Be there at www.blogtalkradio.com/gunnuts for the show!
The Herald Times fires back
And misses by a wide margin, but that’s okay. In light of recent criticism of their handgun carry permit database, the HTO published an editorial which “rebuts” all the points made by pro-gunners by saying “nuh-uh” and then calling the NRA a “big meanie”. I haven’t actually blockquoted and ripped an editor in a while, so let us see if I can shake the dust off. Here goes…
The NRA used its muscle against The Herald-Times last Tuesday, sending to its supporters an e-mail that was widely misunderstood by those who received it.
The e-mail took issue with the database published on HeraldTimesOnline.com that included minimal information about personal protection handgun permits held by people in Indiana. The NRA said the database treated law-abiding gun owners like sex offenders.
Translation: “The NRA is MEAN”. In all seriousness, that’s just whining. I just felt the need to point out that if you can’t take the heat, HTO maybe you should stay out of the database.
What a vast majority of the NRA supporters who contacted the H-T didn’t realize was that the data we made available to the public was much, much different than any information the state would make available on sex offenders. The comparison was inaccurate and incendiary.
Incendiary yes, but it was perfectly accurate. The comparison wasn’t about the nature of the data published, but rather that you felt it was necessary to group law abiding citizens into a database so people could search said database and see how many handgun permit holders lived in their neighborhood. The comparison was made even more apt when you originally placed the database in your “Crimes” section on the website, suggesting that the presence of handgun permit holders presented a criminal/safety issue.
A vast majority of them misunderstood, from what the NRA had sent them, that we planned to publish names and addresses, which was never under consideration.
Note: he blames the NRA for this, although having seen the NRA-ILA alert, it was never suggested nor implied by NRA that names or addresses would be published. In fact, great lengths were gone to by myself and others to insure that this was common knowledge. Way2Fail, HTO.
The article closes out with the usual shots at permit holders, that we’re paranoid about societal breakdown which is why we have guns, some of us are meanies, NRA members are angry, the usual tripe.
The problem isn’t that the published this editorial, it’s that the editorial is total crap. This is the same line of reasoning that the editorial staff at the HTO has been sticking to since I emailed them, since Jim at 2nd Amendment Patriots talked to them – they maintain that their database is harmless and doesn’t endanger anyone; they further state that it’s not really like calling permit holders dangerous people. In spite of all the contrary evidence presented by the thousands of pro-gun Hoosiers that have called in, they’re sticking to their lie.
New Compact XD(m)
Springfield has a new XDm with a 3.8 inch barrel, which is about a half in shorter than the barrel on the standard XDm. Looks like they’re moving the platform all towards the “m” model, which is a good idea.
Handgun permit database update
Last Friday, NRA members got an alert about the handgun permit database that the Herald Times online is running. As of today, it’s still up at the HTO’s site, so keep the pressure up. The main focus here is to call your reps and urge them to support legislation protecting the personal data of handgun permit holders in Indiana.
Thanks to everyone for their hard work on this issue!
Let me ask you a question
I was talking to Mrs. Ahab about the “shooting shows” that I watch: ShootingUSA, Shooting Gallery, and Guns & Gear. I wanted to know what it was about those shows that she didn’t enjoy, which she was able to sum up with “I don’t want to watch a guy take a gun apart, put a little part in, and then put the gun back together.”
So, here’s a question for the casual shooters: say for the moment that you’re not into gunsmithing, USPSA, or whatever: what kind of TV show about guns would interest you? For a point of reference, despite all the factual errors, my wife likes Lock ‘N Load with R. Lee Ermey, because “he does interesting things and doesn’t just shoot clean little holes in paper targets”.
Post your thoughts in comments so I can assemble my Frakenhab TV monster, please.
Magic swords
I am starting to be seriously impressed with the performance of the HK P30 in ToddG’s super endurance test. 65,250 rounds with 9 stoppages, 0 malfs, and 3 parts breakages equals a failure rate of 0.02% – that’s absolutely nuts.
It's a matter of gibbon take
Title shamelessly stolen from an email with SayUncle last night. If you missed me on NRA News, you can hear the segment by going here and clicking on the Program Archive, selecting December 3rd and clicking on the segment title, which is “Caleb Gibbons”. Of course, thanks to pdb, the gaffe has been preserved for posterity.
In all seriousness though, the permit database that the HTO is running is serious business. I actually had an email exchange with the editor yesterday, with me making the point that their database 1) exposes gun owners and non gun owners to increased risk of criminal activity, and 2) treats gun owners like sex offenders and “criminals waiting to happen”. To boil his response down a nutshell, it was “nuh-uh.”
Keep the phone calls and emails to the Herald Times coming, and make sure that you’re contacting your legislators to let them know that you want them to support a bill making our handgun license information private data.
Make up your mind
Apparently, HK has not yet won the Marine’s IAR contract.
UPDATE: Just got an email from Syscom stating that the order was for 24 more HK 416s and that the Marine Corps is “still testing the IAR” whatever that means.
Winchester Ranger penetration data
Remember how I said that when you get up into service calibers, the difference between 9mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP was insignificant? Well, it turns out I was right. Science is cool. Winchester fired all their Ranger rounds through the FBI protocols: bare gel, denim, heavy clothing, wallboard, plywood, steel, and auto glass. The graph is pretty interesting for multiple reasons, for example the .380 ACP performed poorly in all tests. Possibly the most interesting part of the graph to me is that the “T”-Series 230 grain .45 projectile that is used in both the .45 GAP and the .45 ACP failed the plywood test completely. It failed to expand and acted like an FMJ after defeating plywood, and penetrated 18 inches of gel.
The graph is cool, even if you’re not that interested in terminal ballistics. But if you are, it’s especially interesting because all the service cartridges (9mm and up) have roughly the same terminal ballistic performance. Now, while Winchester tries to restrict the sale of the “bonded” Ranger to LE only, it’s still legal for non LE to own, and is available from some shops. Go to Gunbroker and search their ammo section for “Ranger”.
FAIL
Some website I’ve never heard of has an article about a couple of college kids that sued their campus and won the right to protest. They’re doing empty holster protests, which is cool. None of that is the fail. The fail is that if you click the article, the picture shows someone with their finger on the trigger of their gun.
I hope it’s a stock photo. I really do. You want to know why? Because if it’s not a stock photo, that means that one of those kids posed for that picture and didn’t have the presence of mind to not put his booger hook on the bang switch. But hey, maybe it’s a stock photo that the website just threw up there because it’s the only one they had of someone with a gun.
Of course, if that is the case then it’s also fail, because the website really needs to find pictures of people that know what they’re doing.
Update: In the comments, it’s been confirmed as a stock photo. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a media outlet would use that photo.