Articles by Herschel Smith

We’re beginning to see the effects of the pistol brace rule.  Per reddit/Firearms, this report.

Range USA is refusing to transfer a pistol with a brace. They stated it comes up as a class 3 item in the system when they file with the ATF, so taking off the brace will not make the firearm eligible for transfer.

They stated the rule was effective 1/13/23, but it’s not in the federal register as of this moment.

Since the rule isn’t in effect yet it’s not apparent to me why anyone is “filing anything with the ATF.”  This should be a routine transfer.

Nonetheless, assuming the veracity of this report, the ATF is already interfering with interstate commerce and having averse effects on businesses.  They are also managing to choke an entire industry and errect roadblocks to an entire category of weapons in America.

All by design, of course.

Here is the report.

I say parenthetically and the Northern U.S. because an imaginary boundary line won’t stop them.

You know they’re already in the Northern states.  See, you thought that hogs were a Southern problem, an issue only Georgia, Texas, S.C., Mississippi and Louisiana had to deal with.

You’d be wrong about that.  They reproduce faster than lethal removal can take them out, they’ll adapt to their surroundings, they’ll dig up the ecosystem to the point it looks like a rototiller came through, they’ll kill indigenous game, and they’ll come after humans too.

If you live up there, get your rifles ready.  Oh, Canada won’t let you have those.  Too bad.  If you live in the rest of the U.S., get your rifles ready.

That goes for Alaska too.  There aren’t enough bears to kill them all.

Source.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in a New York case seemed to pry open Hawaii’s de facto ban on concealed carry. It’s also spurring new legislative proposals.

The Honolulu Police Department is asking lawmakers to create a new misdemeanor offense for negligent concealment of a firearm.

“Having an improperly concealed firearm can cause alarm to people in the area and will result in 911 calls, burdening first responder resources,” the department wrote in the preamble to House Bill 119.

Hawaii County passed an ordinance limiting where a firearm can be carried. Honolulu is considering a similar measure. But the Legislature could enact a “sensitive places” bill that would cover the whole state.

“We never really had to worry about sensitive places because there were so few permits given to carry outside the home if you weren’t hunting,” Senate Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads said.

Six hundred concealed gun permits were pending in Honolulu as of November. Just a few dozen concealed permits were issued on other islands, KHON2 reported.

Senate Bill 121, introduced by Sen. Glenn Wakai, would create statewide limitations on where people can carry concealed weapons. Under the bill, guns would be banned in the following areas:

• Government controlled buildings, excluding firing ranges, dwelling units and areas in buildings being used for gun shows.
• Hospitals, medical facilities, medical offices and medical clinics.
• Churches or religious assemblies.
• Public parks or recreational grounds.
• Child care facilities.
• Schools.
• Shelters, including those for homeless or juveniles.
• Universities.
• Public transportation and transit terminals.
• And “any gathering of individuals to collectively express their constitutional rights to protest or assemble.”

The Honolulu PD is just mad and they’re pissing in the fruit loops with an antiquated and outdated law.

The legislature is just being who they are, i.e., communists.  It’ll be nice to see all of this struck down when the supreme court gets the final ruling from the 2nd circuit and beats them up over it.

If indeed that happens.

We need Bruen Part II to remind the lower courts that they really meant what they said.

Source.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced a series of proposed gun laws Monday in a state already considered one of the strictest for firearms ownership, including a statewide ban on open carrying expected to draw strong opposition from gun rights supporters.

Lamont revealed his latest plans to curb gun violence during a news conference in Waterbury with fellow Democrats, including Attorney General William Tong and mayors of the state’s largest cities, as well as state and local law enforcement officials.

Lamont and other officials said the legislation, which also includes new registration requirements for ghost guns and monthly limits on handgun purchases, is needed to help curb rising gun violence and crack down on illegal firearms around the state. Hartford, for example, recorded 39 murders in 2022, the most in two decades.

“That sense of anxiety and fear that many people sense — it doesn’t do us any good to say we’re in one of the safest states in the country … and people don’t feel safe,” Lamont said. “Over this last tough few years, the shootings are up. They’re up across the country. They’re up in our state.”

The governor’s proposals include a ban on the currently legal open carrying of firearms, while still allowing concealed carrying; limiting handgun purchases to one per month to discourage bulk purchases and illegal sales; and spending an additional $2.5 million on community anti-violence programs.

