[h/t to David Brown for the link]

According to the (liberal) papers, you need a trench coat, dark sunglasses and a brown paper sack to buy guns from a gun store. The pariah status extends to the internet where many sites—including the Chinese freedom loving Google—won’t accept ads for guns. And how about moneylenders? What? You want a loan to purchase a firearm? What are you…nuts? You’ll just get the gun and rob us, that’s what you’ll do! Security! Hold this man for questioning!

Okay. Maybe it’s not THAT bad, but have you tried to get credit for a gun purchase? I didn’t think so. Well, that situation might be changing a bit, what with gunfinancing.com on the job. These guys not only allow financing for gun purchases, but that’s the only thing they do. They promise to finance any gun you can buy over the Internet. So the question becomes if you could buy a gun on credit, would you? Should you?

Most people I know with G.A.S. (Gun Acquisition Syndrome) pay cash on the barrelhead. And there are a lot of folks out there who are distrustful of the government; they’d just as soon not have any financial records of gun purchases anywhere. Most people who buy guns as a hedge against future unrest or calamity (zombie apocalypse, anyone?) are unlikely to sign a note and create a monthly gun nut.

But if you’re jonesing for some just-out-reach gun and don’t mind paying the note, this might be just the option for you. The gun culture’s come a long way in the last twenty years. You gotta give us credit.

Today is so yesterday. While the show remains a cash cow, Today’s production team can’t show up at J-school lecture halls without the cloying smell of 80′s happy talk overpowering their intellectual pretensions. And so Today is dipping its collective toe into . . . wait for it . . . investigative journalism. What better way to kick off their new venture than a cookie-cutter piece of EAT-G (Easy Access to Guns)? Did you know you can buy guns over the Internet without an FFL and FBI background check? Only one problem . . .

YOU CAN’T. But that kind of fact checking seems to be beyond the ken of Jeff Rossen and NBC’s “national investigative unit.”

Hey guys, the Internet is only the means by which buyers and sellers find each other. It’s the modern-day equivalent of what used to be called “newspapers.” You know; a printed publication that ran “classified ads.”

Apparently, this newfangled Internet’s something different: a cesspit of illegal gun sales. Not just guns. Semi-automatic guns. Assault rifles. Fifty caliber sniper rifles that can shoot five miles. Five miles! And bring down a helicopter! As Rossen breathlessly pointed out, the fiddy’s a favorite of Mexican drug lords.

OK, but—you can’t buy a gun off the Internet from a distributor or manufacturer without said firearm going through a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). Private sales between individuals are perfectly legal—as long as the buyer and seller are both residents of the same state (where the deal goes down). That’s true no matter how the buyer and seller find each other.

Equally, selling a firearm to a felon is perfectly illegal, no matter how that deal goes down. So how does Joe Blow know the difference between friend and felon? He doesn’t. Not really. (Clever criminals!) The seller can be held accountable for selling a firearm to a felon, but the government has to prove the private seller’s foreknowledge in a court of law.

OMG! How do you live with that? If you’re a liberal, you don’t. Actually, you do. Because you have to. Because America’s founding fathers didn’t want the government poking its nose into private transactions between citizens until and unless they can prove that said transaction is illegal—after the fact.

Innocent until proven guilty. That kind of thing.

Does this Internet gun sales “loophole” enable gun-seeking bad guys? Maybe. But forcing private sellers to involve the feds in a supposedly free market also enables criminals. Ones that operate within the law (hint: they are the law). Go figure. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to change the channel. [h/t to TTAG's AI for the link]

“I looked at it and I seen the word ‘gun’ on it. The first thing I thought was ‘oh no no no,’ I don’t want you reading it, I don’t want you spelling it. I don’t even want you looking at the picture.” – Queens, New York parent Lawrence Gillman objecting to his daughter’s homework assignment, via bronx.ny1.com.  [h/t thegunwire.com]

Anybody want a free gun? Or scope? Or other schtuff? Here’s Aaron Spuler’s February roundup of gun and gear give-aways. Good luck.

Handguns

Sig Sauer P224 SAS
Deadline: February 29, 2011
http://www.sigsauer.com/TeamSig/Sweepstakes.aspx

Kahr CM-40
Deadline: February 29, 2011
https://www.galleryofguns.com/about/GGGEntry.aspx

Armalite AR-24
Deadline: February 29, 2012
http://www.americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/

Ruger SR9
Deadline: February 29, 2012
http://www.lincolntactical.net/giveaway/

SIG Sauer P226
Deadline: March 1, 2012
http://www.gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/

Tussy Custom Springfield Armory 1911
Deadline: April 30, 2011
http://www.americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/

Glock 19
Winner announced when membership to Shooters Legion reaches 5,000
http://www.shooterslegion.com

