Stopping 'common citizens' from having guns

Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | 05 apr 09 | Vin Suprynowicz

[rellimpank]

John Browning's Model 1911 pistol, an engineering wonder for its day, still serves as a design platform for much modern pistolsmithing. Old examples, especially with military markings, are now highly prized on the collector market, where they can bring hundreds or even thousands of dollars each.

Yet 16 years ago, early in the Clinton administration, the politicians declared our government would no longer sell into the civilian after-market pistols being retired from military armories.

Instead, "Guns & Ammo" magazine reported in 1996 that since Bill Clinton took office in 1992 the government had resumed for the first time in 15 years the destruction by shredding of "obsolete" firearms including 110,000 .45-caliber pistols and 30,000 M-1 Garands -- the magnificent semi-auto battle rifle that defeated Adolf Hitler.

Destruction of the weapons -- some valued by collectors at up to $6,000 apiece -- "continues at a rate of about 3,000 guns per day," the magazine reported. "Even assuming an unrealistically low value of $200 per gun, more than $60 million of historic collectibles has been reduced to worthless scrap."

Despite ongoing federal deficits, the Clintons and their cronies decided to turn irreplaceable pieces of historic American engineering into a couple of bucks worth of crushed or melted steel, useful only for manhole covers.

[muir_redwoods]

It's a shame that fine old weapons, many with heroic provenance, are being withheld from the hands of those that paid for them.

That being said, only a fool waits for the government to give him the means to face that government as an equal.

Get your own and do so damned quick.

[henry_reardon]

I purchased a “correct grade” M1 from CMP a couple of years ago and it is a work of art. Shame I lost it in a tragic boating accident.

[Condor51]

... since Bill Clinton took office in 1992 the government had resumed for the first time in 15 years the destruction by shredding of "obsolete" firearms including 110,000 .45-caliber pistols..

Billy-Jeff should have been impeached just for that.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Good editorial. Here’s hoping that the 1911 is one day added back to the CMP inventory. Of course if America ever becomes a truly free country we can hope to add Thompson, M3 Grease Gun, BAR and other fine shootable military antiques to the list.

He also has a good blog which I have just added to my “stuff I read” list.

www.vinsuprynowicz.com

[Leisler]

Then need the metal for handcuffs and leg shackles for the coming American peasantry.

[epow]

Obamanation has been in office less that 2 months and already we have seen the feds try to stop production of affordable .223 ammo which didn't succeed and reinstate the ban on guns in national parks which did succeed thanks to a liberal federal judge. That's just the tip of the iceberg that the gun hating left is counting on Obamanation and the liberal Democrat Congress to put into law in the next four years, or much sooner if they can. These two acts so early in the new administration should put all gun owners on notice that we are in the fight of our lives to keep our 2nd Amendment rights as long as a Democrat is in the White House and the left has a majority in Congress.

As unlikely as it would have seemed just a few years ago, the federal judiciary may be our best hope for legally keeping our guns as long as the Democrats hold the other two branches of government. But that all depends on the four originalist Justices, and they must have Kennedy voting with them, which isn't a comforting thought. I believe the Heller decision would have been a much stronger affirmation of ALL the rights guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment if the four originalists had not had to compromise with Kennedy to get his vote. As it is we got an affirmation of the amendment as the guarantor of an individual right instead of a corporate right of the states as most courts had held prior to Heller, and that's a major step in the right direction. But the bulk of restrictive anti-gun laws now on the books at every level from the federal government to state legislatures to the city councils of thousands of cities and towns were not addressed by Heller and are still in force. If one of the four originalist Justices or Kennedy leaves the court for any reason during the next four years, and very possibly 8 years, Obama will appoint an anti-gun liberal to take his place. If that happens Heller will be reversed as soon as the new Court accepts another 2nd Amendment case and the door will be wide open for the most extreme anti-gun laws this side of the UK.

That means that the health and safety of the five Justices who upheld Heller is the only thing standing between the gungrabbing Democrat majority and our RKBA. Every gun owner in the US, as well as Americans who don't own guns but want their Constitutional rights secured, should be praying to God every day for the health and safety of the Justices who upheld Heller just as we pray for members of our own families.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

******Instead, “Guns & Ammo” magazine reported in 1996 that since Bill Clinton took office in 1992 the government had resumed for the first time in 15 years the destruction by shredding of “obsolete” firearms including 110,000 .45-caliber pistols and 30,000 M-1 Garands — the magnificent semi-auto battle rifle that defeated Adolf Hitler. ******

The machine was refered to as “Captain Crunch”.

Back in the 1950’s, and before that travesty the 1968 Gun Control Act, you could buy a gun through the mail. It would then be shipped to your door.

You could also get “demilled” firearms that had been welded back together. I have such an M-1 Garand and have put many a shell through it w/o any problems.

Now you can get still get rifles from the CMP. No handguns though.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

**** the Clintons and their cronies decided to turn irreplaceable pieces of historic American engineering into a couple of bucks worth of crushed or melted steel, useful only for manhole covers.***

I remember an old STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO episode in which an “evil” gun on the loose kills lots of people then, when captured, is melted down for man hole cover.

[MarkL]

But in addition to that, in each of these two examples those in power in Washington proved willing and eager to abandon that fiduciary responsibility because of what they see as a more important goal.

This should be no surprise at all to anyone. The leftists' agenda is the most important goal, screw anything else. When Obama admitted in public (his interview with BOR) that he knew that lowering taxes would increase government revenues, and raising taxes would reduce them, he stated flat out that it didn't matter: He was going to try to raise taxes for "fairness." So this shouldn't be any surprise either. Anything to reduce the availability of firearms or ammunition to law abiding citizens, no matter what the cost to the taxpayer.

Mark

[mad_as_he$$]

While at the gun show yesterday I noticed a 1911 in military dress. It had very low serial numbers. The guy was asking $10,000 fro it and had several interested buyers. The thing was in excellent shape for being 90 years old

[mad_as_he$$]

“There is no such thing as a dangerous weapon, only dangerous people...” ~ Robert Heinlein

[Oatka]

Back in the 1950’s, and before that travesty the 1968 Gun Control Act, you could buy a gun through the mail. It would then be shipped to your door.

Wow, you triggered a deja vu moment there! I remember ordering a 32 Cadet Martini rifle from Ye Olde Hunter in California. It came wrapped in newspaper and wired to a piece of 1x6 - in New York City no less. He was also advertising 45 cal Danish Rolling Blocks and Boys "50 cal" anti-tank rifles. (They were really illegal 55 cals, but nobody cared then.)

Oh, for thr Good Old Days!

[omega4179]

They could be melted down and made into SUVs that are 1000 times more likely to kill somebody.

[goat granny]

Also back in the 50’s those kids in the ROTC brought their own guns to school on the day they had practice...guns haven’t changed society has...too bad......

[SuperLuminal]

"I purchased a “correct grade” M1 from CMP a couple of years ago and it is a work of art. Shame I lost it in a tragic boating accident"

Yep! It's amazing how many people have had tragic losses of their firearms through natural or un-natural disasters.

For me, it was hurricane Isabel's 5-foot surge at high tide up the Chesapeake Bay that caused my tragic firearms losses.

[wastedyears]

Don’t forget the M4A1, M16, M60E, M2, stuff like that...