Tell us how many crimes were committed combined with open carrying of firearms?

This is a solution in search of a problem.  There is no problem – the problem is fake.  The perceived problem is that people feel unsafe.  People feel unsafe because you’ve funded the evisceration of the inner city with SNAP, subsidies and welfare, destroying the family in the process, and causing the corollary increase in crime.  People can’t defend themselves, or so you think.  You need more open carriers, not fewer.  And you need to fire progressive DAs who prosecute people who defend themselves.

That’ll fix the problems.

Following what appears to be a terrible flaw in the pistol brace rule that will entrap gun owners, this report comes to us concerning another consequence of what they’ve said.  What a terrible mess, all by design.

This lawyer makes another relevant and disturbing point.

Article 1, Section 9, paragraph 3 of the U.S. Constitution says this: “No Bill of Attainder or ex-post facto Law will be passed.”

I guess what the constitution says isn’t important anymore.

Apparently some LEOs don’t like it because their Ox is being gored.  It would be nice if they would step up based on principle rather than expedience.  So, go cry me a river unless until you step up and do the right thing regardless of the effect on you.

Outdoor Life.

Holosun is known for making reliable, affordable red dots, and their new line of red dots is designed for use after dark. There’s a digital night vision model and two thermal models (standard and high definition).

They optics have a small footprint, a little larger than their AEMS, and are affordable compared to competitive offerings. The night vision optics will be about $1,000, and offer a 1024×768 resolution digital night vision sensor with up to 60 fps. They’ll also have features like 8x digital zoom, video recording, and are powered by two 18350 rechargeable batteries.

The DRS-TH Pro is the high-definition thermal red dot, and it will have a 384×288 resolution with white hot, black hot, highlight, outline and fusion display. The high-definition thermal will be around $2,300. For comparison, Steiner makes a thermal red dot that will set you back $7,500. The bad news is that these new optics aren’t available yet and you likely won’t be able to buy one until the end of the year.

They’re taking a smart approach to the product.  They are overlaying the thermal image over their red dot.  This will be effective for not only night hunting of game like hogs, but for home defense as well.

For $1000.  I see it coming now.  Lawsuits brought by Trijicon and Steiner and whomever else wants to join.  “We thought of it first and wanted to patent it but they beat us to it, we don’t want that product to be legal in the U.S.”

For companies that jack their prices up out of reach to the ordinary citizen and go whoring after military and LE contracts, this is the first reaction.  It all pays for their boats and college for their children, don’t you know.

On the other hand, companies like Holosun keep building products people want for a reasonable price.

New @holosunoptics Thermal (DMS-TH) spotted today. Check out how it overlays! You can have the thermal off and simply use it as a red dot sight, or turn on and have the thermal overlay the live image. Estimated launch late 2023. #shotshow2023 #thermal pic.twitter.com/vY8LagGBc8

— Top Shot Dustin (@TopShotDustin) January 19, 2023

It’s good to see both the demand and response by Ruger/Marlin. It’s good that the 30-30 is finally coming out. I expect they’ll be scarce as hen’s teeth for a while.

He says it’s the best combat shotgun available.  I agree.

Recoil.

NEW from Sightron comes their first 40mm main tube optic!

While 34mm and 35mm have become standards in the industry, rarely is a 40mm tube seen. The SVIII from Sightron comes with ED glass, their ExacTrack W&E System, multi-coated lens, and a ton more features.

It’s a 5X40 with a 40mm tube.  It will sell for $2900.

Maybe I’m underestimating your prowess as a hunter, but it seems to me the only people who can use a scope like that are professional snipers.

How about this idea instead.  Build robust and durable scopes with a large tube for good light and clear glass for a reasonable price?  Comparatively few people live in an area where they will need 40X magnification.  Except for maybe .50BMG, what cartridge would be effective on game at a distance where you need 40X magnification?

BLUF.  Your form has 88 days before it turns sour and gets automatically rejected.  In other words, it times out.  The ATF can’t complete approvals at their normal pace in < 88 days, much less with millions of gun owners submitting forms for SBRs.  When your forms time out, it creates enforcement action for the ATF since you now have an unapproved SBR, for which you have sent your name, pictures, address, SS # and virtually every other piece of identifying information. Read that again. ENFORCEMENT ACTION.

It’s a trap.