All you need to know about Feldman’s book: Former ATF Director John W. Magaw, who at one time declared that the ATF is not anti-gun, has endorsed Richard Feldman’s latest anti-gun book Ricochet: Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist.

Err, no I will not wear a ribbon because, well, wearing ribbons doesn’t result in any substantive social change whatsoever. And, well, I have no problem with dirty movies. I think I will try to get me a Debbie Does Dallas ribbon, though.

So, I’m dealing with auditors from a random government agency (yay, short straw!). All is going well and no problems. Today, having not heard from them in months and assuming that they’d concluded with no findings, one of the auditors calls me and says: Well, we need to get you guys to sign a waiver as we’re approaching the end of statutory period for conducting the audit.

Me: Huh?

Them: Yeah, the statute of limitations is running out and we need you to sign a waiver stating that it’s OK if we proceed.

Me: That’s a nice big cup of the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. You want me to grant you an extension for the sole purpose of making my life unnecessarily difficult over what amounts to an insignificant amount of money.

Them: err, well . . .

Me: Wow.

I’m torn. I’m inclined to not sign just on general principle. But that would likely have the effect of making future audits far less, err, friendly.

Send some Robb’s way.

Yeah, pretty much:

The money and support being funneled to Paul is not about Ron Paul and the totality of his message but is instead about anger at the Republican Party and the government.

Shit to do. Maybe later.

So, a former gun lobby guy is in the news. Sebastian sets us straight on why he was outed and it’s because he was to willing to compromise.

See, shooters/self-defense types aren’t the only ones taking issue with the NRA:

The NRA (Not Really an Ally), it seems, is up to its old tricks again, playing the bogus “access” card to cover its tracks with hunters, who it no longer represents due to its strident support of anti-wildlands, habitat-desecrating politicians and positions. The most recent example of this is the NRA’s opposition to protecting a part of the Browns Canyon area in Chaffee County as Wilderness.

Ahab gets to the crux of the issue and notes:

So, because he doesn’t like ATVs, but the NRA has decided to defend the access of all sportsmen, then clearly the NRA is bad, right? Unfortunately, the author let his personal bias against the NRA and off-road vehicles color his writing – and it ruined any point he may have made.

275 round, drum fed upper receiver for M-16s.

A continuing trend:

Industry Sales Up 36 Percent in Second Quarter

EXCISE TAX CONTRIBUTIONS TOP $3 BILLION . . . The latest report of Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Collections released by the Department of the Treasury indicates that firearm and ammunition manufacturers paid more than $76.6 million in the second calendar quarter, up 36 percent over the same time period in 2006, and bringing the 15-year cumulative industry excise tax contribution to more than $3 billion. The second-quarter increase was driven by strong handgun sales, up 44.8 percent, long-gun sales, up 37 percent, and ammo sales, up 29.2 percent. It is projected that $715.5 million in sales was generated in the quarter, not including retail markup or final retail sales. NSSF continues to campaign on behalf of the industry, however, for a more equitable, pro-growth, pro-conservation excise tax payment schedule. Excise taxes are calculated as a percentage of wholesale receipts, paid quarterly by firearm and ammunition manufacturers, and earmarked for state wildlife conservation and habitat restoration programs.

Bitter has some reservations about the numbers though. Material prices have gone up and the increase in the taxes would coincide with that. But, generally, I’ve only noticed ammo prices going up while firearm prices seem to have remained constant or increased at a level that is immaterial.

Bob Krumm on Ron Paul’s outstanding fundraising:

I’ve been watching Paul’s fundraising totals, and have seen him raise more than $200,000 in less than an hour. Very impressive. He won’t win, but unlike Hunter, Tancredo, and maybe even Huckabee, he won’t be ignored either. It’s too bad that this money isn’t going to a more viable candidate.

The implication is that, because Ron Paul is can’t win, this is wasted money and effort. I disagree. People should support their favorite candidates or else you can’t encourage more candidates who share your views to run. Bob continues:

It’s also too bad that Fred Thompson, who on Federalism (where I do agree with the learned doctor) is closer to Paul’s position than any of the others, hasn’t found a way to connect with some of those voters/donors.