Rifles

Stag Model 3 Carbine
Deadline: February 29, 2012
http://www.ontargetmagazine.com/gun-giveaway

Adcor Defense B.E.A.R. Elite
Deadline: February 29, 2012
http://www.gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/

PR2012SM Optima Muzzleloader
Recurring Monthly
http://www.cva.com/cva-contest.php

Knives

Boker Plus Collector’s Knife
Recurring Monthly
http://www.ebladestore.com/knife-giveaway.shtml

Constitution

Pocket-sized Constitution and Declaration of Independence
Recurring Monthly
http://www.hillsdale.edu/seminars/booklet/default.asp

Gun Rights Organizations

12 Month NRA Freedom Associate Membership
Recurring Monthly
https://www.nrahq.org/FreedomAssoc/default.asp

Accessories

Gun Goddess
Deadline: February 14, 2012
http://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2012/02/wanna-win-won-julie-g-offers-smith-wesson-gift-bundle-for-valentines-day/

Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Riflescope
Deadline: January 31, 2011
http://www.nrahuntersrights.org/

Gerstner & Sons GO12G Shooter’s Chest
Deadline: February 29, 2012
http://www.gundigest.com/sweepstakes

$50 Cabelas Gift Card
Recurring Monthly

http://www.facebook.com/NSSFcomm?sk=app_95936962634

Tuff-Writer Pen (Engraved)
Recurring Monthly
Post a picture on the FB wall of you using your Tuff-Writer pen to enter
http://www.facebook.com/TuffWriter

Gear Care Kit – Field Grade
Recurring Monthly
Post a picture on the FB wall of you using your favorite Sentry Solutions product to enter
http://www.facebook.com/SentrySolutions

.22LR AR-15 Conversion Kit
Recurring Monthly
http://www.ar15conversions.com/

1911 Pistol Grips
Recurring Monthly
http://www.e1911pistolgrips.com/

Crimson Trace Laser Grips
Recurring Monthly
http://www.crimsontrace.com/Home/Support/WinFreeLasergrips/tabid/317/Default.aspx

Osprey Defense Gas Piston Kit
Recurring Monthly
http://gaspiston.com/product/monthly-gas-piston-kit-giveaway/

Gun Care USA Cleaning Kit
Recurring Monthly
http://guncareusa.com/photo-of-the-month

Training

MAG40 Training
Deadline: April 1, 2012
http://thevicki.com/2012/01/31/mag40-training-contest/

Hunting

Bear Hunt
Deadline: March 31, 2012
http://sportsmansnews.com/promotions/sportsmans-news-bear-hunt-giveaway/

Utah Trophy Mule Deer Hunt
Deadline: June 1, 2012
http://www.worldwidetrophyadventures.com/contest/

TTAG’s team is preparing to head to the National Rifle Association’s OFWG hoe-down in St. Louis. Once again, it’s NRA convention time. We’ll be blogging the beJesus out of the world’s largest gathering of gun-loving Old Fat White Guys. Ahead of that blessed event, let’s focus on the big O. Just after the NRA confab, Force Science Analyst Colonel Robert A “Bob” Lindsey [above] will be in Wheeling, IL presenting “Always the Warrior at Every Age.” Well he would say that, wouldn’t he, being 68-years-old and all. Anyway, Bob raises some interesting points in his pre-conference questionnaire. The basic one is this: are you dealing with the fact that getting older makes you a less capable armed self-defender? Well that’s my take. Make the jump for the full interrogation . . .

What do you do on a regular, consistent basis to keep your professional edge as you go through the aging process? How do you stay fit–or make adjustments–to be ready physically for foot pursuits, gunfights, hand-to-hand encounters, etc.? How do you stay sharp mentally to make sound decisions in crisis situations and avoid routine, mundane thinking? How are you accommodating the emotional changes that come with growing older? What role does your spiritual life play in your job, your family and friends, and to yourself? What obstacles do you encounter? What adjustments do you find necessary/useful? What do you feel are the strengths and weaknesses of your approach? In all candor, do you think you’re winning the battle?

Sorry, Bob, that’s one battle we all lose, eventually. And a very good morning to our readers too!

I appreciate Emily’s Miller’s determination to secure a legal firearm in post-Heller decision Washington, D.C. If anyone should be thrilled about Ms. Miller’s ballistic blogging at washingtontimes.com it should be us. But reading Emily’s saga has been about as exciting as watching dry paint dry some more. Alternatively, you could say it’s been as dull as the bureaucracy that Ms. Miller surmounted to finally pick-up her pistol. Not to mention the self-congratulatory bits . . .

“When I first started the “Emily Gets Her Gun” series, I thought  I would be waiting in long lines and filling out lots of paperwork. I never could have imagined that the D.C. gun laws made it so unearthly difficult to get a legal handgun. However, I also never could have believed that this newspaper series would encourage change in Washington’s gun laws.”

