A retired Los Angeles police officer who sued a gun maker after his 3-year-old son shot him had his lawsuit dismissed Friday by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.

Enrique Chavez, now 39, of Anaheim, was off-duty when he was shot on July 11, 2006, while driving his Ford Ranger near Harbor Boulevard and La Palma Avenue. His son, who was not in a car seat, got a hold of the father’s .45-caliber Glock while sitting in the back seat and shot him in the back, according to police reports.

Full Story – HERE

Terrible thing to have happen.  I’m sure he thought he’d win the lawsuit… but I’m glad he didn’t, that would have set a terrible precedent that would only further inconvience responsible gun owners like the rest of us.  Last thing I want is more safeties and warnings all over my guns.

Just goes to show how you need to keep your guns secured around kids because things could go bad in a split second.

This blog is no stranger to the Tactical Kilt… I posted some pictures about a year ago and my thoughts still remain the same.

I actually forgot they existed until last Sunday’s episode of Top Shot (S01E06 – Wild Wild West) where former British Army Captain Iain Harrison had one on for the first half of the show:

It was both surprising and disappointing that no on camera kilt jokes were made.

At least they didn’t have to watch him shoot prone.  LOL

Since there is going to be at least one more season of the reality TV series Top Shot on the History Channel, I have decided I will award this illustrious title once per season:

The Top Douchebag award is basically for displaying excellence in the field of douchebaggery. Some may say that I  jumped the gun on this award seeing as Top Shot is only 5 episodes in…. well to that I say “My award my rules”.  If you have seen episode 5 you’ll probably agree that Adam set the douchebag bar pretty high.  If someone steps their game up and out douches him I wouldn’t hesitate revoke Adam’s title and give it to a more deserving contestant.

If you didn’t already dislike Adam Benson enough, he is quoted saying “I am the last great American Hero” not only in his Biography on the Top Shot website, but those exact words also come straight from the douches mouth in the original promo video.

It’s really too bad that my fellow gun blogger Caleb is no longer on the show. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, and he should be proud of the way he conducted himself.

Very anticlimactic:

Not to mention the fact that it was a shitty shot.  I think a lot of people over estimate their shooting ability when making videos like this. Who knows how far back he was?  Obviously too far, considering he hit the phone in the bottom right corner.

I think if I was going to destroy a $300 phone I’d at least have a few different camera angles.

According to the description in the video, the rifle used was a Barrett M82A1:

The 39-year-old victim was walking down the street when he realized he had been shot. The bullet knocked a tooth out, but did not penetrate the man’s mouth and he was able to spit the bullet out, Kubiak said.

Full Story – HERE

I wonder what caliber it was, and it the shot was intended for him, or if he caught a ricochet?

The .45 caliber fanboys are going to claim it was definitely a 9mm

A fact some of you may find interesting… when 50 cent was shot 9 times on April 24, 2000 by an assailant armed with a 9mm handgun, one of the shots went through his left cheek and knocked his wisdom tooth out.  His voice has had a distinct slur ever since.

Made of equal parts Plastic, Awesome, and WIN:

Looks like an interesting way to make a mess at parties. It’s good they didn’t make it look much like a real gun, so there would never be any confusion.

LOL at the Negligent Discharge at 26 seconds, and the girl who gets it directly in the eyes at the end of the video.

The only link I can find where you could supposedly purchase this amazing creation is dead!

You could maybe settle with this $25 Revolver Liquor Dispenser from Amazon (pictured above right).

According to a FOX news article today on security, hackers can aim a Bluetooth sniffing gun at you from long range and tap into your cellphone.

Full story – HERE

Yes, adding a stock to anything increases the stability of it, but If I saw someone pointing one of these things at me from a distance i’d be seeking cover not making assumptions and remarking “oh those crazy Bluetooth sniffers, up to their same old antics”

Photo evidence of why it looks like a good way to get shot by the police:

Read the rest of this entry »

The DARPA “One Shot” program at the Pentagon was originally aimed to give snipers the power to hit a target from 2000 meters away in winds as high as 40 miles per hour. In the first phases of the 3-year-old program, shooters used prototype rifles dressed with lasers and fancy computer hardware to do damage from 1,100 meters away in 18-mile-an-hour winds. The scope-mounted lasers can “see” wind turbulence in the path of the bullet and feed the data to computers, enabling real-time calculation of — and compensation for — the wind-blown trajectory. The agency is looking for 15 ultra precise sniper scopes to put in shooters’ hands by next year.

