Ow... my pride...

At least that's how the Brady Bunch feels.

Apparently Jon Stewart hurt Paul Helmke's fragile feelings. I guess Stewart was on Oprah (I didn't watch it... and I can't bring myself to sit her and watch it...) and said something along the lines of-

that if all the guns were gone that there would be "a 100,000 percent increase in school bludgeonings"

Some people just can't wrap their heads around the fact that tools are just tools and that some people are just prone to violence, regardless of the tools on hand.

(h/t Uncle)

I so called it.

Magpul Dynamics is coming out with a new DVD set, and it's the one I've been asking for since the first Carbine set.



That news just made my day much better.  (Telephone and internet's been out at the house for three days or so due to the flooding. Of course I've been working all weekend, so I haven't really noticed.)

Monster Hunter Vendetta

Is available now. Go buys it and enjoy. Get the first one if you haven't yet too.Is now on shelves.

Larry made the announcement earlier today.

Some Coolness

I love Science Fiction, especially military Sci Fi, so this link from Soldier Systems is just packed full of coolness:

10 Upcoming Devices That Will Protect Future Soldiers

Meat on the Gun

As I was perusing some pictures on the facebook, I came across this-

Notice the GIANT space between the butt of his carbine and his shoulder.  At this point the shooter has as much stability as you would shooting an over-sized pistol, probably even less due to the length and weight of the rifle, especially with how close his vertical grip is to the receiver.

One of the most common pieces of advice I give shooters is to "get as much meat on the gun as you can."  I don't remember where I first heard it, but it is one of the most solid pieces of advice I've ever been given.  A good solid cheek weld, buttstock firmly in place against your shoulder.  And it's an AR/M16 type of weapon, don't be afraid to get your face close to it, it's not going to kick you in the nose.

Example:

Damn I look good!













Good solid hold, what recoil there is on this gun is going straight into my shoulder.  Solid cheek weld, which enables you to maintain a consistent sight picture.

Another picky point about the first shooter.  Notice how high up the rifle is in relation to his shoulder.  Here's a classic MS paint visual aid-

The red line is going straight through the boreline of the rifle.  Notice how Mr. Stoner conveniently placed the stock on that same line.  Pretty smart guy.

Unfortunately, the soldier in the picture has the rifle high up in his shoulder.  Notice the arrow sailing straight over and past it.  If the carbine was in contact with his shoulder, it would just be the toe end, and combined with the high force vector, this causes the toe of the stock to act as a pivot point, causing an increased amount of muzzle climb.

Scroll back up to the pic of me, and notice the empty case hanging just past my shoulder, and note the photo is at the moment of firing.  Quick controlled pairs on that rifle are lots of fun.  Full contact of the butt transfers the force evenly against the shoulder, and preventing that pesky rotation, which is the reason that the stock is in line with the action in the first place.  Having full contact with the buttstock on an AR/M16 type weapon reduces the muzzle flip to nearly zero.

Just had to get that out of the system.

Flooding

Lots of rain the last couple days.  Roads closed, chunks of roads missing the next county over.

Took some pictures, these came out well, so I'll toss them up.  There's a few more I need to process, so maybe by the end of the weekend.

The levee on the north end of town-

Yeah, that's not a spillway, that's usually the shoreline...

One of the houses down the road a ways is pretty far back in the woods, and their driveway kind of dips down pretty low.  Thankfully they have a boat, and a friend with a boat, so they're not stuck.  Hopefully you know how to row if you want to visit though.

More pictures later.

Grumbles.

Went for a walk to take pictures of the flooding, and apparently my spare battery was not charged.  Hopefully it won't get too dark and rainy again by the time it's finished.

Madison 5 911 call

WCI has gotten the audio from the 911 call in regards to the event through a Freedom of Information request.

Click Here For Audio

So really it doesn't seem like the dispatcher is at too much fault. (The AG didn't pass anything, he just expressed his opinion on the meaning of the state's constitution.)

The responding officers on the other hand...

Wisconsin Appleseed

ETA: It's been cancelled, will post the rescheduled date as soon as I know.

A reader let me know there's an Appleseed shoot Saturday in Withee, WI. I'd love to be there, but I've got prior engagements. (Seriously, I need to hit one of these up sometime...)

Information is available here.

If I ever had a reason to own a Barrett...

Apparently they'll get you the chicks.

New Press Release from WCI

About the Madison 5.  It's long, so I'm putting it after the jump.

Bad influences...

...I haz them.

