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Vancouver gun seizure courtesy vancouversun.com

After a long and busy holiday, the tree is down, the decorations are put away, the houseguests are gone, and the stories are piled up. So without further ado, let’s jump right back in with another round of “Is it an arsenal?” Police on Vancouver Island seized 19 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition after executing a search warrant on drug-related charges. This is not really a story, but there’s a photo, and in the photo is a gun that won TTAG’s readers’ choice award for best rifle this year. It’s now in the custody of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia. Sorry, guys. . . Oh, and go Tigers!

Several businesses just a block from the White House were hit by bullets from a drive-by shooting early last Saturday morning. Yes, Virginia, there are guns in Washington, D.C. despite great efforts to the contrary. Thankfully, since it was 2:30 a.m., no one was injured, but a couple bullets went through the windows at Brewood Engraving, and a couple more took out one of the big plate glass windows at Caribou Coffee on the corner of 17th and Pennsylvania, a popular Secret Service hangout. A total of 6 properties were damaged, and police are looking at video and searching for clues. Because I know you’re concerned, the President was never in any danger. He was in Hawaii.

A story out of Knox, New York is in the running for the best, briefest headline that I’ve ever seen. An alcohol-fueled domestic dispute escalated when a man grabbed a gun, threatened self-harm, and fired a shot. The rest of the family in the house fled, cops showed up, the man surrendered and was jailed. The headline? Gun fired, kin fled, man jailed.

Despite the bleating of the civilian disarmament movement that gun ownership is on the decline, records for firearm-related background checks were set all across the country in 2013. Florida had the largest number I found, with 823,653 by December 15th, already more than 3% over last year’s total. Virginia had a total of 479,253 for the year, an 11% increase over 2012, and Colorado had run 354,880 checks by the end of November, handily beating 2012’s total of 335,940 with December still to go. Finally, Alabama had 486,506 checks through November, up nearly 13% over last year’s total, and they also have December still to add in. This is not a conclusive list, just the ones that came across my screen in the last few days.

A new measure took effect on January 1 in Illinois that will have [consults crystal ball] precisely zero effect on crime in The Land of Lincoln, where Illinois gun owners are now required to check their buyer’s credentials with the state before transferring ownership of their weapons. Gun owners in the Prairie State have long had to keep records of their private sales and check that buyers had FOID cards, but if the FOID had been revoked, a seller would have no way of knowing that, a situation that the new law was designed to ameliorate. However, Richard Pearson, director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, aptly points out that, “It’s, of course, aimed at people who transfer guns illegally. But people who transfer guns illegally are still going to transfer guns illegally. I can’t imagine too many gang members have FOID cards.”

I learned something today. Apparently in Germany it’s only permitted to set off fireworks for 48 hours a year, December 31st and January 1st. So slingshot master Joerg Sprave decided to get a little more bang for his buck, by making a a slingshot rocket launchtower. “Two meters fifty” high (that’s 8.2 feet for you ‘Muricans) with two big rubber bands and a foot-operated trigger. First the video where he introduces and demonstrates it with an unlit firework (because he’s not allowed to light it yet)…

and then the one from the following night, when things get… interesting about halfway through.

 
Let’s Bring ‘Em Home finished out the year strong, raising just over $97,000 and flying 133 servicemen and women home for the holidays, from nearly 8,000 miles away to just a few hundred. The two highest tickets this year were over $2,100 to bring a zoomie home from Fort Wainwright, AK to Rochester, NY, and nearly $1,900 to bring a Marine home to Harlem from Okinawa. Thanks to all of you who supported the effort. They’ll be back next year with the unofficial kickoff on Veteran’s Day, and the official one on Thanksgiving.

lbeh.org

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43 COMMENTS

  4. That fireworks slingshot looks like a lo of fun. If you don’t live in a state that allows flying fireworks (Oregon) then instead of driving to Washington every year you just go buy some other types and make them fly.

    • I came just a whisker short of burning down a neighborhood in rural Utah that way when I was 13. And at that age it was a very downy, insignificant excuse for a whisker, too.

  5. When I originally read about fireworks I was like, “What, no July 4th?” Then I remembered, “Oh yeah, Germany.” Then I thought “‘Murica!!!!!”

    Fireworks burn my money faster than a trip to the range.

  6. the President was never in any danger. He was in Hawaii

    I think you meant “America was never in danger. The President was in Hawaii.”

  7. Matt…saw a post on FB where the wounded warrior project brought in $150, 000,000 and only gave out $5,000,000 of it to vets. Any truth to this? Maybe something TTAGs should look into. Glad you guys did really good for them.

  8. Sadly, since that collection is larger than mine, Ill categorize it as a “small arsenal”. and the Tavor makes me very jealous as well ha.

    All arsenals need at least 1 belt fed happy time maker to be classified as an arsenal imo 😀

    or you can arm your own militia, thatd probably be an arsenal also.

