Free Republic

Unlike many Freepers, while I'm pro 2nd Amendment, I'm no expert on guns, so I'm, going to turn to those of you who are more knowledgeable, for some advice. See further "setup" to my questions regarding a good "snake gun" below.

LYNDEN, Wash., - A Washington state museum said it is removing World War II-era rifles from exhibit to avoid running afoul of a new background check law. The Lynden Pioneer Museum said the 11 rifles borrowed from collectors will be returned to their owners to avoid potential problems caused by Initiative 594, which requires background checks for all sales and transfers of weapons. The law includes an exception for antiques, but museum director Troy Luginbill told the Bellingham Herald the guns aren't old enough to qualify. Luginbill said the law wouldn't cause trouble for the "Over the Beach: The WWII...

"I want you to do an article on how to shoot a handgun accurately," Dave Duffy told me. "Make it 2,500 or 3,000 words." Long ago, I would have answered, "Sure, and while I'm at it, how about a history of the world in, oh, 10,000 words or so?" Today, with more than 45 years of handgunning behind me (yeah, I'm old, but I started early, too) I realize that you actually can cover this topic in a fairly short article. The reason is found in the classic statement of Ray Chapman, the first world champion of the combat pistol....

November 18, 2014 FERGUSON, Mo. (CBS ST. LOUIS) - Law enforcement in the Ferguson area are preparing for potential protests and riots following the grand jury’s decision in the Michael Brown investigation, which is expected sometime this month. Talking to “St. Louis Coptalk” forum, a supposed police officer in the Ferguson area issued a warning to others in the community to “protect” their families with firearms. Many posting in the forum expressed fears that demonstrators will take to the streets regardless of the decision made in the Aug. 9 shooting death of the 18-year-old by officer Darren Wilson. Vocative reports...

A “coalition” of local police departments, municipalities and clergy members are pushing for a “form of gun control without legislation” by pressuring gun manufacturers to start utilizing controversial “smart” gun technology, CBS New York reports. The advocacy coalition believes smart gun technology — which makes it so only the owner can fire the gun — and inventory tracking can help reduce gun violence. So far, 59 different jurisdictions have called on Glock and six other gun makers to “produce distribution records,” the report adds. “We want to use the power of the marketplace, the power of the free market,” New...

Ferguson, Missouri (CNN) -- Lately, Dan McMullen has been bringing an extra gun to his office in Ferguson, Missouri. McMullen runs Solo Insurance on West Florissant close to where looting and vandalism briefly broke out in early August after a police officer shot to death teenager Michael Brown. "I bring an extra gun now only because it has a bigger magazine," McMullen says. He began carrying it after tensions increased in the area following the shooting. He says he would never use it to protect his business, but he would use it to save his life. "So maybe I get...

During the early morning of Oct. 25, 1893, a column of 700 soldiers from the British South African Police camped in a defensive position next to the Shangani River. While they slept, the Matabele king Lobengula ordered an attack on the column, sending a force of up to 6,000 men—some armed with spears, but many with Martini-Henry rifles. Among its weapons, the column possessed several Maxim machine guns. Once a bugler sounded the alert, the Maxims spun into action—and the results were horrific. The Maxim gunners mowed down more than 1,600 of the attacking Matabele tribesman. As for the British...

When a man shooting a .500 Smith & Wesson pistol for the first time took aim at a target and fired, he wasn’t expecting the target to strike back, but it did. The result was a very quick and comical exit to the right once someone yelled at him to “Watch out. Move, move!” And move he did! The incident happened earlier this month while a group of guys were enjoying a night out together with food and a campfire, and a little target practice. “My brother, who is featured in the video, was shooting a .500 for the first...

Yoshitomo Imura has become 3D printing's first martyr.  He was sentenced to two years in prison for designing and producing blank firing guns on a 3D printer.   From the-japan-news.com: YOKOHAMA (Jiji Press) — The Yokohama District Court sentenced a former Japanese college employee on Monday to two years in prison for producing guns with a three-dimensional printer. I have not seen that any of the guns actually fired a projectile; the only ones that I have seen on videos fired blanks.   Imura stated that he did not believe that he was violating the law.   Building blank firing...

During World War II, American G.I.s called the German MG42 machine gun “Hitler’s buzz saw” because of the way it cut down troops in swaths. The Soviet Red Army called it “the linoleum ripper” because of the unique tearing sound it made—a result of its extremely high rate of fire. The Germans called the MG42 Hitlersäge or “Hitler’s bone saw”—and built infantry tactics around squads of men armed with the weapon. Many military historians argue that the Maschinengewehr 42 was the best general-purpose machine gun ever. It fired up to 1,800 rounds per minute in some versions. That’s nearly twice...

