Viewpoints

In the latest development in the ongoing Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) 'Fast and Furious' scandal, the NRA-ILA reported that the Department of Justice has announced the appointment of U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota B. Todd Jones to serve as Acting Director of BATFE, replacing Kenneth Melson. The DOJ also announced that Dennis Burke, U.S. attorney for the district of Arizona, has resigned. And the Wall Street Journal reported that Emory Hurley, the assistant U.S. attorney responsible for the day-to-day operations of 'Fast and Furious,' has been removed from his post and reassigned to the department's Civil Division.

As a longtime subscriber, I've really had it with Scout-style rifles. Nothing against Ray Ordorica's recent series of Scout reviews, but the concept has proven to be a market failure. I know Jeff Cooper sits next to Jesus in heaven. Being dead has its advantages — ask Elmer Keith or Jack O'Connor! I would note, that at age 69, I read everything these guys and their contemporaries wrote when it was 'new.' The original Cooper Scout was a concept looking for a home at a price, as I recall, of $3,500. By the time Cooper's Scout hit the street, any competent AR builder could build an AR-10 in 308 Win. that was just as light, held more ammo, shot faster and as accurately for a lot less money.

As a longtime subscriber, I've really had it with Scout-style rifles. Nothing against Ray Ordorica's recent series of Scout reviews, but the concept has proven to be a market failure. I know Jeff Cooper sits next to Jesus in heaven. Being dead has its advantages — ask Elmer Keith or Jack O'Connor! I would note, that at age 69, I read everything these guys and their contemporaries wrote when it was 'new.' The original Cooper Scout was a concept looking for a home at a price, as I recall, of $3,500. By the time Cooper's Scout hit the street, any competent AR builder could build an AR-10 in 308 Win. that was just as light, held more ammo, shot faster and as accurately for a lot less money.

If you’re interested in long distance rifle shooting, or in hunting with a rifle, I highly recommend that you check out the Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf facility, in Utah. The “golf” part of the name is really just part of the rules for how your shots are scored. Other than that, it’s all rifle and no golf, and it’s one of the best opportunities I’ve ever seen to test one’s rifle skills.

The most outrageously devastating hand-held anti-personnel machine in existence may be the Atchisson Assault Shotgun, or AA-12. Fully automatic and drum-fed, the AA-12 fires five 12-gauge shotgun shells per second, with extreme reliability and so little recoil that it can be shot Arnie-style with one hand. And if that hail of hot buckshot isn't enough to make both shooter and target need a change of underpants, consider this: it has been developed in conjunction with the FRAG-12 - a new type of shotgun cartridge in which each round is a small, flighted high explosive or fragmentation grenade accurate up to 175 meters.

NSSF's Dave Miles takes a look at the popular and rapidly growing sport of three-gun shooting with Tom Fuller of Bushnell during the AR15.com/Rockcastle 3-gun Pro AM held at Rockcastle Shooting Center at Park Mamoth Resort in Park City, KY.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former state Attorney General, today responded to reports that Kenneth E. Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been reassigned to a new position within the Justice Department.

John Browning's last lever action design for Winchester made it to production in 1895. In this GunTec presentation Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA, examines a Winchester Model 1895 Lever Action Rifle chambered in 30 Army. The gun used in this production features a 28 inch barrel, 5 round box magazine, straight grip stock, and a crescent buttplate. It has a steel bead front sight and a Lyman adjustable receiver sight. This model was made from 1895 to 1931 with over 400,000 produced.

Some years ago, I sold two guns that I now regret selling. I used my Walther GX-1 22 LR for five years as a collegiate 3-position shooter at Texas A&M, competing all over the country and in Japan. As a working adult in New Jersey, I also shot it in a weeknight league in northern New Jersey and in a league that shot at West Point. Additionally, I had an LGR air rifle by the same manufacturer, using it to compete in the NCAA championships, where I met the really good shooters.

Like many others, this really excellent article refers to the presumed suitability of the shotgun for home defense, particularly the 12 gauge. Frankly, unless the defenders all have donned appropriate ear protection, the shotgun's blast (especially 28 gauge and up) probably will 'take out' their hearing and, of course, permanently disable any unfortunate pets. Therefore, not only is the pistol-caliber carbine more appropriate, the best would be subsonic, especially a 45 like those covered, equipped with a silencer. An alternative would be a suitable sidearm, also silencer-equipped. For home defense, it's worthwhile to go through the Federal hoops to obtain a silencer or silenced-firearm.

Like many others, this really excellent article refers to the presumed suitability of the shotgun for home defense, particularly the 12 gauge. Frankly, unless the defenders all have donned appropriate ear protection, the shotgun's blast (especially 28 gauge and up) probably will 'take out' their hearing and, of course, permanently disable any unfortunate pets. Therefore, not only is the pistol-caliber carbine more appropriate, the best would be subsonic, especially a 45 like those covered, equipped with a silencer. An alternative would be a suitable sidearm, also silencer-equipped. For home defense, it's worthwhile to go through the Federal hoops to obtain a silencer or silenced-firearm.

(GunReports.com) -- As most decent people are watching the stock market gyrations and following our federal government’s mismanagement of both monetary and fiscal policy, our nation is entering an unpredictable phase. I’m sorry to say that, based on history, things are going to get worse. Just look at London, England, where four nights of rioting hooligans have resulted in the deployment of an extra 16,000 police officers in an attempt to stop the looting, vandalism, destruction, assaults, and robbery. My response to “flash mobs”? GET A GUN.