  9. Jeesh, Tavor, TRR8 (I think), Python, looks like some kind of modded M1A, that’s so nice stuff there. I’d be proud to have that collection.

    • Remember, Canada doesn’t have the restrictions on chinese imports the way we do. Wanna bet that M1a is a Norinco knock off?

      • They shoot just about as well as a Springfield and cost about 1/5th the price, they’re pretty popular around here.

        • Well, there’s plenty of people who bitch about how Norinco is cheap crap up here too. But the way I see it, if you get a lemon you can buy another and still come out ahead.

          Funny thing, both the Norinco and the Springfield are made with cast receivers, and a lot of the Springfield M1A parts are made in Taiwan. In terms of quality the two are not particularly far from each other.

        • Yeah, since Springfields aren’t likely to blow up in and through my face, I still want one.

          You know, if I’d seen more than 2 boxes of .308 in the past six months.

        • I’ve actually only been able to find one verified case of a Norinco KB, and that failed fairly gracefully, no harm to the shooter. They do have some issues, the front sight/flash hider is often indexed improperly and the barrel is over torqued, but even after spending to fix that, it still costs much less than a Springfield. As for the availability of .308, we can get this stuff so no real worries there.

          TBH though, as much as I like the .308, I’m not much of a fan of the M14 design, it’s bulky, heavy and too difficult to integrate optics. A wonderful rifle for it’s time, but there are better choices on the market now.

        • Sorry, I think that came out wrong. I wasn’t trying to say Norincos would KB, just that Springfield wouldn’t, so I’ll take it. I know there are more modern rifles, but I suppose I like it from a historical point.

        • Silencers are a no go up here, though we’re working on it.

          I feel like I say that about a lot of aspects of Canadian firearms law, it sucks, but we’re working on it. I really do envy you United Statesians on some aspects, particularly silencers, full autos, CCW and standard capacity mags. Though you guys have your own fair share of absolute BS laws. At least you’ve got that 2nd Ammendment thing going for you.

        • Yup. In fact, looking at this collection, it looks like every single gun in it would be legal to own in Canada (though ARs would be “restricted”, so you can’t transport them other than to the range).

    • It’s Canada, no mention was made of a no-knock warrant nor tactical jammies, being that it was Canada, in all likelihood the cop knocked on the door, the fellow opened it, the cops said, “we’d like to enter and perform a search warrant, if you don’t mind, eh.” The fellow gets a little nervous but for fear of appearing rude, allows the cops in, “yes, certainly officers, would you like a cup of tea or coffee?”… and it goes on from there…

      • If only, guy – if only.

        Our cops are militarized as well. Any excuse to suit up and play soldier…

      • Did they also ask in French?

        Can’t remember the case, but there was a man found not guilty of shooting and killing a Canadian officer who made forced entry into his house based on a no-knock warrant a couple of years ago.

  11. 14 long guns and 5 pistols, If that is an arsenal, well than I have an arsenal. Since what I own can fit into one gun safe then I don’t think it is an arsenal. Also, I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but I did not buy any guns in 2013. In fact, I only bought one gun in 2012 and that was before Newtown. Prices got too high and I only buy when the market is in my favor. Now I am in a buying mood. Methinks most of the 2012-2013 purchasers were newbies who wanted in lest the opportunity be lost forever.

    • Gun prices are normal again, its a great time to buy as long as you aren’t looking at a 22lr (muuust feeeed.) Even ammo is normalled out, and the internet prices fix that whole uneven distribution of rounds across the country as long as you don’t live in a slave state.

      • I’ve been able to find ammo, but prices are not back to normal. a brick of .22 costs $12 more than it did and 9mm costs $6 more than it did. the .22 is still very limited.

  12. ar·se·nal
    /ˈärs(ə)-nl/
    noun
    1. a collection of weapons and military equipment stored by a country, person, or group.

    I think it’s an arsenal and a decent one at that. I wouldn’t mind having any one of those in my arsenal.

  13. “Richard Pearson, director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, aptly points out that, ‘It’s, of course, aimed at people who transfer guns illegally.'”

    Ah, Richard, you don’t really believe that, do you? Like most Illinois gun laws, it’s aimed at making gun ownership a pain in the ass, thus reducing the number of people exercising their 2A rights.

  15. Let’s embrace the word arsenal, it doesn’t have a negative connotation unless we allow it too.

    It’s another play on words that anti-folks are notorious for…

    Let’s all have an arsenal, says I.

  16. Apparently in the minds of many LE departments and media outlets and common citizens anyone who had more than a handgun and a rifle, maybe a shotgun too, and more than100 rounds for each is some kind of nut job.

    And, to that I say, there are plenty of “nuts” out there.

    Have any of these nitwits ever taken a look at the huge market there is for enormous gun safes??

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