRP (for models without optics) will hopefully stay under $2k.

As The Firearm Blog stated this likely means the MSRP will be right around $1999.99. I wish a reputable manufacturer would release an affordable bullpup rifle because the price is always what gets me. It’s hard to justify spending $2,000 or more on a Steyr Aug when I can get an AR-15 for less than half the cost. The PS90 costs between $1,500 and $2,000 and it’s chambered in an expensive and almost impossible to reload anemic caliber.

I imagine some money could be made by a manufacturer who brings an affordable (let’s say under $1,000) and reliable bullpup rifle to the table.

Speaking of New York, Remington is now threatened to leave the state if the microstamping bill makes it’s way into law:

Top Remington Arms officials are threatening to pull out of New York if the state Legislature passes a bill mandating that guns carry tiny identifying stamps.

“Mandating firearms microstamping will restrict the ability of Remington to expand business in the Empire State,” wrote Stephen Jackson, Remington chief strategy and acquisition integration officer, to top state officials. “Worse yet, Remington could be forced to reconsider its commitment to the New York market altogether.”

Such a move could decimate Ilion, where Remington’s flagship plant employs more than 1,000 people.

Infringing on individuals’ rights should hurt, and mandating all guns include so-called microstamping technologies infringes on the rights of gun manufacturers to make a product of their choosing. Loosing 1,000 jobs would certainly cause some pain to the state of New York and make its barons look less desirable to the denizens.

Microstamping technology is a sham and a study performed at the University of California [PDF] demonstrates the absolutely insane amount of difficulty (and therefore expense) involved in implementing such technology. Remington would stand to inherit a great deal of expense and possible litigation if they were to stay in New York after the microstamping law passed. What litigation would they be subjected to you ask? I’m sure the boys in New York could find several conditions in which to sue firearm manufacturers for failures in microstamping technology including the construction of a firing pin that a purchasing can file the microstamping number off of, constructing a firearm that can has a replaceable firing pin, and constructing a firing pin that wears overtime making the imprinted microstamping harder to read.

Anti-gunners love the idea of microstamping technology not because it could assist law enforcement, but because it would make the cost of firearms skyrocket. If the price of an average handgun goes from $500.00 to $2,000.00 because the cost of developing and including microstamping technology has to be recouped the number of people able to afford firearms will drop significantly. Anti-gunners, like New York City, are waging a war against the poor.

The AK vs. AR debate has been heating up after the following video was posted to demonstrate the AR’s inability to operate when a Twinkie is shoved up its magazine well:

Now that the war is renewed I’m just going to raise my middle finger to all the AK and AR fanboys. Why? Because my Winchester 30-30 doesn’t even have a magazine well to put a Twinkie in so it’s obviously superior to both platforms!

Damn kids and your magazines wells and your Twinkies.

You know what the gun community hasn’t debated? Whether the AK-47 or the AR-15 is a superior platform. Now that we’ve solved the argument about which is better between the 1911 or the Glock, Caleb over at Gun Nuts Media has decided to tackle the AK vs. AR debate and determine once and for all what rifle is better. Actually Caleb takes the common sense approach and just tells people to buy what they like, unfortunately fanboys on both sides of the aisle aren’t happy wich such conclusions and have started debating the finer points of each rifle platform.

Personally I don’t care, I own an AK and two ARs (one in 5.56 and one in .308) and find them both to be great platforms. The fanatical worshipers of each platform have arguments left and right but the most ridiculous one has to be from the pro-AK crowd: that having an AK will be beneficial when the Reds invade the United States because you can pilfer their ammunition and magazines. Why is this argument ridiculous? Because the days of foreign forces possible invading the United States are over. Invasions are expensive, really expensive, and enemies of America are no longer nation states by small groups working from various locations throughout the world. We’re in the fourth generation of warfare and the rules have changed entirely.

Groups wanting to take down the United States aren’t planning invasions, they’re planning on bankrupting the country. Why spend all that money to raise an army, provide logistics, and invade a foreign country when you can build some cheap explosives, bomb a high value civilian structure, and watch the United States go stroming into some country at the cost of trillions? What good is a massive multi-billion dollar aircraft carrier against a fleet of remote controlled speedboats with high explosives attached to them? How is a massive army any good against targets you can’t see because they don’t war identifiable uniforms?

Warfare has changed and we’re not facing an invasion by a military force. China isn’t going to march its army into the United States, devastating our economy is far cheaper and easier. You’re not going to be scavenging ammunition off of dead foreign soldiers (and if you were why not take their gun as well). In this new generation of warfare people should be defending themselves against economic collapse as that is the weapon now wielded by opponents of the United States. Al Qaeda learned how effective slamming a couple of planes into a couple of skyscrapers can be, it stirred the hornests’ nest of the United States military causing a ramping up of the police state at home and the expenditure of trillions abroad.

Technology has effectively made warfare cheap. A behemoth aircraft carrier is filled with some of the most expensive technology on the planet but a fleet of cheap remote controlled speedboats or aircraft and reign destruction down upon the floating fortress. Look what one speedboat did to the USS Cole.

You can debate ergonomics, calibers, and reliability of the AK and AR platforms but stop claiming the utility during a foreign invasion as a cornerstone of AK superiority. That isn’t the threat anymore and even if it were you can guarantee the United States would start drafting civilians into the military and arming them with far more than a semi-automatic knockoff version of a foreign fighting rifle.

Are you looking for an expensive, although wickedly cool, means of correcting your poor aim? Worry not for Sandia National Laboratories has you covered:

Sandia National Laboratories have invented a small caliber self guided bullet. The bullet contains an optical sensor, CPU, battery and electromagnetic actuated fins. It is able to track laser designated targets out to 2,000 meters.

Sometimes I feel as though I live in a science fiction universe. Sure we don’t have spaceships, flying cars, or man portable laser cannons but we do have extremely powerful computers that are so small the fit in your pocket, an effective worldwide communication network, and now we have self guided bullets.

When I stop to think about what this bullet entails I’m amazed at the human capacity for engineering awesome stuff. We’ve actually shrunk central processing units, batteries, and optical sensors down to the point that they can all be fitted into a single bullet. How cool is that?

As this technology is new it’s not ready for prime time but if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that technology only improves over time so I’m sure we’ll have extremely cheap self guided bullets in our future.