Viewpoints

Following a strong grassroots campaign led by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a petition calling for a ban on the production and distribution of traditional ammunition. Steve Owens, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, issued the following statement recently: 'EPA today denied a petition submitted by several outside groups for the agency to implement a ban on the production and distribution of lead hunting ammunition.

Following a strong grassroots campaign led by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a petition calling for a ban on the production and distribution of traditional ammunition. Steve Owens, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, issued the following statement recently: 'EPA today denied a petition submitted by several outside groups for the agency to implement a ban on the production and distribution of lead hunting ammunition.

I would like to comment on red-dot optical sights for firearms. For my competitive shooting and hunting, I have always purchased top quality and the most expensive optics I could afford. I wanted to advise my fellow Gun Tests readers about my experience with a made-in-China clone of the excellent Burris FastFire red dot sight. The clones of the Burris FastFire optical sights actually work fairly well in use, but they have no on-off switch like the Burris FastFire unit. When you put the plastic protective cover on the sight, this is supposed to turn the unit off. But in my experience, the sights eat batteries like a fat boy eats a bag of potato chips.

I would like to comment on red-dot optical sights for firearms. For my competitive shooting and hunting, I have always purchased top quality and the most expensive optics I could afford. I wanted to advise my fellow Gun Tests readers about my experience with a made-in-China clone of the excellent Burris FastFire red dot sight. The clones of the Burris FastFire optical sights actually work fairly well in use, but they have no on-off switch like the Burris FastFire unit. When you put the plastic protective cover on the sight, this is supposed to turn the unit off. But in my experience, the sights eat batteries like a fat boy eats a bag of potato chips.

Check out several videos this week: Watch a Ruger stainless 44 Mag lose its barrel due to metal fatigue. Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA examines numerous gun stock blanks to illustrate what to look for when selecting a stock blank. From the NSSF, a quick run down of what to pack when you're heading out of town on that hunt of a lifetime.

At The Heritage Foundation website, Ted R. Bromund, Ph.D., and gun-rights lawyer David B. Kopel recently covered the U.N.’s chilling progress on the Small Arms 'Programme of Action,' or PoA. The fourth biennial meeting on the PoA took place June 14–18, 2010. In 2001, the United Nations created the 'Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.' The PoA is not a treaty. Rather, it is a mechanism for encouraging voluntary cooperation.

At The Heritage Foundation website, Ted R. Bromund, Ph.D., and gun-rights lawyer David B. Kopel recently covered the U.N.’s chilling progress on the Small Arms 'Programme of Action,' or PoA. The fourth biennial meeting on the PoA took place June 14–18, 2010. In 2001, the United Nations created the 'Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.' The PoA is not a treaty. Rather, it is a mechanism for encouraging voluntary cooperation.

I subscribe to no less than six gun-related magazines. Although I read and enjoy every letter to the editor and editorial column enough to justify the subscription price, I rarely read more than one article from any of them. Don’t get me wrong, I skim them all, but most articles just don’t fit my use or taste. The August 2010/Vol. XXII, No. 8 issue of Gun Tests magazine was an exception.The 9mm compact article was the very best article I’ve read in a year. You guys picked three solid pistols and one that I’d call a sleeper (the Ruger). Your testers were thorough and fair and didn’t nitpick much. Having owned and/or shot three of the four, I know how hard it is to find enough fault with this group to call a winner and a loser.

I subscribe to no less than six gun-related magazines. Although I read and enjoy every letter to the editor and editorial column enough to justify the subscription price, I rarely read more than one article from any of them. Don’t get me wrong, I skim them all, but most articles just don’t fit my use or taste. The August 2010/Vol. XXII, No. 8 issue of Gun Tests magazine was an exception.The 9mm compact article was the very best article I’ve read in a year. You guys picked three solid pistols and one that I’d call a sleeper (the Ruger). Your testers were thorough and fair and didn’t nitpick much. Having owned and/or shot three of the four, I know how hard it is to find enough fault with this group to call a winner and a loser.

The revelation that the City of San Francisco might consider an ammunition registry scheme brought a promise from the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms that a lawsuit would quickly follow.

Before self-defense training can begin, you must mentally prepare yourself for combative situations. This series is a collection of self-defense tips with career law enforcement officer Dave Spaulding designed to help individuals learn proper skills and techniques to defend themselves.

Front Sight Firearms Training Institute's Dr. Ignatius Piazza takes on the issue of small-caliber handguns as suitable self-protection items. Here's what he said: 'I have a video for you this week that is the best example of the pros and cons of carrying a pocket pistol that I have ever seen.'