In yet another move which may send shivers down the spines of law enforcement agencies around the world, while at the same time exciting techies and firearm advocates, Solid Concepts has revealed yet another 3D printed metal gun. Just under a year ago, the company, which has since been acquired by 3D printing giant Stratasys, revealed the world’s very first 3D printed metal handgun, the 1911. Although there had been a number of interesting plastic firearms 3D printed up until that time, this metal firearm was the first capable of shooting several rounds of ammunition flawlessly. In fact the original...

The foe now has four legs. But a century on, the rugged reliability and brute firepower that made the Lee-Enfield rifle the standard-issue weapon for entrenched Canadian troops during the latter half of the First World War makes it an ideal choice still for a modern group of this country’s soldiers. The Canadian Rangers — a component of the armed forces reserves — conduct sovereignty patrols and assist search and rescue missions in the Far North and in remote coastal regions across the country.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania state legislator exchanged gunfire with a would-be robber near the state Capitol in Harrisburg, city police said Wednesday. Rep. Marty Flynn and another lawmaker were walking to their residence after a late dinner with other legislators when two males accosted them and demanded their wallets just before 11 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Flynn is a former Lackawanna County prison guard who is licensed to carry a handgun. He drew his pistol and fired during the attempted holdup. At least one of the two would-be robbers was armed, police said, but neither Flynn nor the...

For nearly 30 years, soldiers heard an unforgettable sound coming from a weapon firing from behind the rubble in Stalingrad. Or echoing in the frozen hills of the Korean Peninsula during human-wave attacks. Or even rattling the jungles of Vietnam during firefights with the Viet Cong. BRRAP-PAP-PAP-PAP-PAP-PAP-PAP-PAP-PAP! Before the AK-47 became the symbol of Soviet armed forces, there was the “burp gun”—officially, the PPSh-41. It’s an ugly gun that makes an ugly sound during extended fire. Looks aside, the burp gun sure did work.

CASTAIC , Calif., A badge and pistol lost by a law enforcement officer over two decades ago was found by a fisherman in the receding waters of a drought-stricken lake. Jay Poore told KCAL that while fishing at the dam on Castaic Lake, he noticed a backpack that became exposed after a drought made water levels drop by roughly 150 feet. "As I opened it up a gun fell out," he said. "I opened the wallet and there was a badge." Poore, who has fished at the lake since the age of 2, turned in the items -- which also...

Last May, I covered the work of Defense Distributed with regard to its building of tools for individuals to 3D-print their own firearms in the post. Meet “The Liberator”: The World’s First Fully 3D-Printed Firearm, In it, I noted: 3D-printing, like decentralized crypto currencies, have the potential to change the world in which we live in extraordinary ways. Ways that are almost inconceivable at this point given we are so early in the game. More than anything else, these technologies can empower the individual like never before, and I think that is generally a very good thing. While all sixteen...

A top Secret Service agent who has regularly served on President Obama’s protective detail had his gun stolen out of his car at his house after leaving it there overnight and was never disciplined for it, according to two sources with detailed knowledge of the incident.Internal Secret Service records show that the agency reported that the agent in question lost a semi-automatic handgun in 2009, but he was never punished for it, the two sources said.At the time of the gun theft, the agent was assigned to the Secret Service’s inspection division, which collaborates with the Office of Professional Responsibility...

A criminal justice instructor at Technology Center of DuPage in Addison accidentally discharged a handgun during class Friday afternoon, striking a file cabinet and hollow wall, officials said....

An armed employee who was trying to shut down water filtration equipment at a northwest suburban water reclamation plant has been taken into custody. 911 callers reported an armed man, possibly with a hostage, trying to shut down equipment just before noon at the Fox River Water Reclamation District at 875 Dana Dr. in Elgin, according to Elgin police. Officers found the man, armed with a handgun, near the building and attempted to negotiate with him, police said. The man refused to surrender and officers used a rubber bullet, similar to a bean bag round, to incapacitate him. The man...

The owner of an Arkansas gun range has banned Muslims from visiting her facility. Calling it a "Muslim-free zone," Jan Morgan, the owner of the Gun Cave Indoor Firing Range in Hot Springs, Ark., said she will no longer allow Muslims on the premises. "Why would I want to rent or sell a gun and ammunition to someone who aligns himself with a religion that commands him to kill me?" Morgan wrote in a blog post that has since been removed from her website. Several media outlets reported on the post before it was deleted, including The Blaze. Morgan cited...