Full Story – Wired

More info at DARPA – HERE

I wonder when this will be coming to the consumer market?   On second thought, hitting the target every time with no effort would completely take the fun out of shooting.

The article in Wired mentions the cost at $7 million…. that seems like a steal of a deal if they can actually get this type of system to work for that amount of money.  A lot of lives potentially will be saved.

Chicago, IL – Police say the four suspects had pulled up to the home of officer Thomas Wortham’s parents at 85th Street and South King Drive in the Chatham neighborhood about 11:30 p.m. and tried to steal the motorcycle that Wortham had recently bought himself as a coming home present. He had just served his second tour of duty in Iraq.

The father grabbed his gun and came to the aid of his son, who had announced that he was a police officer, sources said. In the exchange of gunfire, Wortham was shot several times and two of the suspects were wounded, authorities said. Retired police officers are allowed to keep guns, officials said.

Full Story – HERE

Absolutely terrible

I don’t know how Daley thinks banning guns is going to prevent situations like this.  This goes without saying… but criminals will always be criminals.

I’m glad his Dad was there to put a few holes in at least 2 of the suspects anyway.  Not that that is any sort of acceptable trade off for losing a son.

A 50-year-old man was mistaken for a target and accidentally shot during an exercise at Gunsite Academy’s training facility in Paulden Arizona, authorities said.

Full Story – HERE
 
OOPS… Somebody needs new glasses! That’s a negligent discharge at its finest.  According to the article the man is is “good” condition, hopefully he recovers quickly.

I wonder what caliber he got hit with? There are a lot of important things in the abdomen, it’s a miracle he is still alive.

An armored, 4-door, 4-wheel drive, 6.0 turbo diesel truck capble of running on JP-8 and other military fuels. This Non-Standard Tactical Truck (NSTT) can be internally transported in a CH / MH 47 helicopter. Built from the ground-up with the intent of being armored and operating in unforgiving terrain, the NSTT can operate in any denied environment.

Looks like a capable truck, that’s for sure. The suspension looks to be a bit soft, especially on the track at the 1 minute mark.  I suppose they likely go with a standard style suspension and try to make it decent on most terrain, rather than a complex adjustable one that would be a pain to repair.

The big WTF point in the video is at 1:09 when two guys are in the truck taking live fire from an AK-47. Like Solomon mentioned in his post, why the hell would you do that?  I get the fact that you are confident in your product, but really?? Putting a camera inside would have sufficed.  I’m surprised those guys agreed to something so stupid.

Hat Tip: Solomon

That’s a good look for the Prius!

It must be for a movie or something, because the car has New York plates on it.  We all know guns are banned in NYC, so there is no way that could have happened in the wild.

In each episode, contenders will face team and elimination challenges inspired by real events in history, from Wild West shootouts to modern-day sniper missions. Every challenge will reveal the weapons, technologies and tactics of a different era, while hi-speed HD cameras capture the skillful execution of each test with breathtaking precision in extreme slow-motion. One contestant will emerge with a $100,000 prize package and the title of “Top Shot.”

By the look of the trailer, some of the competitors seem to be cocky bastards, so it should be entertaining enough to see their egos taken down a notch. Just like survivor, I’ll be rooting for the person that keeps their attitude in check, and can win and lose graciously.

The series starts June 6th at 10 pm on the History Channel.

The Bushmaster ACR is sure a nice looking rifle, I just can’t stomach the price tag.

Check out the videos for the field strip and overview:

Your iPhone IPSC Shot Timer Options:

IPSC Timer – $4.99

Taurus Timer – FREE

Shot Timer Pro – $18.99

SureFire Shot Timer – FREE

I haven’t tried any of these apps, but $18.99 for the Shot Timer Pro is a ridiculous price for an iPhone app, and judging buy the website it has little to no advantages over the free ones.

The SureFire shot timer definitely looks like the best option to try out first, before spending any money.

Four people were shot and 54 were arrested in New York’s Times Square late Sunday night in an Easter melee some fear was gang-related.

