Free Republic

In the late 1980s, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force decided to replace its aging 7.62-by-51-millimeter Howa Type 64 battle rifles. The JGSDF selected a lighter, modern assault rifle — the Howa Type 89 — in 1989. It’s a solid weapon, but one with a few weird features. Its biggest problem, however, is that there aren’t enough copies of it in existence.

Two teenagers go into a gun store. One is white. The other is black, and a Muslim. The white teen is advising the black teen on what to buy. Is it a "Straw Purchase"? Several stores have been sued for millions of dollars because they legally sold a gun to someone who later committed a crime. Gun retailers have been exhorted to be careful in who they sell to. They have been told to exercise judgment. They have been told that when in doubt, refuse to sell. The Reese family in New Mexico, had their lives ruined, and spent...

On 21 March of 2016, the Supreme Court issued a remarkable and, apparently to the Court, non-controversial decision.  In the Caetano PER CURIAM decision (pdf), the Court held that: The Court has held that “the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding,” District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U. S. 570, 582 (2008), and that this “Second Amendment right is fully applicable to the States,” McDonald v.Chicago, 561 U. S. 742, 750 (2010). While the decision, which was unanimous, has far...

Do not fool yourself about what the aftermath of a defensive shooting is going to be like. Some people have an image in their head that’s been put there by watching too much television and bad platitudes from elected officials and spokespersons for various groups. As with anything else, the reality is so much worse than the fantasy.For instance, most people don’t think it’s entirely possible that their defensive handgun will not only be confiscated by law enforcement, but never returned. It’s actually fairly common. Bear in mind that this isn’t legal advice and shouldn’t be taken as such, but...

Don't bother reading this leftist, race-baiting drivel. I'll pull out the interesting parts of the article so you don't give the fake news media any traffic.According to NBC News, minorities are heading to the gun stores to arm up following the victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election. After Donald Trump's win, Yolanda Scott is upgrading the crowbar she keeps in her purse to a small-caliber pistol. Scott, an African-American, is one of many minorities who have been flocking to gun stores to protect themselves, afraid Trump's victory will incite more hate crimes."You feel that racists now feel like...

With early reports of an “active shooter” on the Ohio State University campus Monday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) tweeted about the “senseless act of gun violence” before updating the campus attack was performed with a car and a knife. “Deeply saddened by the senseless act of gun violence at Ohio State this morning. Praying for the injured and the entire Buckeye community,” Kaine tweeted at 11:58 AM. The Associated Press reports authorities are saying nine people were injured at Ohio State University when an attacker purposely drove over a curb and into pedestrians and then got out of the vehicle...

This simple test displays the devastating power of the S&W 500. The Smith & Wesson 500 is well known as one of the most powerful handguns on teh planet! These 500-grain bullets can bring down pretty much any animal on earth. The guys from GY6vids Youtube put together this short video in which he puts one of these gigantic pistols up against a couple of pork shoulders. The results are about what you may expect! This is a simple test, but an effective one. The huge holes and ridiculous penetration of this round should stop just about anything on earth....

It didn’t take long for the Monday knife attack at Ohio State University to turn into a gun control rallying cry. First reports and reports throughout the duration of the attack described it as a shooting. Authorities later clarified it was a knife attack. Minutes after news broke that there was an alleged active shooter, Twitter users called for stronger gun control and blamed the attack on lackluster laws. The school is a “gun free zone,” and instructed students to “run hide fight” and stay in place. At least eight people have been taken to the hospital, with one critical...

A new law, signed last week by Governor Tom Wolf (D), opens the door for the Pennsylvania Game Commission to allow semiautomatic rifles and handguns to be used for hunting beginning in 2017. “Semiautomatic” refers to the firearm’s action; such an action uses recoil to cycle, replacing a spent shell with a loaded one so it is chambered and ready to go when the hunter pulls the trigger.

Colin Noir and Travis Haley of Haley Strategic are discussing the subject of "teaching gun fighting". But, more specifically "can you teach gun fighting, if you’ve never seen a gun fight?" For those who aren't familiar with who Haley is, here's a quick bio taken from his site: "Travis Haley is a veteran Force Reconnaissance Marine with 15 years of dedicated real world experience including: combat tours in Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. After leaving the military, Mr Haley served as a special operations and security contractor before partnering with Magpul as founder and CEO of their training division,...