Went to the gun shop with Dan to advise him on AR receivers. Somehow one followed me out the door too. Looks like I'll need a tax stamp and some paperwork soon...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

Madison 5 Update

This was posted earlier today on the OC Forum:

Wisconsin Carry, Inc. is filing a federal lawsuit against the Madison Police Department.

We are fast-tracking this lawsuit.

Before the incident at Culvers we were already preparing to file another lawsuit in the next week or two for a previous incident with a different municipality from this past summer. As such, in consideration of those legal costs, we could use some contributions specifically for the "Madison 5" lawsuit.

If you would like to contribute to fund specifically the lawsuit for the "Madison 5" Culvers incident there is a you may contribute via our website.

www.wisconsincarry.org

Contributions from the donate button on the homepage will go specifically towards the federal lawsuit and also the attorney that will be retained if need be on behalf of the "Madison 5" to fight their unlawful DC charges.

Donations may be mailed to:

Wisconsin Carry, Inc.

P.O. Box 270403

Milwaukee, WI 53227

Please indicate "Madison 5 lawsuit" on the memo field of the check

Carry On,

Nik Clark

Chairman/President - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.

Unions

*Warning! Ensure your mouth is clear of all fluids before viewing the video in this link.

Wow.

If you live in District 3 in Madison, you may want to elect a new Alder-person.

One of the members on the Wisconsin OC Forum sent a message to the city Alders in regards to the Madison 5, and this is what they got in response:

Have a good time staying at home. While legal, it's inappropriate and aggressive to pack your little pistols in public places. We won't miss you or the childish displays of constitutional freedoms.

Lauren Cnare 

 District 3 Alder

Just Wow.

Her contact information can be found here.

AFG 2

Magpul officially released the Gen. 2 AFG today, it's lower profile to work better with certain rail layouts. It's available at DSG Arms for those interested (no word on when the colored versions will be out, but I'd say a month or so.)

The hole deepens...

From the OC Forum a couple hours ago:

For Immediate Release:  Sep 22, 2010
For More Information Contact: Joel DeSpain (608)266-4897

OPEN CARRY & THE MPD


New Charges To Be Issued Regarding Culver's Incident


The Madison Police Department (MPD) has conducted a review of an incident that took place this past Saturday night at Culver's Frozen Custard restaurant, 4301 East Towne Blvd. Based upon the further investigation, Chief Noble Wray has concluded the appropriate charge for all 5 armed individuals is Disorderly Conduct (DC). Accordingly, DC citations will be issued, and Obstructing a Peace Officer tickets given to two will be rescinded.

Officers were dispatched to the restaurant around 6:50 p.m. after a 62-year old Madison woman called 911. She had just observed several men with handguns in holsters enter the crowded Culver's restaurant. In her initial statement to officers, she stated" I didn't know what the law was, and I thought I should at least call so the police can come and check it out cause I didn't want to be that one person that saw guns and didn't call, and then have something terrible happen". In a follow-up interview with detectives, she further stated that she thought it was very odd that these individuals with guns would be at a family place. She noted she felt somewhat "rattled" and also "felt uneasy" about the subjects having the handguns at the family restaurant. She went on to say that they all appeared calm, but noted "people who shoot up restaurants also look calm before it happens." She did state that she was very concerned that if she didn't make the call and something did happen, she would feel horrible.

The MPD made contact Saturday night with the five men who were openly carrying handguns. Upon officers' requests, three of five produced identification so that officers could determine they were not convicted criminals. Two of five refused to produce identification and were issued Obstructing a Peace Officer citations. It was determined they were not felons and handguns were returned.

The officers were faced with an ambiguous situation. When responding to investigate suspicious - or potentially dangerous - circumstances, police must:


• Preserve or Restore Order and Public Safety.


• Investigate whether a crime had been committed, was being committed, or was about to be committed.


• Protect the Constitutional Rights of those involved.

The complainant's statement clearly reveals that she recognized the potential for violence from these armed men, and it was this fear that motivated her call to police. On the basis of this fact, the MPD will be rescinding the 2 obstructing citations. They were issued in error. Instead, citations for City Ordinance DC will be given to those who engaged in the behavior that led to the need for police to be called.

The DC statute does not require an actual disturbance take place, only that conduct in question is of a type that tends to cause or provoke a disturbance

Chief Wray wants to make clear: It is the department's wish that concerned citizens call 911 when they see armed subjects.


Following Saturday's incident, he sent an internal memo to all officers:

MPD officers regularly are dispatched to reports of individuals who are armed with firearms. When responding to these incidents, officers should:

• Approach the suspect using the proper tactical response. The individual should be contacted, controlled, and frisked for weapons if appropriate. Officers should separate the suspect from any weapons in his/her possession during the encounter.

