3D Printable Guns Available to All

First off, I preface my word with this statement: I am an avid gun lover, gun owner, and believe heavily in the right of the second amendment. My blog is, after all, all about people's second amendment rights. With that being said, this new gun scares me, and I don't think it is a good idea. This new gun, called the "Liberator", is being made by a man in Texas, with a 3D printer which molds plastic pieces, using a computer image.

Although this gun may look like a harmless toy, it is a firearm that can fire a real handgun caliber projectile, and kill someone. The makers of the gun may have added a six ounce piece of steel to the frame to make it detectable in airports, but that does not solve the problem. The real problem is that the gun is not meant to be bought at a store, it is meant to be created at home from a personal 3D printer. The maker of the Liberator wishes to make the blueprints for the gun available to all, which could put it directly in the hands of people who don't qualify to purchase a handgun at a sporting store. The big problem is that there is no supervision to make sure each gun printed at home has metal added so it will be legal under the Undetectable Firearms Act.If no metal is added, the guns could easily pass through metal detectors at airports, schools and courthouses. The maker has also gone as far as making high capacity magazines called "Feinstein mags", named after the California Congresswoman who made magazines holding more than 10 rounds illegal in the state of California. I am all for high cap magazines, but not by going about it in a less than legal means and trying to skirt the law.The Liberator's inventor has also made AR-15 lower receivers out of the 3D printable material, and is gaining popularity for its lightweight qualities. 

Again, keep in mind that I am a total supporter of the second amendment when I make this statement, that these plastic printable guns go against what we as law abiding gun owners stand for. The reason these guns scare me, is that it is just another reason for lawmakers to try and legislate away our freedoms. In the eyes of the lawmakers, guns like the liberator make it look as if all guns are scary and out of control, and that all guns need to be taken away because of the stupidity of a few. I believe that the Liberator is a bad idea, because we as law abiding gun owners believe in following the law, going through proper procedures such as background checks and safety classes. If anyone can just print their own gun at home, the world will become a lot scarier place. Now instead of knowing that your local sheriff deputy and conservative neighbor conceal carry, you will have to worry whether the neighborhood drug dealer is packing a Liberator plastic handgun. Please, don't support this gun. It's a bad idea. 

Gun Carrying Citizen Stops Attacker

This  is often a fact that gets overlooked by the liberal media and legislators: the fact that for every violent killing with a firearm, there are just as many acts of bravery that stop attacks from happening or progressing. This brave man at a local Grocery store in Salt Lake City stopped a man who decided to go on a stabbing spree. The brave man happened to be carrying a concealed handgun, and decided to pull it on the attacker, which stopped the stabbing spree. Every day, there are stories like these, they are just harder to find. People who stop attacks like these are not the kind of people that will go out of their way to seek attention from the media, or recognition for their act of courage. I give this man a big thank you, from all of us who value concealed weapons. He is a hero in my eyes. Below is the link to the full story

http://www.abc4.com/content/about_4/bios/story/conceal-and-carry-stabbing-salt-lake-city-smiths/NDNrL1gxeE2rsRhrWCM9dQ.cspx#.UXZrfEGsyIs.facebook

No more AR-15's for cops?

While the popular AR style rifle isn't going away any time soon, it was a party to an interesting crime if you were a law enforcement officer in January of this year. Legislation passed in the wake of the Newtown shootings prompted the New York legislature to make it illegal to posses high-capacity magazines. Usually this isn't a problem because there is a clause for LEO in bills that ban high-cap magazines. Except in New York. No clause there. Overnight, by the letter of the law, thousands of cops became possible felons, as it is a felony to illegally posses a high-cap magazine. Obviously by the spirit of the law, cops in New York would never be taken to court over the issue, or else all of America would be up in flames with heated rhetoric denouncing the law. It just goes to show, that Nancy Pelosi type of thinking that prevails among the anti-gun population is prevalent. They want to "pass the bill, then find out what is in it later". Well that just doesn't fly with me. I think our law enforcement officials deserve better than to be treated like just another person. After all, they are the only ones who keep the thin blue line between order and chaos. Here's to the boys in blue.

Oliver North, A Great Man

   

Among all the gun debates, I'd like to step back and highlight a great man in our history. Not only are many of us in the gun rights community avid shooters and mostly conservative, but we are patriotic Americans who love our country. I was surprised to hear my boss tell me that his hero is Oliver North, and that he still highly respects the man. I was delighted to hear that not everybody still thought Ollie was guilty. I have grown to have a great respect for the man, after learning that my grandfather and Oliver have emailed back and forth about our similar family histories. We learned that our family is related to Oliver's family, as we not only share the same last name, but many commonalities in where our relatives come from.

     I think too many people forget that the Iran Contra scandal happened under one of the most respected Presidents this country has seen, Ronald Reagan. Don't get me wrong, Reagan is my favorite president, I just want to give Ollie some credit too.

     Today, Ollie is a news correspondent for war news, and frequently visits the troops in the middle east to do USO shows, as well as see how the troops are doing. He has written many books in his time since the controversial trial, and is featured on the news frequently. He is an unseen icon of public virtue that this country hasn't seen since the days of George Washington, and doesn't ever get the full credit for his bravery when he became the fall man for a dubious plot to help Nicaraguan rebels.

     We need more men like Oliver North in this government if we want to keep our liberties and our freedoms, because by golly, no amount of public virtue can be seen in congress or the white house these days.

Utah says no to more gun control

Out here in Utah where I go to college, there is a movement brewing. People of all ages: men, women and children, are crying out against an oppressive government that wishes to take away a fundamental right of Americans. Obama and his Democrats say there is no use in sporting for an "assault rifle" style AR-15, but here in Utah many people beg to differ. Most any gun store around here is sold out of AR style rifles, due to fear of the impending revival of the ban on assault weapons that ended in 2004. Among many of the protectors this last weekend was a good friend of mine, whom I attend college with. He was able to be seen by the media and get some recognition along with other of his friends. The signs read "9/11, Columbine, Newton and Aurora: all gun-free zones" and "I want a good guy with a gun in my school". Here, the conservative consensus is not to take away the guns, but rather solve the issue of violence by hiring more School Resource Officers and reducing violence seen by children in movies, video games and music. I applaud the brave people who marched on the capitol, and I am proud to say that My friend and I will both be marching at a larger protest in March. More to come...


Here are the news articles for the story:
3,000 rally at Utah state capitol
Utah rallies against stricter gun laws

Bushmaster AR-15: Good for hunting too?

Well hello folks, I have been on quite a long trip away from my blog as work and school have kept me busy. After my great day shooting and gun shopping today, I just thought I would share my thoughts on something that's been in the news recently, now that things have cooled down. The news has got me thinking about the Bushmaster AR-15, which will probably be banned in my communist state of California if these shootings continue. I would like to point out some of the great advantages of owning such a weapon: not only is it a great home defense weapon and a great gun for training to hunt, but it can be a great hunting gun. That 16 inch stock carbine AR style rifle at the local gun store can be bought for $600 and turned into $2,000 worth of merchandise with some simple additions. You want to keep burglars out of your house? Keep it the way it is and you have a great home defense gun. Want to take a nice deer hunting trip? Throw on a 24 inch barrel, a bipod and a scope, and you have yourself a nice .223 caliber rifle to hit a deer accurately from over 400 yards. Sounds like two guns for the price of one to me!! Anywhoo, let me know what you think. Some people say its not practical, but I say it sounds like quite the boy toy to me.