A couple of weeks ago, after observing a gun in the background of one of her videos, I sent a message to TokenLibertarianGirl asking for a video on the Second Amendment. Here it is:
Notice that she's replaced the pistol grip on her Mossberg 500 for a regular stock for better control. That's gun nerd talk right there. Crashing her pad is probably a career limiting move.
It looks like Julie is starting to get quite a following. It shouldn't be a surprize why.
And from the comments: "Gun's don't kill people. Drug cartels armed by our government kill people."
Monday, October 31, 2011
Bloomberg the Carpetbagger
He is donating to a couple of anti-gun Virginia state house candidates. They are John Miller, Mark Herring, Toddy Puller, Dave Marsden and George Barker. Here is the break-down:
- Miller is up against NRA AQ-rated Mickey Chohany (R)
- Herring is up against NRA AQ-rated Patricia Phillips (R)
- Puller is up against NRA A-rated Jeffrey M. Frederick (R)
- Marsden is up against NRA AQ-rated Jason Flanary (R)
- Barker is up against NRA AQ-rated Miller Baker (R).
Each one of Bloomberg's lackeys is a Democrat and an incumbent. Of the opponents, only Frederick as an actual pro-gun voting record, the rest are rated AQ meaning they answered the NRA's questionnaire very favorably but the NRA has nothing else to go on. And the NRA-PVF is only endorsing Frederick and Chohany.
For Marsden this will be his first full-term run, having been elected during a special election and filling a vacancy. He is also the wet noodle that wet his pants over the new air-gun laws, stating that he would go before the Fairfax Board of Supervisors to show support against the laws... a protest that fizzled completely as none of the anti-gun crowd showed up including Marsden himself.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
NoVA Dems Show Their Extremism
The Washington Post notest that Northern Virginian Democrats are planning to attack their opponents on their support for the 2nd Amendment. With polls showing support for anti-gun issues at an all-time low in this country, with only 26% supporting a handgun ban, it is fair to paint these Democrats as extremists. Democrats and progressives like to call Republicans "extremists" for taking positions that do not have a majority mindshare in other areas of politics, so the accusation here is appropriate by their standards. Democrats, or any politician(*), supporting anti-rights policies counter to the Second Amendment are extremists. (*Let us not forget that there are Republicans in this camp.)
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Has Failed Gun Control Doomed Big Government
Two interesting stories on gun control surfaced this week. First it looks like Canada is scrapping their long gun registry, which was plagued by egregious cost overruns and no clear evidence of effectiveness. Second, Gallup polling now shows the lowest support ever for gun bans (26% for a handgun ban), including a new low for an "assault weapons" ban.
The fact that American attitudes toward firearms have become more favorable shouldn't be surprizing, however the underlying rationale should be. Gallup notes the pro-gun attitude doesn't seem to be related to any perception in the increase of crime or even a significant increase in firearms ownership. They can only guess the reasons but do note "Americans may also be moving toward more libertarian views", citing increased support for marijuana legalization. I don't know what Gallup trends on attitudes towards gay marriage, but I'll lay bets that more Americans have a positive view toward it than anytime in the past.
Now let us look at Canada, a nation many proponents of big American government claim we need to emulate. From the linked editorial, it would appear the disastrous long registry is just one of many perceived government overreaches. Hmmm... are Canadians becoming more libertarian too?
So have Americans become more pro-gun because Americans have become more libertarian? No, that's probably backwards: Americans are becoming more libertarian because of their attitudes on guns... and marijuana and gay marriage and.... That's my theory, anyway. When state gun control laws started to become less strict over the pass two decades, the government-knows-best, gun control proponents always screamed about "blood in the streets." Except that never happened. In fact, crime has been going down as gun laws have been liberalized. Maybe Americans are thinking, "If the government-knows-best types are tragically wrong about gun control, what else could they be seriously mistaken about?"