• Officers should conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether any violations of state statute or city ordinance have occurred. Some of the relevant offenses to consider include:

• Carrying a Concealed Weapon (§941.23)
• Disorderly Conduct (§947.01)
• Carrying a Firearm in Public Building (§941.235)
• Carrying Handgun Where Alcohol Beverages May be Sold and Consumed (§941.237)
• Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm (§941.29)
• Safe Use and Transportation of Firearms (§167.31)
• Possession of Short-Barreled Shotgun or Short-Barreled Rifle (§941.28)
• Gun-free School Zones (§948.605)
• Possession of a Dangerous Weapon by a Person Under 18 (§948.60)
• Endangering Safety by Use of Dangerous Weapon (§941.20)

• Officers should verify that the firearm is not stolen, and attempt to verify that the person possessing the firearm is not legally barred from doing so (as a felon, due to an injunction, etc.). However, someone who has been detained is not legally obligated to provide identification to officers if no criminal ordinance violations have occurred. A person who refuses to provide identification should not be arrested for obstructing; however, if probable cause for another offense exists the suspect should be arrested for that offense and can then be identified during the citation or booking process.

• When responding to incidents involving subjects openly carrying firearms in public places, officers should investigate to determine whether the suspect's actions caused or were likely to cause a disturbance. The primary factors to be considered include the location, time of day and witness/bystander perceptions. Remember that the disorderly conduct statute does not require that an actual disturbance take place, only that the conduct in question be of a type that tends to cause or provoke a disturbance.

• It is my expectation that MPD officers encountering individuals who are armed with firearms in public places will take a pro-enforcement approach. If the investigation shows probable cause for a violation, the suspect should be arrested or cited.

(Official Release from the City of Madison)

This of course flies directly in the face of Van Hollen's memo last year.  Best of luck to the MPD?

Another Article

From the Wisconsin State Journal about Saturday's event.  Actually decently written and rather unbiased.

Lawn Gnomes...

Somewhere there's a poor kid sitting in a newsroom lamenting the four years of liberal comm classes so they could write this.

MP Testing

And what does it all mean?

A member at the Weapons Evolution forum gives us a simplified insider's look into what all the jibber-jabber's about.

It's worth a look if you've ever wondered.

Delicious

I picked up a half pound of coffee before going to play games, and forgot it was in my car all afternoon.  Lets just say that Emy J's Sumatra is the most mouth watering scent I've ever known for freshly ground coffee, and now my whole car smells like it.  I thought I was going to drown on my drive home.

A couple questions...

...that have apparently lead Google to the blog.

First off, "Is the M&P15-22 a good home defense gun?" has popped up again a few times this last week.  I've talked on that point before, and my thoughts have not changed.  Go buy a used Remington 870 or Mossberg 590 and a few boxes of 00 buck. They should be about half the price and more than enough to do the job. Make sure you buy a few boxes to practice with too, and actually practice.

Another interesting one: "Do snipers use slings?"  I'm pretty sure this found my review of the Savvy Sniper Tac 1-2 sling, but it's still a good question.  As far as I know, US snipers don't really use them on their sniping weapons anymore.  They tend to use bipods, tripods (modified camera ones), and other various rests, and sling techniques aren't really needed with those.  The other reason for a sling is to carry the gun around, but a good sniper will use a discrete case to hide the fact that he is a sniper.  I couldn't tell you about other countries though.

Those are the two big ones that stuck in my mind, but if you've got any other questions, go ahead and click that "email me" link on the left, I can always use the blog fodder.

OC Update/roundup

A little more about Saturday's confrontation with Madison PD.

Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin State Journal articles, as well as a story from WISN. (Looks to be primarily about the return trip the next day, the computer at work is missing it's flash player for some reason...)


A more in depth play by play from WCI on the OC Forum.


Madison PD internal newsletter from 2004 showing the officers should have known they were in the wrong (right side, first page, 3/4s down about...)-

However, Wisconsin law currently does not allow officers to arrest citizens simply for failing to identify themselves.

Also a press release from ICarry.org:

ICarry.org - Sept 20, 2010 Breaking News Release: Lessons from Wisconsin's Last Incident of Police Harassment of Citizens Lawfully Carrying Firearms in the Open




On Saturday, September 19th, a group of five responsible firearms owners gathered to share company and conversation at Culvers on Town Blvd in Madison, Wisconsin. Approximately eight Madison police officers approached the firearms owners who were enjoying food and discussion with one another.