Hundreds of New York City police officers worked to contain the violence, making dozens of arrests and stopping pedestrians to look for weapons, the New York Post reported. One police officer was injured in the knee as he tried to stop the ruckus. A couple of hours later, two more women were shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, The Associated Press reported.

Full Story – HERE

Ironic, considering how strict gun laws in NYC are.

Since Easter violence seems to be a yearly occurrence in New York City’s Times Square, it would be socially responsible for the tourist information places to warn visitors.  My guess is they don’t though.  Getting shot would sure put a damper on the rest of a persons holiday.

Lakeland, Florida – A Lakeland Police Department civilian employee accidentally shot himself through the hand Friday while handling an officer’s gun, police said.

When Waterman parked outside the police station and went inside to use the restroom, Ramirez took the officer’s department-issued back-up gun, a .45-caliber glock, out of the car’s glove box.

He was looking at the gun when it accidentally fired, shooting him through the hand, police said.

Full Story – HERE

If there is one thing I hate, it’s when guns decide to shoot when you’re just looking at them *sarcasm*

Birmingham, Alabama – A  man angry at his girlfriend fired 15 rounds at her Monday night.

Stephen Gafford, 43, missed but some of the bullets hit too close for comfort. Investigators recovered seven .22-caliber projectiles from the lining of the woman’s purse, said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Randy Christian.

The victim, whose name wasn’t released, went to the sheriff’s Forestdale substation to report the assault. She told authorities she and her boyfriend got into an argument about him smoking crack.

He began punching her in the face, and then opened fire with a rifle. Her purse was slung over her shoulder when it was peppered with the seven shots.

She got away and went to the substation.

Gafford is charged with attempted murder and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held in the county jail on $26,000 bond.

Source – HERE

Wow sounds like an outstanding guy.   No I did not photoshop his picture.

The article says he used a .22 caliber rifle,  so it’s probably safe to assume it was the ubiquitous .22LR rimfire cartridge.  Even so, it must have been a thick purse!  I’ve shot through some fairly strong stuff with .22LR.

That goon deserves everything bad coming his way.  Glad to hear his girlfriend is unscathed; I hope she has enough sense to leave him after this incident.

You’ve heard of the movie How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days?  I present to you:

Seems like overnight, The Bushmaster ACR is now available to the public.

A search of gunbroker results in 3 auctions where.  All of which are currently under $3000.

I even watched one end earlier today for $2800 (HERE)

The big question on my mind is, now that the Bushmaster ACR seems to be readily available… what is going to happen with Jesse James’ rifle?

He is the guy that won the first ACR in a silent auction (Details Here) then proceeded to put it up on gunbroker with a starting bid of $8500… only to have it bid up to its current price of $16000.  There are 2 days and 21 hours left in his 14 day auction, and the reserve still isn’t met.

Oh what a difference 2 weeks can make.  All I can say is that I hope he had some sort contract with that wealthy private collector, because otherwise he really shit the bed on this one.   I guess if worse comes to worse he can always just keep the rifle and his unfortunate lesson in economics.

I think Jesse follows the blog, because he commented on the last post.  Hopefully he can chime in and let us know what the deal is.

You’d think that since Russians apparently invented the stupid “game”, they would know how it works.

You can’t put one round in the magazine of an autoloader, and not expect it to fire after you rack the slide and pull the trigger.

Full Story – HERE

After watching the video, this is how I believe it went down:

20 seconds – Guy #1 is carrying the gun (a Makarov PM) in some type of small (pocket?) holster.

23 seconds – Guy #1 removes holster and throws it onto the table.

24 seconds – Guy #1 pretends to load the gun by racking the slide, but only pulls it back slightly, so no bullet chambers.

29 seconds – You can tell that Guy #1 does not pull the trigger.  The sound you hear is likely him clicking the slide mounted safety off.

32 seconds – Guy #1 racks the slide and puts a round into the chamber.

35 seconds – Guy #2 pulls trigger and discharges round into his head, as 2 of the onlookers realize he does not know the “click the safety for the sound” trick 

I would never in a million years consider doing anything so stupid with a gun. “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes” as they say.

As usual, Jeff Cooper‘s rules apply here.. most relevant are #1 and #2:

1. All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)
3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.
4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.

Hat Tip: SayUncle