Good point.

An SKS with all the trimmings.

You guys know I like to play poker. But I don’t play any underground games and that’s because they keep getting robbed. I stick to the non-raked games at peoples’ houses and not full on gambling enterprises.

Also that Ed Miller notes the madness involved in NY:

In my opinion, NYC government has its head up its ass on this one. Not only are they wasting everyone’s time by “enforcing” the law in a way that annoys people but doesn’t actually change anything, they are creating a very dangerous environment for club management, players, and even those who live and work in the vicinity of the card clubs.

Jay Bush has returned to blogging.

Background here. She supports your right to own a gun so you can kill yourself with it:

There is so much that begs to be changed, in this society, why waste your valuable time and energy harassing a writer whose greatest crime is her naivete where human nature, and the viscera of the American gun culture, are concerned. You may keep your guns, with my pleasure, I can think of no better solution to the problem of overpopulation.

In a couple days she’ll be swearing up and down that she didn’t wish us dead.

SeattlePI:

America’s most powerful political lobby, the National Rifle Association, is having a torrid time: Nobody wants to fight with it and so far gun control is not an issue in the 2008 presidential election campaign.

From The Skinny on CBS News:

I love my AK-47! All responsible, freedom-loving American families should have one.

Well, I’m biased against the commie guns myself but still. NinthStage notes:

See, with this new internet media, they are listening to us. Pre-internet, no wireless media would acknowledge readers opinions like this, except maybe as a single “representative” “letter to the editor” one day a week. They are now paying attention which means we should keep doing the same.

The Journalist’s Guide to Gun Violence Coverage

Now, little clips. Seems ATF has no issue with people selling inert grenades. Unless you put the safety clip in them. Odd.

Good question. Also, makes me wonder why I have to go through background checks every time I buy a gun even though I have several and have a license to carry one.

After my fight with them, I find this ad sent in by a reader a bit, err, disturbing:

The new and improved Mr. Plinky:

Tapco stock (yea, I know, it’s Tapco but this stock has a real nice fit), Uncle Brand^tm Single Point Sling, BSA Red Dot ($29 at Wal-Mart – try as I might, I can’t justify putting a $400 optic on a $150 gun), and it has all the Davis Custom internals to give it a nicer trigger pull and improve reliability.

He used to look like this:

See, I will tacticool anything.

Via reader ELB, comes this:

Butler chased after the accused purse snatcher. who took off running and ended up asking a police officer for help.

“He displays a weapon and it scares the suspect,” said a deputy on the scene. “The suspect runs up the police car and saying, ‘Let me in. They are shooting at me’.”

For the record, I think it’s generally a bad idea to chase a robber like that. And, if you wind up shooting him, it’s also likely hard to defend in court.

Handguns 101, a bit on handgun carry permit classes:

The class qualifying Saturday was the largest yet with 27 members and more than one-third female.

And:

Women continue to make up a greater percentage of each class and most prove to be remarkably accurate marksmen.

8 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were registered to vote. Can we run NICS checks on voters? Nah, we can’t even ask them for ID.

Pro gun liberal Sebastian is in the news.

Seen at DCist:

We’re still mixed on what would be the better blessing for the District — for the court to grant their appeal or to just turn it down. On the one hand, if the justices voted to take the case, the District would at least have a chance to save its gun laws, but at the expense of a monster case that could well reshape the national debate on gun control. On the other, should the court choose not to hear it, the city will have to deal with the more immediate problem of re-writing their gun restrictions, but other urban areas won’t be forced to scrap their own gun regulations.

Longball or smallball, I don’t care. Either way, it’s likely a win.

Bill Richardson:

I resent some elites telling me my position on gun control is wrong, for example. It’s a cultural issue in New Mexico and the West, a respect for a way of life. Most gun owners are law-abiding. I’m not going to change my position. That’s where I may deviate from others in my party, too, the elites on the coasts. I have very common tastes.

Reader Shane sends a link to this piece on the truth about gun accidents. The only group smaller is poison by gas in terms of fatalities.

In an update to this, Here’s WBIR’s online piece with a map.

And here’s WKRN’s piece.