Firearms Friday: A Rambling Summary

Those of you who have been following this blog for any significant length of time pretty much know where I fall on a variety of political issues especially with regard to the second amendment. However, I still get questions from time to time regarding where I stand on a variety of topics so I have decided to dedicate a couple of posts to summarizing those views. Of course, given the day that I am posting this, it is only right that I start with the topic that seems to garner the most support and criticism… Firearms ownership.

Simply put, I believe that law abiding citizens, in accordance with the second amendment, have the right to own firearms. In fact, I believe that many of the laws in force overstep the boundaries of government and should be revoked particularly as it pertains to those that fall under the purview of the ATF. Generally speaking, restrictions and registrations are infringements upon our rights and should deemed as such.  

‘Gun free zones’ are an insane propaganda piece to promote a false sense of safety when, in fact, they merely ensure limited if any resistance ensuring targets of opportunity for those who wish to commit evil acts. This is why you are seeing so many shootings in these shocking areas. Not because we have a ‘gun problem’ in this country but because we instill a false sense of security and ignore the evil that exists in this world.

However, there are many laws in place that I support as it relates to firearms ownership as I believe a basic background check has the potential to be an effective tool should the necessary implementation of existing laws and technology be applied. I have seen too many posts noting that NICS is down and we already know that the system has not been optimized. In the end, NO other legislation should be passed until the existing measures are fully operational.

As it pertains to those who break the law I firmly believe that those who commit a crime with a firearm should be given sentences longer than those who commit the same crime without the use of a firearm. Those who unlawfully purchase or sell a firearm should also be given harsh sentences. In the end, the individual should be punished for what they did not the entire community.

Basically, people should not rely on the authorities to keep them safe when we are capable of doing so ourselves. For the great work that they do, they can’t anticipate what is going to happen, they are limited to responding to situations. We need to protect ourselves. The government can’t solve our problems… we must be self-reliant and self-sufficient and acknowledge the limitations that should be placed on government.

Mike Judge Was Right!

When it comes to firearms, the lack of education in this country is astounding. While the raging liberals want to paint us as the ‘uneducated hicks’, it is all too apparent that these people are the ones that have failed to educate themselves. In fact, when it comes to firearms safety and general knowledge, it is safe to say that we are heading toward what Mike Judge called an ‘idiocracy’.

Recently, examples have been floating around the internet and across social media sites making astoundingly stupid statement accompanied with the hashtag “gunsense”. These nonsensical holophobes have been spewing skewed statements in an effort to sway the uneducated. Below are the top three ridiculous posts that seemed to have gained irrational traction:

1. A “Full Auto” Bolt Carrier Group is legal!

Just because you put a loud muffler on your Honda Civic doesn’t mean that it is a race car! If you bother to look at the design of the AR-15 (semi-auto) vs that of the M16 (auto) you will know that the bolt carrier group (BCG) is not what determines whether the gun can fire in full auto. A ‘full auto’ BCG is simply a reinforced version of the standard AR15 BCG. There are many other parts that are needed to turn an AR15 into an M16 as can be seen in the following comparison diagram:

Please also note that such a conversion is HIGHLY illegal and the ATF will put you in prison for doing so.

2. What does AK-47 mean?

Mikhail Kalashnikov (K) designed an automatic (A) rifle for the Soviet Union in 1947 (47). As it is officially known in the Soviet documentation as Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK) and it was designed in 1947 (47) the rifle was assigned the designation AK-47. Also note that the models that you see in gun shops are NOT automatic rifles, they are semi-automatic. While legal in many states, automatic rifles are highly regulated and inordinately expensive.

3. What does 10/22 mean?

Unless you have a large bore rifle and 22 people lined up in a row, this is simply not happening. All you have to do is look up 10/22 on Wikipedia and you can figure out what the 10/22 designation really means:

“The Ruger 10/22 is a semi-automatic rim fire rifle chambered in .22 Long Rifle. It has a removable 10-round rotary magazine which allows the magazine to fit flush with the bottom of the stock.”

Well, I can’t expect people to be logical so let me break it down for you… the rifle ships from the factory with a standard 10 round magazine (10) and is chambered in 22LR (22). Put them together and you get the designation 10/22.

This is the same kind of crap that has been bandied about for years but now the dissemination of such falsehoods is accelerated by the ignorance found on the internet. It is this kind of crap that pushes countries into a nanny state where even knives are being regulated. The solution is not to inflame ignorance and strip the rights away from law abiding gun owners. The problem lies within the people who do not value life and in those who refuse to assign blame for heinous acts on the individual rather than inanimate objects. Fix the people, educate the public, and change the way these acts are perceived and you will find the results that you desire.