Demanding identification of the gun owners, officers used intimidation and coercion in attempts to force the citizens to provide ID. State law does not allow officers to demand ID in circumstances like this, and Madison PD’s very own “legal updates” explains exactly why refusing to provide ID is not “obstructing.”


http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/...Summer2004.pdf


Despite this well-known aspect of law, at least two of the law-abiding firearms owners were arrested and cited with “obstructing” charges for not providing ID. All of the citizens were harassed in public, intimidated and coerced, and inconvenienced and humiliated by the disrespectful, diminishing, and suppressive behavior of Madison police officers.


ICarry.org would first like to thank Wisconsin Carry, Inc. for its steadfast resolve to protect citizens’ rights in Wisconsin. ICarry.org is committed to supporting Wisconsin Carry, Inc. and all responsible firearms owners in the state.


The vast majority of officers are well-trained to respect the rights of citizens openly carrying firearms. Over the past few years in Wisconsin, a great deal of education has been provided for police, and police throughout the state have been exhibiting exemplary performance. There have been only a select few isolated incidents of failure of training or behavioral problems with police.


ICarry.org would like to see this incident be the last. It’s time to accept and embrace the lawful practice of open carry. There is no need to discriminate or profile against open carriers – they should be afforded the same level of dignity and respect as all other peaceful citizens. Like police officers, they too carry a sidearm only for self-protection.

 (note: date should be Saturday, September 18th)



Photo from the incident (from the OC Forum)



Audio from the event here or here.



Rumor is that a 60+ year old woman, possibly a customer, called them in saying something to the extent of "I don't know if it's legal or not, but there's a bunch of guys with guns, and I would just hate to have not called if something bad were to happen."

Not a big deal really, however, as has happened several times in the past, the dispatcher has not simply told the caller that it is legal, and maybe had a squad drive past, but instead dispatched officers, who then unlawfully detained and charged individuals.  Poor practice by MPD.

From how it all sounds, WCI's got a cut and dry case, with plenty to back it up.  I'm glad I'm a member.

Yeah... that sounds like a great idea...

UK Proposes All Paychecks Go to the State First.

Avast! Madison Police Overstepping Their Bounds

The following press release was sent out a couple hours ago by Wisconsin Carry Inc.:

Saturday night at approximately 7:30 pm 5 Wisconsin Carry members were peaceably dining at a Culvers in Madison.


8 Madison Police officers arrived and demanded ID from our members. As Wisconsin is not a police-state, Wisconsin law does not require you to provide identification to an officer unless you are operating a motor vehicle.

2 Wisconsin Carry members, in consideration of their legal rights politely declined to provide ID and were handcuffed, detained, and issued citations for obstruction.

Wisconsin Case-Law clearly states that refusing to give your name is not grounds for obstruction.

"No law allows officers to arrest for obstruction on a person s refusal to give his orher name. Mere silence is insufficient to constitute obstruction." Henes v. Morrissey,194 Wis. 2d 339, 533 N.W.2d 802 (1995).

Wisconsin Carry filed suit against the Racine Police Department on January 8th 2010 for unlawfully arresting one of our members, Frank Hannon-Rock, on obstruction charges for refusing to provide ID. Wisconsin Carry obtained a $10,000 judgement against Racine in that case where the Racine City Attorney explains to the Racine City council that the officers did not have the authority to arrest Mr. Hannon-Rock.

audio of that encounter is available here:

http://www.youtube.com/wisconsincarry#p/a/u/1/PuiO8tixuKY

Wisconsin Carry will be taking action against the Madison Police Department and the officers who illegally detained, handcuffed, searched, and cited our members.

Wisconsin Carry, Inc. is a non-profit Wisconsin corporation dedicated to the protection and expansion of the right of law-abiding Wisconsinites to carry in the manner of their choosing. www.wisconsincarry.org

Nik Clark
Chairman/President - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.

I'll try to keep track of this one.

Yar!

Avast! It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Couple pics...

Hit up the range... yesterday... afternoon (I miss sleep...)

Got some fairly decent pics.  More after the jump.

Full-auto Remington ACR

Video over at TFB.  Looks quite controllable.

I still wouldn't mind one.  Maybe in a couple years when the price comes down.

Plotting...

Anybody have any experience with this upper?  I gather they're pretty new, but BCM is a pretty good manufacturer, and being a Wisconsin company is a definite plus.

Note to self: get that paperwork rolling...

Marty & Remy