The fact that American attitudes toward firearms have become more favorable shouldn't be surprizing, however the underlying rationale should be. Gallup notes the pro-gun attitude doesn't seem to be related to any perception in the increase of crime or even a significant increase in firearms ownership. They can only guess the reasons but do note "Americans may also be moving toward more libertarian views", citing increased support for marijuana legalization. I don't know what Gallup trends on attitudes towards gay marriage, but I'll lay bets that more Americans have a positive view toward it than anytime in the past.
Now let us look at Canada, a nation many proponents of big American government claim we need to emulate. From the linked editorial, it would appear the disastrous long registry is just one of many perceived government overreaches. Hmmm... are Canadians becoming more libertarian too?
So have Americans become more pro-gun because Americans have become more libertarian? No, that's probably backwards: Americans are becoming more libertarian because of their attitudes on guns... and marijuana and gay marriage and.... That's my theory, anyway. When state gun control laws started to become less strict over the pass two decades, the government-knows-best, gun control proponents always screamed about "blood in the streets." Except that never happened. In fact, crime has been going down as gun laws have been liberalized. Maybe Americans are thinking, "If the government-knows-best types are tragically wrong about gun control, what else could they be seriously mistaken about?"
VCDL at Va Tech
So the campus organization sponsoring the VCDL for the upcoming pro-carry protest is the Libertarians. Imagine my surprize that it is not the Young Republicans.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
400 And Counting
According to the Gun Blog Black List, there are now over 400 gun blogs!
Kinda makes breakin' into it to become the next Uncle or Sebastian difficult, but that really shouldn't be the aim of a new gun blog. Personally, I'd want to have the fun like JB Miller, the stories and experience like Old NFO, the smarts and fortitude like CTone, and the wit like Thunderbolt. It's a big gun blogiverse kids... get out there and read!
Kinda makes breakin' into it to become the next Uncle or Sebastian difficult, but that really shouldn't be the aim of a new gun blog. Personally, I'd want to have the fun like JB Miller, the stories and experience like Old NFO, the smarts and fortitude like CTone, and the wit like Thunderbolt. It's a big gun blogiverse kids... get out there and read!
Virginia Democrats Shooting Their Own Pro-Gun Candidate
According to this Washington Post article, Virginia House Democrats are looking to demote their House leader, Ward Armstrong, because he's pro-life and pro-gun. Democrats have tried to claim they are the party of the "big tent" and Republicans are extremists, but this seems to paint a different picture.
Just examining the pro-gun side, we see that the names they are putting up to replace him are Sickles, Toscano, Surovell and Englin. With the exception of Englin, all are NRA F-rated... and even then, Englin only gets a C-. Armstrong, on the other hand, is NRA A-rated.
This strikes me as particularly short sighted. Gun rights groups in Virginia take much larger aim at the Senate races and not the House races because the Virginia House of Delegates doesn't play the parliamentary games that go on in the Senate. Turning the party leadership in the House over to somebody who would start playing those games would only give attention to Delegates who might otherwise wish to avoid this issue.
Just examining the pro-gun side, we see that the names they are putting up to replace him are Sickles, Toscano, Surovell and Englin. With the exception of Englin, all are NRA F-rated... and even then, Englin only gets a C-. Armstrong, on the other hand, is NRA A-rated.
This strikes me as particularly short sighted. Gun rights groups in Virginia take much larger aim at the Senate races and not the House races because the Virginia House of Delegates doesn't play the parliamentary games that go on in the Senate. Turning the party leadership in the House over to somebody who would start playing those games would only give attention to Delegates who might otherwise wish to avoid this issue.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
NoVA Firearms Update
The other big news is that, out of the blue, he got a call from a television production company in Los Angeles. Long story short, NoVA Firearms will be featured in an episode on a show on Spike TV. He's not allowed to say which show. Pretty cool. And that should really piss off
Friday, October 21, 2011
Got My Wish
No, not the Sig 556 (which isn't gonna happen now that my head is on straight). And no, I still don't have the Alaskan in .44. I fired up the iPod (actually iPhone) with Michael Bane's Downrange Radio podcast and it was a Bane DJ special.
