Tom informs me in comments that he wants a pistol for buy a gun day. His criteria:

bigger caliber than a .22; manual safety; ammo that’s not ridiculously expensive.

For cheap ammo, I’d recommend 9MM. However, I don’t like handguns with manual safeties and I carry a Glock 30 or a Sig P229. So, with the manual safety criteria in mind, what say you, dear reader? I figure H&K maybe a Springfield XD40 (no, it doesn’t have a manual safety but does have a grip safety). Leave advice in comments.

Denise of the Ten Ring has the definitive round up of coverage regarding the Tyler, TX shooting where Mark Wilson gave his life to save others.

The Geek notes the services have come and gone. He also has a letter from a friend of Mr. Wilson in response to an anti gun piece in the press.

Update: The Geek has photos from the services.

Update 2: Publicola weighs in (mu nu is back!).

As does Kim du Toit.

Update 3: Michael Bane has more and notes:

You’ll notice you didn’t see Mark Wilson’s friends and relatives on The Today Show or Good Morning America or CNN. You also didn’t read newspaper stories about how a heroic man sacrificed himself for people whose names he never knew.

My friends, this is media bias in its most vicious form — America needs to know Mark Wilson’s story, that a civilian with a gun bought enough time for the police to get set up. How can Americans truly understand the progun and the antigun side if only one side of the news is reported?

John Lott has more on the bias.

A reader sends his M1A with a Reese folding stock. Me likey:

April 15th is buy a gun to annoy, well, anyone who would be annoyed that you’d buy a gun (in my case, that may be the wife). These folks have signed on:

Counter Top
Zendo Deb
Jed
American Drum Slinger (nice pic)

I’m pondering my next purchase. Building one of these or buying one of these and a Walther P22.

Update: Also, Heartless Libertarian.

Volokh notes the other Second Amendment challenge to the DC gun ban and compares it to Seegars. Bob Levy writes:

We assert that Parker is factually distinguishable from Seegars. (1) Parker plaintiffs were personally and unambiguously threatened w/prosecution by DC officials during oral argument and in the press. (2) DC’s failure to raise standing in Parker reaffirms the city’s intent to prosecute. (3) Trial judge Sullivan, after ordering supplemental briefing on standing, did not mention that issue in his opinion on the merits.

I think, as is usually the case, the court will chicken out of the issue. If forced to rule on it, they won’t be very second amendment friendly.

Update: Trigger finger has much, much more.

Per this:

Authorities were trying to learn Friday how a convicted felon with a history of domestic violence was able to obtain the powerful semiautomatic rifle he used in a shooting spree in downtown Tyler Thursday.

Maybe it’s because nut jobs and criminals aren’t known for obeying the law?

Via Gunner comes news of the second Carnival of the Cordite, a round up of gun blogs. Lots of good stuff. Someone needs to send out a reminder for thing so I can submit something.

In reference to the MAK-90 (which the press keeps calling a Mac 90) used in the Tyler, TX shooting:

The Mac-90, manufactured by the Norinco Corp., has a 56.16-inch barrel, chromed bore, stamped receiver and trigger.

The gun fires a 7.62×39mm bullet, and is capable of firing 600 rounds per minute with a distance speed of 780 meters per second.

No, the MAK-90 is not capable of firing 600 rounds per minute. It is a semi-automatic and fires one round per pull of the trigger. The AK-47 machine gun is.

Turns out, the Feds own almost 92% of the state of Nevada (and lie about it).

Actually, the experts are worried that some choose to defend themselves with a less than ideal weapon:

After the “crazy person” came to her house banging on her door and asking if he could come in, local resident Marty Taylor decided it was time for her to get a gun.

But even after she found out that police had arrested the man on charges of alleged sexual assault, something in the back of her head just wouldn’t let her follow through with it. She really didn’t want a firearm in her house.

When she heard that TASER International was getting ready to release a high-powered stun gun to civilians, though, she thought she may have found her answer.

Late last year, TASER announced that it was entering into an agreement with Davidson’s Inc., one of the largest firearm and accessory distributors in the United States, to market the $1,000 TASER X26C Citizen Defense System to more than 8,000 firearms, sports and police supply dealers across the country.

Although TASER products have been available to the general public since 1994, the X26C marks the first time that a police-grade weapon is available on a large scale.

A firearm is a better choice for a variety of reasons but this isn’t a post about that, it’s a post about this:

It’s cases like Taylor’s that concern Nacogdoches Assistant Police Chief Mike Kelly.

Kelly has publicly defended the use of TASERS and other stun guns used by police officers, but he’s not so sure about whether or not it’s a good weapon for civilians who want to defend their homes.

“Honestly, I still have a lot of concerns,” Kelly said. “But I’m not worried so much about the potential misuse of one of these devices, as I am about someone thinking that this is the answer.”

