Gun Thread (1-5-2014)

First, a quick thanks to Dave in Texas for filling in for me for the last couple of weeks while I was traveling. Now on to the gun chitchat ...

More Guns, Less Crime

Be sure to check out Ace's post and the discussion on the podcast about the latest study that shows (SHOCK!) proponents of gun control are wrong about pretty much everything:

The purpose of the present study is to determine the effects of state-level assault weapons bans and concealed weapons laws on state-level murder rates. Using data for the period 1980 to 2009 and controlling for state and year fixed effects, the results of the present study suggest that states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murder rates than other states. It was also found that assault weapons bans did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level. These results suggest that restrictive concealed weapons laws may cause an increase in gun-related murders at the state level. The results of this study are consistent with some prior research in this area, most notably Lott and Mustard (1997).

The history of gun control in the US is relatively short and littered with failure. But remember, the left just wants to "do what works" and enact some "common sense gun safety laws" or whatever poll-tested euphemism for banning guns they're using these days.

Related: Obama Proposes Firearm Background Check Changes

Dick Metcalf, Boo F'n Hoo

Speaking of proponents of common sense blah blah blah, the New York Times has a piece profiling poor Dick Metcalf this weekend.

“I’ve been vanished, disappeared,” Mr. Metcalf, 67, said in an interview last month on his gun range here, about 100 miles north of St. Louis, surrounded by snow-blanketed fields and towering grain elevators. “Now you see him. Now you don’t.”

There was a lot of discussion about "scalp hunting" or whatever around Metcalf, but a comparison to the brouhaha around the A&E/Phil Robertson incident is instructive.

First, there's no shortage of gun magazines and gun writers to read, not to mention websites to frequent. The publishers of Guns & Ammo were rightly concerned that having an editor who thoroughly misunderstands the second amendment (the NYT elided over the problems with Metcalf's argument, which Maet handled well on the blog) is bad for business. Meanwhile, A&E apparently briefly forgot that there was only one Duck Dynasty, leaving the Robertsons holding all the cards. So as an economic decision, G&A made the right one ... as, ultimately, did A&E.

As far as the content of the speech goes, Metcalf's out-of-the-blue support of gun regulations would be like Phil Robertson renouncing hunting and announcing that all proceeds from Duck Dynasty would henceforth be donated to PETA. Decrying consumers who understandably vote with their feet and wallets Because Free Speech!!11! ignores the simple fact that they chose to read the publication in the first place and they can just as easily choose to stop.

Now if you'll pardon me, Mr. Metcalf, I have a tiny violin to tune.

Gun Of The Week

(answer below)

Marksmanship Award

Gun Of The Week - Answer

That's the Colt Model 1917 in .45 ACP. The one in the picture was made in 1920, right at the end of production, and my father bought it around 1980. It's been a treasured member of the family ever since.

Colt and S&W made about 150,000 of these apiece as we ramped up production on the Model 1911. It's a big ol' piece of American steel that fits the hand well and is a pleasure to shoot.

Jerry Miculek Compares Some Composite-framed Guns

If you're into that sort of thing ...

Tips

If there are topics you're interested in seeing in the gun thread, please send them to AoSHQGunThread at gmail. You can also send them to me on Twitter at @AndyM1911.

The owner's manual for your concealed carry permit: The Law of Self Defense

Defend the Second Amendment. Join: The National Rifle Association * Gun Owners of America * The National Shooting Sports Foundation * Your state's second amendment org.

Celebrate America's firearms heritage: participate in Project Appleseed.

posted by Andy at 10:00 AM

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