South Dakota Representative Lynne DiSanto South Dakota will be considering a permitless, or "Constitutional" carry bill again this year.  In 2012, a bill passed both the House and the Senate, but was vetoed by Gov Daugaard.   In 2012, only Alaska, Arizona, Vermont and Wyoming had Constitutional carry.  In 2015, Constitutional carry passed the South Dakota House, but was killed by a Senate Committee.  It passed the House 44 to 23. The Senate was controlled by Republicans, 27 to 8. Now, in 2016, Constitutional carry is expected to be introduced by Representative Lynne DiSanto. From siouxcityjournal.com: PIERRE, S.D. —...

2016 looks like it will be a record year for gun sales. The number of NICS background checks for firearm purchases has risen annually for 18 straight months, hitting 22.2 million at the end of October versus 23.1 million in 2015. Analysts expect Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ:SWHC) and Sturm Ruger (NYSE:RGR) -- the only two publicly traded gunmakers in the U.S. -- to respectively grow their revenues by 26% and 13% this year. Let's take a look back at the five top selling handguns of the year, as listed by Gunbroker.com, and what they tell us about today's American firearm...

Description: Rare and Unique Documented Colt U.S. Contract Artillery Model Single Action Revolver with Un-Numbered Replacement Frame Colt Artillery Model Single Action Army revolver with un-numbered replacement frame, barrel, cylinder and trigger guard. The Ordnance Department purchased 171 unnumbered replacement frames from Colt between 1874 and 1891. The left side of the frame is roll-stamped with the Colt three-date/two-line patent marking initially used by Colt in 1890 at approximately serial number 134,000. "A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver" by Graham, Kopec and Moore states that the Army purchased six replacement frames from Colt on May 4, 1891....

These movies and television shows that are pushing gun control make no attempt to treat the arguments on the other side seriously. "Miss Sloane" -- focuses on a battle-hardened female lobbyist who gives herself the Herculean challenge of taking on the gun lobby The movie opens on December 9th. Is already getting a huge amount of publicity simply because it has a political message that the liberal media likes. Just from the trailer it appears as if they make the NRA look like a bunch of evil guys, not people who really care about letting the most vulnerable people in...

Wisconsin was one of the last states to create a permit system for legal concealed carry of weapons.  Permits were first issued in November, 2011. Five years later, 319,069 Wisconsin residents had permits. To obtain a permit, the applicant had to be 21 years old or older, a legal Wisconsin resident, and not convicted of any felonies or misdemeanor acts of domestic violence. People who go to the trouble to obtain a permit are serious about their Second Amendment rights. In Wisconsin, probably half are Democrats and Independents. CCW permit holders are, as a group, some of the most...

The U.S. military makes contingency plans for a great many possibilities.  It appears that the DoD has a contingency plan in place for a Trump presidency.  Donald Trump has said he will eliminate gun free zones in the military and at recruitment centers on day one of his presidency. On November 18th, the Department of Defense released DoD Directive 5201.56.  Deputy Secretary of Defense, Robert O. Work, issued the directive on Arming and the Use of Force, that superficially does away with "Gun Free Zones". It allows commanders at the O-5 level and above to grant people the authority...

The Pentagon recently released detailed guidance that allows U.S. military personnel to carry privately owned, concealed firearms on base, a move that the Army's service chief argued against publicly. "Arming and the Use of Force," a Nov. 18 Defense Department directive approved by Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, lays out the policy and standards that allow DoD personnel to carry firearms and employ deadly force while performing official duties. But the lengthy document also provides detailed guidance to the services for permitting soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guard personnel to carry privately owned firearms on DoD property, according...

The death of Michael Brown in August 2014 caused millions of dollars in property damage locally, and precipitated the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement nationally. Further, it focused scrutiny on law enforcement by the press, the public, and the political elites. Following that fatal OIS in Ferguson, there has been a widespread perception — perpetuated by the mainstream national media — that white police officers are biased against black subjects in their use of lethal force. However, a new study authored by John Lott and Carlisle Moody of the Crime Prevention Research Center digs deep into the numbers...

The line to get into Shooters gun store in Jacksonville, Florida, stretched around the corner as customers waited to get inside and buy the firearms and firearms accessories they wanted for themselves or planned to give as Christmas gifts. The scenario was not limited to Florida. In Randolph, New Jersey, “shoppers packed into RTSP, a gun shop and firing range.”

Image from 11alive.com On November 21, 2016, in Atlanta, Georgia, an armed robber attempted to victimize a Dollar store. Attempted is the operative word. The suspect did not succeed. He was wounded twice for his efforts, then he was arrested. He is lucky to have survived. From 11alive.com: Atlanta Police say the man walked into the store around 9:55 p.m., pulled a gun and demanded the contents of the store’s cash register. As the robber was leaving the store with the cash register itself, an Atlanta Police spokesman said one of the store’s employees pulled a personal handgun and...