Kelly said police use TASERS in certain situations, and the devices work well as a “less-than-lethal” alternative to subdue a hostile person, but a police officer also undergoes rigorous training with the device. And officers also know that the TASER is just one tool in an arsenal of options they may have to use.

“Basically, with a TASER, you’ve got one shot,” Kelly said. “If you miss, or you don’t get a good connection, you don’t get another chance.”

Kelly said he would be worried about someone becoming overconfident with a single-shot weapon that is only effective at a relatively close range.

“I sure wouldn’t feel very comfortable if that were my only defense,” he said. “I understand that there are a lot of people who don’t want a gun in their house, and this is a safe alternative, but they need to study it thoroughly and understand that there are limitations.”

Note that the article doesn’t come right out and say that the firearm is a better choice, even though it seems fairly clear what Chief Kelly is implying.

Michael Silence notes a proposed income tax, which is called an Employer Privilege Tax:

Taxes, Privilege - Enacts a 1 percent privilege tax on employer’s payroll and dedicates revenue to funding special payments to certain hospitals and funding some portion of a reenacted Tennessee Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 6; Title 56; Title 57; Title 67; Title 68; and Title 71.

Blake has more.

Bill O’Rights arrested.

Via Pete.

JTO says that legislation banning rifles that look like assault weapons has been introduced in Iowa:

State assault weapons ban would fill the void created when Congress failed to renew the federal assault weapons ban last September

Cedar Rapids, IA - Legislation has been introduced in the Iowa Senate that would prohibit the possession of military-style, semiautomatic assault weapons in Iowa. The bipartisan bill (Senate File 207) is co-sponsored by Senators Connolly (D-Dubuque), Dvorsky (D-Coralville), Lundby (R-Marion), and Tinsman (R-Davenport).

Military-style are not semi-automatic, they are automatic.

Rex has set up the beginnings of a Snapper Comic Book. Check it out.

Wince takes a break.

Robert notes a good deal on some AK kits.

Wadcutter presents how to make your own bore-light out of a spent round. Sweet!

Via Triggerfinger

If true, this is pretty damn stupid:

The family of a woman who died after being moved out of a trauma room to accommodate the ailing Michael Jackson plans to sue both the hospital and the star.

Manuela Gomez Ruiz, 74, was transferred out of the main trauma room at the Marian Medical Centre in Santa Maria, California, when Jackson was rushed in suffering from “flu-like symptoms” last week.

The KNS is promoting bloggers on the main page.

You’re an Ashcroft! No, you’re the Ashcroft!:

Imagine hearing that exchange in a movie - you’d think that Hollywood had come up with a crazy new insult. Well, it turns out that some airline passengers watching the Oscar-nominated film “Sideways” on foreign flights are, in fact, hearing “Ashcroft” as a substitute for a certain seven-letter epithet commonly used to denote a human orifice.

I kept reading news reports yesterday about a shooting. They all had the same basic byline that someone with a high-powered rifle (or AK-47) had went nuts at a courthouse in Texas. Insert usual rant about how it was not an AK-47 and wasn’t high-powered but rather the medium-powered 7.62X39 cartridge. Anyway:

David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. armored up with multiple layers of body armor, killed his wife and attempted to shoot his son. However, a Texas CCW holder intervened:

The noise prompted Mark Wilson, a gun enthusiast, to intervene as Arroyo continued to fire on his wounded son.

“They traded shots, missing each other, and then the gunman hit Wilson and Wilson went down,” said Nelson Clyde III, publisher of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, recalling the shooting as he watched from Don Juan’s.

“The gunman walked up to Wilson and shot him while he was on the ground,” Clyde said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing … it was sickening.”

“He was either wounded or dead, but the guy (Arroyo) shot him again to make sure he wouldn’t get up,” said witness Brandon Malone, a Tyler builder who was lunching inside Don Juan’s.

Mr. Wilson saved the life of Arroyo’s son and likely the lives of other people by intervening and drawing fire from Arroyo. Unfortunately for Mr. Wilson, the suspect was armored up and very likely his pistol ammunition could not penetrate the armor. Mr. Wilson died a hero.

Hat tip to reader Airboss who notes: This is why I practice and I practice head shots.

Round up:

Sheepdog notes it was a scoped AKM clone. The DFW story fails to mention Mr. Wilson engaging Arroyo.

Publicola has a detailed account.

The Geek notes possibly two CCW carriers engaged Arroyo and that bullets don’t make you invincible.

Update: From Fox:

“One of the deputies at the scene said if it hadn’t been for Mr. Wilson,” said Sheriff J.B. Smith, “the son would be dead.”

Friends who visited the son in the hospital Thursday night said he told them that his father was always open about having a collection of weapons.

Aurea Seanez said the son told them, “And look now, he used them on us.”