Yes, well, Emily may have shamed the bureaucracy into become marginally more efficient, but the number of hoops, the prohibitive expense and the mind-numbing monotony of the District’s legal firearms acquisition process remains the same. Just like Chicago, D.C. has created a de facto ban on the exercise of a Constitutional right.

Not to put too fine a point on it, Emily may have her gun, but the people who really need one don’t have theirs. Nothing much has changed when a college-educated white middle-class inside-the-Beltway journo can get a gun—and an African American mother trying to raise her kids next to crack house has about as much chance of obtaining a legal firearm in the District of Columbia as Huey Newton. Who is dead, by the way.

I know that every American has the same right to keep and bear arms. But this “all about me” newspaper series defends rather than extends that right. It is what it is, but I’m wistful about what it could have been.

Now can we have a series about buying an illegal gun in the nation’s capital? What’s that like?

Kids shooting themselves with marshmallow cannons firing squishy projectiles at 15 FPS? Not only can you expect the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence to include marshmallow suicides in their gun violence stats, but it’s only a matter of time before the Schmoozemeister-in-Chief issues an Executive Order to the ATF to add marshmallow cannons to the list of NFA guns requiring a federal stamp. After that, a ban is inevitable. Which means nerdy eighth graders will have to go back to messing around with deadly potatoe cannons [sic] and .50-caliber rifles. Except in California, of course.

“Sen. Charlie Huggins, a Wasilla Republican who last year proposed making the pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle the official state firearm, has withdrawn the legislation,” thenewstribune.com reports. The Alaskan pol was trying to duplicate the state gun hoopla generated by Utah (Browning M1911) and Arizona (Colt Peacemaker) back in the Spring of ’11. Huggins is bummed, the trend is dead and the trib is left explaining the ill-fated firearms choice. “In sponsoring the bill, Huggins said the rifle was used by hunters, trappers, Alaska Natives and pioneers during Alaska’s formative years. He also said the Model 70 is well-built and reliable and carries enough ‘stopping power’ to be useful in a crisis situation.” To paraphrase the Obama administration’s mantra, you should never waste ammo during a good crisis.

Ask a political science professor what constitutes a government and he’ll likely tell describe it along the lines of an organized monopoly on the legitimate use of force. There are some permutations, but this is the basic thrust of the idea of what a government is. Except it’s not true. Those of you who read my earlier article may see where this is going. . .

Governments are most free when they don’t have that monopoly. I mentioned Athens, Britain, Florence and America, all states which achieved great political freedom with a well-armed populace. Now, we could get into a hair-splitting contest over the word “legitimate” but I doubt there’s a legion of PS profs to take me to task here. When a government encourages/allows an armed citizenry, it legitimizes their access to the tools of violence.

Firearms represent the ultimate democratization of violence. They’re the great leveler. What is the old saying? “God created man, but Sam Colt made them equal.” A gun is of the greatest benefit to the weakest in society.

A sword is deadly, but requires a fair amount of strength, skill and training to use one. A bow requires upper body strength and a lot of practice. A gun…well, one needs training to use one properly, but the basics are easily attainable with a quick lesson. I’ve seen this process a hundred times and I can tell you this, I can take a person who has never touched a firearm and get them handling a weapon properly and hitting their targets in one short session. Sure, a shooter needs a minimal amount of hand strength but even a heavy trigger is usually under ten pounds. Virtually any human being who can drive a car or ride a bike can use a firearm. Even those with severe disabilities can usually manage one.

Of course, with any tool there are risks, small though it may be. Democracy isn’t always pretty, and it doesn’t always follow the course we’d like. The evidence is undeniable that gun owners – as a group – are a remarkably peaceful and law abiding lot. There will always be the small minority who can’t manage their freedoms responsibly. But much of our position today is due to the emphasis put on training and safety in the gun rights community.

I put it to you thus: Even counting the risk, even with the most apocalyptic predictions our opponents can dream up, the democratization of violence is am almost unqualified human good. It’s a basic question of equality. All men and women may be equal before the law, but how are people to be equal in the face of violence?

It’s men who would have the advantage, and younger men in particular. I say this as one whose position would be least improved by the addition of a firearm. Were all society to be disarmed, my relative position in this continuum would be improved. I am relatively young, fit and have the advantage of military training.

I don’t hold this position out of fear of other people. I’ve seen the elephant in the room. I believe that the broad public ownership of firearms is a positive societal good, for my sisters, the service men who came back short an arm or leg, the minorities threatened with violence by the intolerant and the urbanites dealing with the meltdown of inner city society (I live in Michigan, I know of  which I speak). A firearm is literally the power of life and death, and while some may fear having that power distributed to the furthest reaches of society, I do not. I fear the concentration of that power.