Back in the day, I ran my college radio station and so I got tuned into the "alternative" music scene before it jumped the shark in the late 90's. So I have a fondness for eclectic music, which I think is really the only way to describe Michael Bane's tunes (he was a country and rock music critic once upon a time, apparently).
So if you need a podcast to listen to in the car or while mowing the lawn or whatever, I highly recommend Michael Bane's Downrange Radio.
Back in the day, I ran my college radio station and so I got tuned into the "alternative" music scene before it jumped the shark in the late 90's. So I have a fondness for eclectic music, which I think is really the only way to describe Michael Bane's tunes (he was a country and rock music critic once upon a time, apparently).
So if you need a podcast to listen to in the car or while mowing the lawn or whatever, I highly recommend Michael Bane's Downrange Radio.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Attention YouTube Gun Reviewers
The gun culture in this country is certainly growing, and a significant part of that is due to new media. One very good new media source is YouTube. It is an excellent place to find reviews on firearms or instructions on disassembly and re-assembly of guns, cleaning, shooting techniques, etc.
Unfortunately, viewers have to wade through all the crap on YouTube from everybody who fancies themselves to be the next Nutnfancy... or Hickok45 or Sootch00. So as a service to all the wannabe gun gurus on YouTube, here is the Top 10 YouTube Gun Review Video Making Tips.
10) If you are young, white, and male please understand that you match the stereotype of the person most likely to make a shitty gun review video on YouTube. People instantly think, "Ah ha! This nerd can't get girls, therefore he plays with dangerous weapons in an attempt to boost his ego." It is therefore recommended that you read this list twice. Then look at yourself in the mirror. Then read this list once more.
9) If you have some sort of metal death thrasher music playing in the background, TURN IT THE FUCK OFF! We can't hear you, and your taste in music only impresses people of an age who cannot legally purchase firearms. Also, see #10.
8) If you are recording your video in your bedroom, and especially if you are sitting on your bed, stop doing that and read #10.
7) Yo dog! If you gots mad lip-flappin' skilz, shut up. You sound like an idiot. Use English and see #10.
6) If you are filming while wearing a wife-beater under shirt or, worse, no shirt at all, turn the camera off. See #10.
5) If you make constant references to your other videos and you are not Nutnfancy, Hickok45, Sootch00 or one of the other well-known YouTube gunnie personalities, don't expect anybody to know what the hell you are talking about. Nobody has seen those other videos, and your doing a pretty damn good job insuring things stay that way.
4) If your gun review is the first-time unboxing of a firearm that is new to you, please understand that you are boring the snot out of the rest of us. You are not the first and nor will you be the last person to unbox a new gun.
3) If you are hyper as a rabid squirrel and shooting the video free hand, please understand that you are most likely making your audience sick and not imparting a lasting favorable memory. Stop and get a tripod. Or find somebody less seizure prone to run the camera.
2) Practice what you are gonna say before turning the camera on. Write it down. And have a cheat sheet available. Nothing sucks worse than constant stammering and meandering dialog... especially if you are attempting to fill the gaps with your mad lip-flappin' skilz.
1) Run your gun. Have you ever stopped to think why Nutnfancy, Hickok45, and Sootch00 are so popular? Have you noticed they are shown shooting their guns ALL THE TIME? They have got a lot of trigger time behind their guns, and all that built up experience gives them content galore. And content, especially useful and insightful information, is what people want the most. They couldn't care less about your death metal thrash music.
Monday, October 17, 2011
A Swiss made AK
...that accepts AR-15 magazines to boot.
That would be the Sig 556.
As luck (or unluck) would have it, my quest to do business with the local gun shop by getting a Ruger Alaskan is running into troubles... mostly in that they can't put their hands on a Ruger Alaskan for a reasonable price.
