Ken Nelson

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my plan to fool gullible Utahans again.

Orrin’s been a changed man since the Tea Party started. Why yesterday he even threw us gun enthusiasts a bone:

Recognizing the need to revamp outdated and restrictive gun laws, U.S Senators Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) have introduced the Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act. The bill allows for the interstate sale of firearms and removes several antiquated and unnecessary restrictions imposed on interstate firearms transactions.

Well gosh Orrin…you’ve been a Senator what… 30 years? And now, when you face a strong primary challenge, you start to worry about the Constitution?

No thanks. Enjoy your retirement. 

I regularly compete with three policemen that are excellent shots.  Three out of about 300 in our county (including city, county, and state and federal personnel).

On occasion I see other police shooting, most recently at an all police match.  And it wasn’t pretty. They were better than the public, but not as good as they need to be considering they tote a gun every day.

A couple of days ago police in San Francisco opened up on a person with a weapon, missing him and shooting two by-standers.

Now, I’m sure San Francisco gives their officers minimal training in accurate shooting and gunfight decision making.  And I’m sure they don’t hire with marksmanship as an important, or even considered, criteria (race and sex probably being foremost concerns).  And it is also true that most police officers never fire their gun in the line of duty.

But they carry a pistol every day. Some departments even require they carry off duty.  And should they need to use it, they need to be able to use it effectively and safely for those walking about innocently.

If you are a police officer and you aren’t happy with the training you’ve gotten from your department, it is incumbent on YOU to improve yourself.  It may cost some money, but hey, maybe your weapons sergeant can kick you some ammo.  And you should train and compete.  USPSA, IDPA, PPC, whatever. Get your heart rate up, and try to shoot and make decisions under pressure.  Someday your family, or an innocent by-stander might thank you.

Update: There have been 29 ‘unplanned’ shootings since 2005 at the SFPD.

This is the next best thing to do to a looter:

Of course, dropping him from a distance would be more effective, and just as satisfying.

Old slogan: Your favorites. Your Pizza Hut.
New slogan: Only criminals may be armed.

I don’t go to Pizza Hut. I don’t order from Pizza Hut.  Why?  Because their policy is to NOT permit concealed carry  firearms in their stores.

I’m fine with a private place doing this, but I vote with my feet unless they provide security because lacking that I’m unilaterally disarming when real criminals will not.

So, for instance, if I’d been in a Pizza Hut this weekend in Louisville, KY, I might have been defending my family with nothing but a red pepper shaker….

Police say a woman involved in an argument at a Louisville Pizza Hut raised the stakes considerably when she tried to pull a sword.

This particular incident seems overblown as “trying to draw a sword” hardly qualifies as a crime in my book.  But if she had got it out of the sheath, and then gone all “Braveheart” on customers there, who else was there to defend? Cops?  Armed Pizza Hut agents?  Nope.

Remember… all the police do is write the report.  It can be about your family’s injuries, or some wacko’s untimely end whilst playing “Game of Thrones” in a pizza joint.

Alas, Pizza Hut has already determined that outcome, and that’s why I don’t patronize them.

Update: Hunting around the web, I’ve found that some independent owners, for instance, in Arizona, have modified this policy. Good on them. But I still won’t go there.  Their pizza’s not that good. Sorry.

I was still hoping for a bb-gun at this age.

When I was in the Army I was issued an M16 rifle. To the best of my recollection I never had a jam with live ammo. I did with blanks, but I don’t recall ever with live ammo. We did practice jam recovery (slap – tap – rack – bang), but with many tens of thousands of rounds down range, some with barrels almost bending from heat, no jams.

Those rifles were old, many dated to Vietnam, and they were loose, sloppy and inaccurate. But they ran fine.

I was worried when issued the gun, because I was old enough, and interested in guns enough, to know about the controversy that the M16 caused when first introduced. It jammed… a LOT.   This turned out to be due to the Army using the wrong ammo, and also to a buffer spring issue.

I now have a decedent of the M16A1 introduced in Vietnam. It is of the M4 variant and is  tuned for competition shooting.  It has a compensator to minimize recoil by venting gas backwards.  It has a lightened bolt driven backwards with just enough gas to cycle the rounds, but hit the back of the receiver too hard.

It doesn’t jam either.

Given that history, you might find this history, of the M16’s introduction into service interesting.

http://www.esquire.com/print-this/ak-47-history-1110?page=all#

He got the facts basically right, which is refreshing for a journalist – especially one Esquire would hire. Read it.  The author also wrote the popular book “The Gun”, which is a history of the AK-47.

A couple months ago my brother handed Brian his old Remington 870 and a $150 budget along with a request to turn it into a tactical shotgun.

Here is the result:

And here are the details:

http://briankevinnelson.com/the-870-project-its-done-533/comment-page-1#comment-1197

We shot it in a short IDPA shotgun course this weekend and it ran great.

