Friday, March 5, 2010

If I'm ever in a horrible accident...

and confined to a wheelchair, please God, make it this one.



Update on the Wisconsin Carry Inc. Vs. Wisconsin

I first mentioned the case here, and the first ruling has come down, and we win.


The school zone issue is still up in the air, but a win is a win. It's good to see Wisconsin Carry Inc. is fighting the good fight, and I'm proud to be a member.

More OC-ness

I think it's a pretty positive one for us.

More M&P15-22 and Magpul mash-up advice

Another question popped up on ARFCOM in regards to Magpul components on the little .22

The MIAD and MOE series grips are pretty sweet, I like the simplicity and fuller size of the MOE, and since my full size carbine has one, I needed to put one on the Smith.

On the 15-22 the rear take-down retaining pin spring is held in place by the pistol grip since there is no traditional buffer tube or rear plate. No biggy with the standard A2 grip, but the MOE and MIAD grips have some gaps in that area and don't support the spring like the A2 grip. If you're running the MIAD with the large backstrap, all you need to do is get the AR-10 gapper from Magpul, and not only will it fix the retaining spring issue, but it'll fill the gap between the grip and the receiver.
If you're running the MOE, from everything I can find, the gapper isn't compatible. So you need to add a block to the inside of the MOE grip to support the spring. I grabbed some plastic sprue chunks from a Games Workshop kit (hey, it was handy) and glued it in and trimmed it to match up with the top of the grip.



You can't see it from the outside, so I didn't bother coloring the block. I still have the gap between the receiver and the flared top of the grip, but it's purely a cosmetic problem, so I'm not in a hurry to fill that yet, or put much thought into how I'm going to do it, but someday I'll get to it.

Starbucks Round-up

Well, a couple things anyway. A Google News search for "Starbucks" gives you an editorial from the University of South Carolina's paper for the first result (plus over 70 more articles about the Brady Vs. Starbucks issue). A pretty pro 2A one too.

No matter what states allow, there is no reason to ban the ownership and carry of firearms in this country. Being allowed to openly carry a firearm in public does not make the citizenry violent, and guns only become dangerous when they aren’t handled properly or someone has intent to harm others. Situations can arise where law enforcement is unavailable and the influence and power of a firearm is needed. And guns don’t have to be fired to keep a violent criminal from hurting innocent people. The display of a firearm is quite enough to deter that intent.
I've also been pointed towards a segment from Fox News's "Red Eye"

The host seems pretty cool about it, but his guests (with the exception of the hamster) are what I have come to expect from the media when it comes to guns. The... guy (trying to keep it family friendly here) at 3:30ish is an idiot. Everyone that I know that OCs, including myself, do not want places making a big deal of it and kicking us out. When I stopped at Fleet Farm today I didn't want to have a long conversation with the manager and possibly the SPPD, I wanted a couple boxes of buckshot, some drill bits, and a tackle box to organize my various extra AR parts. Thankfully I was simply able to walk in and get my stuff, like every other time I've been there, and the check-out girl seemed flirtier than normal, despite the full size 1911 riding in plain view on my right hip.

If I wanted to make a big deal of it and get the cops called, I'd get an AK pistol and sling that baby while I'm out shopping...

That hamster, on the other hand, is probably one of the most intelligent commentators I've seen on the news in a gun related story.

(I am also performing a face palm for the guy that showed up with a shotgun... not helping.)

The Wall Street Journal also ran a story today (well yesterday now) in regards to how Starbucks is asking to be left out of things. I agree, they didn't ask for the press, the Brady idiots forced it upon them. Kudos to Starbucks for not caving and telling the Brady people where they can stick their petition. It's their business and they'll run it how they see fit. Thankfully that includes not discriminating against law abiding citizens. Also, thankfully, the poll attached to the article shows most reader's feel the same. (Granted I'm sure there's is a bit of padding going on with linking and whatnot from the gun community, it's not like we've never done that before...)

Some bits-
Allowing customers who are armed with unconcealed guns on the premises "can't be good for business—it galvanizes people, and some of them won't patronize Starbucks after this," said Joshua Horwitz, executive director of the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, a gun-control organization in Washington, D.C.
I have to think that Starbucks, being the large corporation that it is, put thought into this, and decided that it's not going to hurt their sales enough for this to be an issue. Heck, I'm sure that they've seen an increase the last few weeks with the number of pro-gunners "showing their support."

I've also noted quite a few people suggesting that this decision is placing Starbucks employees in danger.
Indeed, not all baristas agree that the Starbucks policy protects them. "I think the policy shows complete disregard for the safety and sentiments of their workers. The only thing worse than a yuppie upset with how their frappuccino turned out is a yuppie with a gun who's unhappy with how their frappuccino turned out," says Erik Forman, a Starbucks barista and union member in Minneapolis.
Well, it hasn't been an issue before, otherwise they would have had a no gun policy a long time ago. What I wonder is what Starbucks's policy is on employees openly carrying. I also didn't know that they had a barista union...

Of course there's a few rather skewed articles in the mix, I made the mistake of clicking on the editorial from the Los Angeles Times written by some idiot who assumes all OCers just never grew up and still want to be cowboys (good god what would they think if they ever saw a SASS gathering?) Some people make my head hurt.