In my searches for one, I somehow found that Sig 556 rifles are a bit easier to come by and are pretty good deals these days. I've always wanted a Sig 556 pistol, but those seem wildly impractical for anything other than getting kicked off the shooting range for putting holes in the ceiling. It looks like Sig has reverted to the original Swiss style stock from the Sig 550 series, which I believe solves a major complaint with the Sig 556 (the original collapsible/folding stock was wobbly apparently).
Opinions?
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| Mark Vandenberg, owner and operator of the Gun Rights Radio Network and fashionable firearms model sporting a Sig 556 SWAT rifle. |
As luck (or unluck) would have it, my quest to do business with the local gun shop by getting a Ruger Alaskan is running into troubles... mostly in that they can't put their hands on a Ruger Alaskan for a reasonable price.
In my searches for one, I somehow found that Sig 556 rifles are a bit easier to come by and are pretty good deals these days. I've always wanted a Sig 556 pistol, but those seem wildly impractical for anything other than getting kicked off the shooting range for putting holes in the ceiling. It looks like Sig has reverted to the original Swiss style stock from the Sig 550 series, which I believe solves a major complaint with the Sig 556 (the original collapsible/folding stock was wobbly apparently).
Opinions?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Thank you, Hoplophobes!
My wife read the local rag's article on the new gun store in Falls Church (it is not really new, just that the local reporters just now discovered it) and was so incensed by the bias that she gave me permission on the spot to get a new gun to help insure they stay in business.
What to get? They stock Stag Arms AR-15s, various Chinese and Russian EBR equivalents (no thanks), lots of Gaston Plastic Products (not interested), and can order pretty much anything. They had a Kriss on the wall that goes back at the end of the month if there are no takers (cool gun, but I don't get it), a Sig 1911 in stainless with custom centennial grips, and a Remington 1911R1. I suddenly have a problem that is good to have.
On Google+, my brother suggested I get a quality revolver. So I'm leaning toward a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in .44. .44 special for home defense, and .44 magnum for backpacking is what I'm thinking. It would also be my first DA, modern-style revolver.
What to get? They stock Stag Arms AR-15s, various Chinese and Russian EBR equivalents (no thanks), lots of Gaston Plastic Products (not interested), and can order pretty much anything. They had a Kriss on the wall that goes back at the end of the month if there are no takers (cool gun, but I don't get it), a Sig 1911 in stainless with custom centennial grips, and a Remington 1911R1. I suddenly have a problem that is good to have.
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| From nvader's Flickr stream. |
On Google+, my brother suggested I get a quality revolver. So I'm leaning toward a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in .44. .44 special for home defense, and .44 magnum for backpacking is what I'm thinking. It would also be my first DA, modern-style revolver.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
NoVA Firearms Moves
This week in Hoplophobe Falls Church City, NoVA Firearms moves to a bigger spot. Good for them; they needed more space.
Of course, the funny thing about moving into the Bedo's Leather building is that not only do the powers-that-be hate guns, but they once tried to squeeze Bedo's out of Falls Church too. If you look it at with street-view in Google Maps, you'll notice that Bedo's is in an old house converted into a store front... which is squeezed right between two new, mid-rise, mixed-use buildings. At one time, Bedo's attempted to cut down that big tree in front of their store but the city stopped them because the city wanted them out. We know this because years later the city approved the removal of the tree when the developer of the building to the west ask to have it removed to accommodate larger sewer taps. Bedos complained, and the developer had to reroute costing thousands of dollars.
Of course, the funny thing about moving into the Bedo's Leather building is that not only do the powers-that-be hate guns, but they once tried to squeeze Bedo's out of Falls Church too. If you look it at with street-view in Google Maps, you'll notice that Bedo's is in an old house converted into a store front... which is squeezed right between two new, mid-rise, mixed-use buildings. At one time, Bedo's attempted to cut down that big tree in front of their store but the city stopped them because the city wanted them out. We know this because years later the city approved the removal of the tree when the developer of the building to the west ask to have it removed to accommodate larger sewer taps. Bedos complained, and the developer had to reroute costing thousands of dollars.
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