Wilson, a gun enthusiast who once owned a shooting range, intervened after Arroyo killed his ex-wife, witnesses said. Swindle, the police chief, said Wilson shot at Arroyo several times but his rounds weren’t penetrating the armor.

Update 2: Robert (a reader and friend of Mr. Wilson) notes in comments over at The Geek’s:

Just talked to the friend who is handling the details for Marks family. He said Mark was IN his apt, evidently heard shooting outside and grabbed his carry gun, a Glock 9mm, and went out the door. He said Mark had expected a shootout at the courthouse sooner or later.

Unknown which Glock 9mm, and unknown whether he shot dry. This friend said Mark went prone for cover, then was shot trying to evade the gunman when the gunman closed on his position behind the gunman’s truck.

Witnesses say he had several hits on the gunmans torso, all absorbed by the body armor.

Rocket Jones has the latest Carnival of the Recipes.

Patterico notes you can access RSS feeds of AP wires. Good for bloggers.

However, it is no excuse for sloppy and misleading journalism. Aren’t they supposed to, like, fact check or some shit? In an update to CNN’s rifle felony, Matt notes (and Xrlqy Wrlqy agrees) that CNN’s violation of 922(a)(3) is not punishable because it was not a willful violation of the law. That does not excuse sloppy, misleading and sensationalist journalism.

Note to Matt, no one’s mad at you for finding out the truth. They’re just mad that CNN gets away with violating the law whereas someone like me (who just spent an extra $45 to transfer a weapon legally) goes out of their way to comply with the law. And that CNN just told a bunch of viewers that this legal act was actually illegal.

So, there’s this college kid who writes:

“A well regimented military, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bare arms, shall not be infringed.”

The second amendment to the United States constitution is quite easily interpreted as the right to own or use a gun. This amendment was made at a time when America’s independence was a hotly contested topic. The forces of Great Britain were assaulting the country, attempting to take back what they believed was their property. America needed defenses.

Good lord. Can’t you do a google search and get the actual text of the amendment? I started to comment on the rest but those Texicans done did it.

Weekly gun links are up.

Technorati reports 7,525 entries include the phrase CNN felony.

Dylan calls new bands amateurs. New bands call Dylan that old dude who can’t sing.

Actual story reported locally:

Virginia DeGrazia not only has all Alan Jackson’s music, she has Jackson dolls and collectable plates. But what she no longer has is a signed shirt. She says a framer ruined it.

Alrighty then.

A judge in Tennessee is under investigation for ordering defendants to donate to a special police fund instead of paying fines:

6 News has learned the TBI is investigating allegations that defendants in a Lenoir City judge’s court room are being ordered to donate to a special fund instead of paying fines.

The investigation centers around a non-profit group called “Friends of Law Enforcement.” Its proceeds go to supplies for the Lenoir City Police Department.

Judge Terry Vann helped establish the group in April 2004 and actively sought voluntary donations from those who appeared in his courtroom.

However, questions arose about the practice. Some people believed Vann was forcing people in his court to support the cause. Records show defendants promised to donate more than $3,200 to Friends of Law Enforcement.

For about a year now, I’ve been involved in a semi-weekly garage-band jam session. We get together in a self-storage unit, mainly because the drummer didn’t want to play at his own house and didn’t want to schlep his kit around (can’t blame him), plus there aren’t any neighbors to annoy.

Except there are. Tonight there were two other bands playing at the same self-storage lot at the same time we were. Looks like there ought to be a business opportunity here somewhere.

I wonder what else goes on those places?

Back in November, I predicted John Ross would have new posts in January.

Make that late February.

Track backs are back until some loser decides to spam bomb them again.

I want answers. I want to know if CNN broke the law or just lied. People have been contacting their senators and the ATF. Now, I ask that you contact CNN.

You can highlight editorial errors here.

General online contact info is here.

Their address is:

One CNN Center
Atlanta, GA 30303

or

190 MARIETTA ST NW
ATLANTA, GA 30303

And their phone number is (404) 827-2600

Senators from Hell err New Jersey are introducing a bill to ban the FN 57:

New Jersey’s U.S. senators plan to introduce a bill that would make it illegal for anyone, except a police officer or military official, to purchase or use an assault pistol that fires bullets capable of penetrating a bulletproof vest.

The Five-SeveN gun made by FN Herstal of Belgium has already been denounced by three national police organizations and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The handgun is small and lightweight and easily concealed in a person’s pocket, the groups said.

Last month, the Brady Campaign released a videotape of its staff test-firing one of the handguns it had purchased from a Virginia gun dealer. The bullets penetrated a police Kevlar vest.

