Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Second Amendment

The Remington 870 Security Shotgun

We always have fun when we go to the range on Sundays. Fun, but with some serious business thrown in – we have a security gun that we keep handy just in case of (God forbid) intruders or home invaders. It’s important that we both can handle this weapon and we regularly take it to the range for practice.

Our Remington 870 Security Shotgun meets our requirements. This gun has an eighteen inch barrel with a magazine capacity of six 12 gauge rounds plus one round in the chamber.

Sunday, Damsel took her turn with this gun as shown in the video to the right. She makes the most of the seven rounds by knocking the target off of the tee bar with the last round.

You go, girl!

I’d be glad to have her at my six with this weapon any time, baby.

PoliceOne.com had this information about the Remington security guns:

Remington 870 “Wingmaster” was introduced by Remington in 1950, and since then it has become one of the most popular USA-made pump action all-purpose shotguns. Beginning it’s life as a versatile hunting shotgun, available in many different configurations and gauges, in early 1970s the Remington 870 was adopted by US Military – in 1966 US Marine Corps purchased some thousands of the Remington 870 Mk.1 shoguns (along with Mossberg 590 and Winchester 1200). Military shotguns have extended magazines for 7 or 8 rounds, bayonet mounts, heat shields around the barrels and non-glare, protective and rust-resistant finishes.

Remington 870 also is very popular police/security shotgun, available with extended magazines (up to 8 rounds), fixed or folding butt stocks or with pistol grips. Usually, police Remington’s have 14 in. or 18 in. barrels with cylinder or improved cylinder chokes, capable of firing buckshot, slugs and special purpose munitions (tear gas grenades, non-lethal rubber bullets etc.). M870 may be equipped with rifle-style or ghost-ring (peep) sights, with tactical flashlights and lasers etc.

Technically, Remington 870 is a pump-action shotgun with dual action bars and tilting breech block, that locks directly into the barrel extension. Barrel may be swapped (changed) within minutes to fit the situation.

07 Jul 2008 by Firearms Law and Order Second Amendment

My Precious

The Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling today, that the Washington DC gun ban is unconstitutional. Five justices got it right that the constitution and the Bill of Rights are precious. So to honor the good court’s precious decision, I present you with my precious . . .

precious.jpg

26 Jun 2008 by Firearms Second Amendment

Pins and Needles

I guess that SCOTUS is saving the best for last. The Court, once again, did not announce the DC vs. Heller opinion.

The following is from ScotusBlog:

Guns is not being decided today. Last opinion coming now.

UPDATE: HELLER AFFIRMED! (6/26/2008 10:12 AM EDT)

We can now predict that in addition to Justice Scalia likely writing Heller, Justice Alito is likely writing Davis v. FEC.

The Chief Justice has announced from the courtroom that the Court will issue all of its remaining opinions tomorrow at 10 a.m. Eastern.

To recap for those watching the Heller decision, it will definitely be decided tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow, the Court will issue its remaining three decisions: Heller (DC Guns), Davis v. FEC (campaign finance), and American Electric Power (energy contracts).

Clarification: while it appears that Justice Scalia has the principle [sic] opinion in the Guns case, it is not necessarily a majority opinion. It could be a plurality opinion.

What does that last one mean? (Gulp!)

UPDATE: HELLER AFFIRMED! (6/26/2008 10:12 EDT) Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm. Justice Scalia wrote the opinion. Justice Breyer dissented, joined by Justices Stevens, Souter and Ginsburg. The vote is along idealogical lines, left and right.

25 Jun 2008 by Firearms Judiciary Law and Order Second Amendment

Man Sues Police Chief for Right-to-Carry

Glock 30David W. Spears, who lives in the city where we live has filed suit to be issued a permit to carry a concealed firearm. We’re going to watch this story as it develops since it could change our police chief’s policy for issuing CCW permits.

California has a ‘shall issue’ law on the books that assigns the issue responsibility to local law enforcement. The chief’s policy seems to conflict with California Department of Justice rules for issue.

Excerpted from the Daily Breeze:

Spears contends that when he applied for a permit in Torrance, he was issued an application form, but at the same time received a letter from the Police Department stating that “we do not have records on the issuance of any such permits, since it has been the long-standing practice of our chiefs of police not to issue such permits to citizens.”

“Defendants’ formal policy is logically and clearly intended to put a ‘false face’ on defendants’ public persona, making it appear that defendants comply with the requirements and rules of the Department of Justice and with (the) Penal Code – when they actually do not,” Spears’ lawsuit alleges.

“Instead, defendants willfully disregarded and ignored their own written policies and procedures, willfully disregarded and ignored the law, and willfully violated plaintiffs’ constitutional rights in order to deprive him of a means of self defense.”