BTW: I ran a number of shooters through one of those Shotgun stages… you’d be surprised how often people forget to pump their shotguns…  Definitely something to practice.

If you live in D.C. get yourself one!

The libertarian (and correct) Cato Institute links to an article in the Washington Post about what has happened since the Heller decision permitted D.C. residents to own guns.

In the 2½ years since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the District’s handgun ban, hundreds of residents in Washington’s safest, most well-to-do neighborhoods have armed themselves, registering far more guns than people in poorer, crime-plagued areas of the city, according to D.C. police data.

This seems obvious to me, and right to me. Unmentioned is that most male adults in the latter mentioned parts of D.C. are felons.

Says one recently armed citizen…

"I don’t have confidence in the police in terms of response time," he said. "If we are unarmed citizens, then we have no protection, and we’re automatic victims."

Amen brother…

DC still lacks a gun shop and due to abuse of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution pistol purchasers must purchase in their own state.  So it is hard for residents to purchase a firearm.

What has been missing?  Any uptick in violence or misuse of firearms since they were made legal.

It was huge. It was excessive. But it lacked serious swag. Oh, I got a knife, some hats, a tee-shirt, some fake bullets, lots of free magazines, a pen or two. But not seriously cool swag.  Come on gun industry… step it up!

My favorite of the show… two things. 

Here is a video of me explaining the Ranger III 1911 from STI. I REALLY liked the safety hammer feature:

And this new Kel-Tec pump shotgun, with TWO 7 round tube magazines that you switch between easily:

Learn more here: http://www.keltecweapons.com/news/preview-kel-tec-shotgun-ksg

My son will blog more about SHOT show in the coming days after we get home and decompress.

I’ve got to stop now and go soak my burning feet in cold water….

Wish denied.

If I could snap my finger and get rid of all firearms in the U.S., would I snap?  

It’s a bit of a silly question, since it isn’t feasible.  But the “snap” does pose an interesting thought problem.

People hurt others with guns. People save others with guns. Guns help gain freedom. Guns help take it away.

I suppose the answer depends on what you value.   I value, very heavily, political freedom, economic freedom, and self-reliance. 

I don’t like, nor trust, the idea of relying on police to protect me, largely because they can’t, and also because they are very likely, in time, to oppress me rather than protect.  We see early trends of this now, as a result of “over protection” from drug wars, terrorism, and the inability of politicians to resist force based “solutions” to whatever bugs them.

We have too many police now, enforcing too many laws. I’d prefer less of them, focusing on far less laws that are of critical importance.

As horrible as recent events have been, I believe, firmly, that many many millions of people benefit from firearms ownership acting as a backstop for freedom and security.   In fact, I’d rather see MORE people own, train, and use them, than less. 

When I lived in D.C., I was forced to live without firearms.  I sat helpless as rioters over turning buses, police cars, and burning buildings approached my home. I watched helpless as thugs shot at a man beside me on the sidewalk. And I watched, helpless, as a one criminal shot another my home’s window in a “great NW DC neighborhood”.

So, no I wouldn’t “snap”. The calculus comes out wrong in my book.

I’d rather focus, instead, on proper prioritization of enforcement resources so that instead of arresting people for doing something millions do (drugs for example), they would instead have time, interest and inclination to check out reports of a psycho scaring students and faculty at a junior college.

Chuck for Congress!

Fox News has a piece about how some members of Congress carry concealed weapons and are prepared to defend themselves and those attending their public events.

Chaffetz Press Secretary Alisia Essig told Fox News that Chaffetz has carried his gun to different events back in his district and plans to do so more often in the future.

Others… want to make us prey.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the original author of the assault weapons ban, also said she is "looking at all the options" for new gun legislation.

My Congressman, Jim Matheson, will remain mum on the subject because he NEVER has an opinion on anything controversial.

In a few short weeks, this beauty will arrive:

It’s an STI Sentry, chambered in .40 S&W. It will be my gun for USPSA Single Stack and IDPA Enhanced Service Pistol division matches.

It will arrive just about match ready – with adjustable sights and a fiber optic front, as well as an Smith and Alexander style mag well.

I’ll have a local gunsmith smooth the trigger a touch, and polish internal parts and the feed ramp and then it will be ready to roll.

Oh… and I’ll get a supply of Virgil Tripp Cobra magazines for it – they always work.

For USPSA Single Stack, I’ll use a .40 S&W Major power factor load running about 930 FPS with a 180GR bullet.

For IDPA Enhanced Service Division, I’ll use a lighter .40 S&W load with 180GR bullet running about 800 FPS.

I’ll also carry it in my Sig Tac jacket in the Winter, or in a Cross Breed holster in the summer when I wear shirts untucked.