The anti-gunners can’t get huge categories of guns banned now so they’re doing it one at a time and, in some cases, one state at a time. Almost any rifle round will penetrate a vest as vests are designed to stop ammo commonly used in handguns. The FN fires a rifle round. The ATF has stated that the rounds will not penetrate a vest and ATF has stated the pistol ammo commercially available is not armor piercing (else it would be illegal):

FTB has also examined a 5.7 X 28 mm projectile that FN Herstal has designated the “SS196.” The SS196 is loaded with a Hornady 40 grain, jacketed lead bullet. FTB classified SS196 ammunition as not armor piercing ammunition under Federal firearms statutes.

According to FNH USA, FN Herstal tested the SS192 ammunition. SS192 ammunition did not penetrate the Level IIIA vests that were tested. FNH USA states that SS196, Hornady V-Max 40 gr. bullets fired from a 4-3/4 inch barrel did not penetrate the Level II vests that were used in testing.

FNH USA has informed FTB that SS192 is no longer imported for commercial sale to the United States and that commercial sales of 5.7 X 28mm ammunition are restricted to the SS196 (not armor piercing).

However, the SS190 is armor piercing and is not legal to buy. Additionally, this pistol costs about $1,000 and is not something your average criminal would carry.

There’s a proposal to restrict ammo sales:

The sale of ammunition like that used in the Hudson Valley Mall shooting should be restricted, two local Democratic lawmakers say.

“I realize you can’t stop somebody from committing a crime, or committing a heinous act if they’re really intent on doing it, but maybe you can slow it down,” said Bill Reynolds, majority leader of the Kingston Common Council. “Obviously, real strict gun control doesn’t make a lot of sense, but perhaps there is some wisdom in at least slowing people down from getting their hands on weapons of war and the ammunition for them.”

Authorities say 25-year-old Robert Bonelli Jr. of Glasco purchased three boxes of 7.62-caliber ammunition for his Hesse Model 47 semiautomatic assault rifle at the Wal-Mart store next to Hudson Valley Mall in the town of Ulster an hour before he fire 50-60 shots inside the mall, wounding two people.

Authorities have said both the weapon, purchased at a local gun show, and the ammunition were obtained legally, but Reynolds and Ulster County Legislator Brian Shapiro of Woodstock said there should be tighter restrictions on the availability of the semiautomatic rounds used in the shooting.

It’s amazing to me that people are shocked someone could have both a gun and ammo that goes with it. And there is no such thing as a semiautomatic assault rifle.

Update: As readers point out, there is also no such thing as a semiautomatic round.

Newday:

If New London can seize people’s homes so private developers can build a hotel and convention center, what will cities do next? several Supreme Court justices asked during arguments Tuesday.

Can a city decide to get rid of the Motel 6 and put up a Ritz-Carlton, asked Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, because the luxury hotel would produce more taxes?

“That would be OK?” she asked.

“Are we saying you can take from A and give to B if B pays more taxes?” asked Justice Antonin Scalia.

Some good news in Indiana:

The Indiana House voted Tuesday to make it more costly for government to condemn private property for the sake of commercial development, as the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case that could lead to even more restrictions.

Supporters of House Bill 1063 complained that the wants of developers have trumped the rights of average citizens. They argued that eminent domain laws, which allow the government to buy property against the owners’ wishes, have strayed far from their original purpose of making it possible for roads and other necessities to be built.

Erin Durkin says ED’s future is unsure.

In Utah, homes are scheduled to be bulldozed to make room for a Wal-Mart:

Residents of a tucked-away downtown neighborhood and other Ogden residents angry at City Hall rallied Monday to protest a plan to bulldoze homes and businesses for a new Wal-Mart superstore.

At the peak of the rally, more than 40 carried signs showing a slash mark through the words “eminent domain abuse” and calling for reform of redevelopment laws. Passers-by honked and flashed protesters thumbs-up signs.

“Something is wrong with this picture,” said protester Bill Glassman, an Ogden real estate broker and investor. “Do not take homes and viable businesses away and give [the land] to a big company!”

The UN proclaimed that there was no genocide going on in Darfur. Kristof disagrees and has some pretty horrific images. This kind of thing needs to be stopped. The world sat by while Rwandans were slaughtered and acted as though tough words could stop it. It does not need to happen again.

Rep. Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat:

The national debate over gun rights, for decades among the most searing and divisive of political issues, appears to be all but over in Congress.

That means that the assault weapons ban, a signature achievement of gun control advocates that expired last year, probably will not resurface anytime soon.

Conversely, congressional leaders and the Bush administration haven’t put a priority on efforts to expand gun rights.

He then makes the mistake of quoting Saul Cornell (who Denise has a round up of here). Skelton seems to get it, as do other Democrats (like Reid). I think the Republicans need to focus on being more pro-gun and get a handle on some of these ludicrous gun laws before some CNN reporter commits a crime.

Gunner on AL sex toy ban:

What happens between me, my wife, the inflatable doll, the midget in the corner and the camera man is my own business.