One of several supporting documents to the lawsuit includes a letter from the state Department of Justice that states the Police Department is required to notify the agency of any license denials and retain records of those denials.

Terry A. Nelson, Spears’ attorney, said in an interview that the Police Department doesn’t follow those requirements either.

“It would be funny if it weren’t so serious, but Torrance totally acts in the concealed carry weapon permit arena in violation of federal law,” Nelson said. “I speculate that the reason they don’t is if they kept the records they’d show numerous applicants being told, ‘don’t bother'” to apply.

Spears works in an occupation where he regularly is confronted with hostility. All he wants to do is to pack his Glock subcompact .45 pistol in case one of his hostile ‘clients’ gets too rambunctious.

I don’t blame him. As I said earlier, we’re going to be watching this case.

UPDATE: Spears Drops Case Against City

Continue reading…

13 Jun 2008 by Law and Order Second Amendment

Planning Our Future Vacations

When getting ready for the annual vacation this summer, the first thing on our list of priorities is to get our Utah CCW permits. It will be for a good reason – we like to travel via other than Interstates to scenic places – and we’re getting a little older and could be seen as easy targets by those with criminal intent.

I read an article today where the problems facing older unarmed Americans is described:

Criminals like easy targets. A nice new Motor home with out-of-State plates, some friendly retired folks traveling on vacation, out of their normal environment, sounds like an easy target? Have you ever considered what you would do if you were traveling in a remote, unpopulated, unfamiliar area and your vehicle broke down or you had a tire blow out?

For some reason that expensive cellular phone plan with three bars and excellent coverage around town suddenly has a dead zone exactly where you are now stranded? What if the wrong person stopped to help you? He or she may look innocent enough, but could actually be a serious criminal predator, searching for stranded motorists in need of assistance.

The author of the article also quotes John Lott on the effect of CCW on violent crime:

John R. Lott, Jr.: Author of More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws, reveals that States with the largest increases in gun ownership also have the largest decreases in violent crimes. Thirty-eight states now have such laws – called “Shall-Issue” or “Right to Carry” laws. These laws allow adults the right to carry concealed handguns if they do not have a criminal record or a history of significant mental illness. Lott also points out that States with the most restrictive Gun Laws, such as California, New York, and Washington D.C., also have some of the highest violent crime rates in the Nation.

The Utah CCW permit is accepted by many states. When planning our vacation route, states that are candidates for where we’ll be spending our vacation dollars are shown in pink below.

ccwmap.gif

11 Jun 2008 by Firearms Second Amendment Travel

Our Day at the Gun Show

lootThis morning we took off for the gun show. We haven’t been for almost six months, and had a list of things we needed to get. Well, we scored everything on the list and then some. At the left is a montage of three items that we brought home with us today.

The first panel is a close-up of some .38 special factory reloads that we got – 500 rounds at a reasonable price. They didn’t have any 158 grain .357 reloads, so we settled for the .38 rounds – they’re only going to be used for target practice anyway.

In the next panel, something not on the list – a nice T-shirt with a warm and fuzzy message. Damsel really needed that, so we got it. They had a lot of funny and interesting T-shirts, including one that had a picture of a Harley Davidson Motorcycle and a caption that said “You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist’s office.” If I were still riding, I might have picked that one up.

On the bottom is sort of an experiment. Damsel’s Para Warthog is a bit finicky sometimes about the ammo we use – it likes new ammo better than reloads. So, we bought 500 rounds of Wolf, which is Russian-made .45 ACP ammo. I guess we’ll see how well a Canadian Pistol works with Russian cartridges. My Glock 30 doesn’t seem to care, so we bought 500 rounds of reloaded .45 ACP ammo for it.

One gentleman standing next to us at the ammo concession bought 500 rounds of .38 special wadcutters – he was complaining about how his home town had an ordinance that restricts purchases of ammo to a mere 50 rounds per month. He is from – none other than – San Francisco. Poor guy has to come 400 miles to purchase wadcutters – mostly ineffective as anything other than target rounds. The asswipes that run ‘Frisco have no clues, I guess.

It was lots of fun going to the show today. We’re looking forward to the next one in August.

07 Jun 2008 by Culture Firearms Second Amendment

Stripping the Remington 870

After today’s target practice, we did the usual strip and clean routine for all the guns. I took this photo of the Remington 870 broken down into pieces. After looking at it later, it occurred to me that this is the way they would have you store your long guns in Washington, D.C. According to the regulations there, you may own a shotgun but it must be stored disassembled while in your home.

“‘Scuse me, Mr. intruder, while I go and put my shotgun together so I can defend my home.”

parts is parts

Hopefully, the Supreme Court will rectify the D.C. gun insanity in the near future. I also am hopeful that some of that goodness will rub off on some similar gun insanity in other places, especially California.

20 Apr 2008 by Firearms Second Amendment

Categories

Archives