My son will shoot it, dissect it, and review it on his blog after it arrives.

Spyderco Delica 4

My wife got me this 4″ knife for Christmas. She’d seen me ogling at a knife shop in Seattle and, like most wives’ of men who have everything, took note.

Spyderco makes great knifes. They are sturdy, light, and have excellent blades. This one is no exception.

What is different about this knife is the way you open it.  That is the little “hook” thing on top. It is the “Emerson Opening Feature”. After folding the  knife, place it in your pocket, tip up. The hook grabs on the pocket and pulls the blade out as you extract the knife. Slick!

It goes everywhere, except on the other side of security at the airport, with me.

I recommend it highly.

Gold sure has been touted of late, and it is the next bubble. Well, one of the next bubbles.

But is gold “right”? It really depends on what problem you are trying to solve.

It has been seized before by the US government.  Remember, if you have it, they want it. Whether it is cash, gold, or time.

And if you have it in any form that isn’t physically in your safe at home, do you really “have it”?

To be safe, Rickards says you should take out your gold out of the banks before governments freeze physical holdings.

Sellers of gold, like Goldline for instance, say you should buy collectable coins, which were exempt from past seizures. But those are generally over priced and who knows if they will really be marketable.

I think practically about what problem I’m trying to solve. Gold cannot solve inflation, the government will keep you from using it to solve inflation.  They have before, they will again.  Well, it can, but only if you time getting off the train right.  But that is true of any inflation protection device.

Gold is basically an alternate currency. That is GOVERNMENT’s domain, and they jealously guard it. You go around buying stuff with gold and… well, eventually, you will get a visit from your local Fed.

I see two scenarios… one is that the government will forbid the use of gold, and shoot me if I’m found spending it. Or send troops to come get it.  The other is that others know I have gold and come over to steal it from me.  Unless, of course, I’m part of the government.  KGB officers, for instance, seemed to have plenty of US dollars even though they were denied “regular” Soviet citizens.

Assuming you are concerned about such “end of time” matters, or you have enough money to just be “safe not sorry”, then I’d recommend this instead of gold:

– food for a year
– water for a year, including filtration
– ammo for a year. Basic gun maintenance stuff as well.
– basic medical supplies for a year
– 2 major trauma kits, these handle gun shots and other major bleeding wounds
– basic hand tools and construction supplies. Hammers, nails, hand saws, screws, so forth.
– tarps. Light and when forced to evacuate, you’ve got shelter.

This is what I’ve got, except for the trauma kits, which I’m still trying to decide on which to get.

Those wanting an inflation hedge would use their money wiser to fund political efforts to restore a Constitutional low involvement government.  After all, anything you can think of, a government with no rules can take.

Carrying is not just a survival tactic for me; it’s a service, a net benefit to my neighbors and my nation and my civilization, and I feel good about that.

Eric Raymond
On why he carries.
From his post about carrying for 14 months.

 
Guns should be well concealed and secure.
Read Gun Digest book of Concealed Carry by Massood Ayoob for tips

Erik Scott, a 38 year old concealed weapon holder was killed by police in Las Vegas outside a Costco.  He had been seen carrying a gun in Costco. Was asked to leave. Refused. Costco called the police, who confronted him as he left. Reports vary at that point, but police claim he reached for his pistol. And he was shot and killed.

By all accounts Mr. Scott was a great American. His unfortunate death does highlight the risk of taking on the responsibility of carrying a weapon.

I hold a CCW permit and carry every day. Until Nevada stopped accepting Utah licenses, I carried in Las Vegas frequently.

My thoughts on this unfortunate event:

a) Costco handled this wrong
b) the police handled this wrong
c) but mostly, Mr. Scott handled this wrong.

Of the three, I’d say Mr. Scott is mostly to blame. As much as I want to support a fellow gun owner, fellow former Army officer, and by all accounts a great guy, he just did not handle the responsibility of gun carrying well on that day.

At least not based on the reports I’ve read.

He should have carried his gun in a more concealable fashion. He should have left when Costco asked him too – after all they have property rights.  And he should have followed police instructions precisely.

Now maybe they shot him with his arms up. Maybe the police are lying. That does happen (a lot).  But maybe they aren’t. We don’t know yet.  But what we do know is this…  he should have just left when instructed. It never should have gotten to the point where a line of police were aiming guns at him.   He had that responsibility, to himself, to his family, to the police, the public, and to fellow CCW holders.

I’ve got plenty to be irritated at police about, but them being jumpy about a guy with a gun not following their instructions is low on that list. If he had behaved responsibly, it wouldn’t have escalated.

I carry every day, and nobody knows it as I walk around. I keep it that way. But if a property owner does notice, and they ask me to leave, I will.  That’s just the way it is. I have my rights, they have theirs. We honor and support both.