This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Guns

  • Today’s feel good story

    CavRick sends a link to story with a very happy ending in Jacksonville, NC when three Marines dispatched two gentlemen who happened to be minding their own business inside the Marines’ home;

    “This was not a typical home invasion” since the residents interrupted their attackers instead of the assailants barging into an occupied home, Yaniero said, adding that there was no indication the residents knew the decedents.

    While the investigation in still in its early stages, the three residents involved are not likely to face criminal charges, authorities said.

    The residents have not been officially identified by authorities. They were transported to Onslow Memorial Hospital, treated and released. One resident, a male, had visible injures to one of his arms, which were from a shotgun blast, according to neighbors who also said one of the residents was hit in the head.

    Telecommunications traffic during police response to the incident indicated that there were four to five assailants in the house.

    NCIS isn’t identifying the Marines yet, but there seems to be no doubt that the two gentlemen who have since gone to the arms of their Lord meant harm to the Marines. There seems to be an inevitable end for criminals in Jacksonville;

    The shooting marked the second time in a week an occupant has killed an alleged intruder in Onslow County.

    And there’s not much sympathy in the community for these two gentlemen;

    Neighbors have rallied behind the residents, saying they would have done the same thing.

    Of course, according to the article, the community is made up of current and retired Marines. Bad choice for criminals, actually.

    Well, I don’t know if it’s a feel good story for you, but I feel better that two criminals and potential murderers have left this world to meet their eternity.

  • Guns are like shoe lifts – they make you look taller

    The LA Times writes about a study funded by the Air Force that reports holding a gun makes men look two inches taller than someone holding a household tool;

    In one round of the experiment involving 628 viewers, the researchers found that men whose hands held a .357-caliber handgun were thought to be almost 5 feet, 10 inches — more than 2 inches taller than men whose hands held a caulking gun.

    Men with drills were also on the higher end of the height and strength scale — perhaps because of viewers’ estimates of the strength it would take to hold a drill — but they were still judged to be about half an inch shorter than the gun toters.

    To make sure the viewers were not simply judging based on the weight of the objects, the researchers ran another test using a paintbrush, a kitchen knife and a squirt gun. Even though for some reason the viewers associated the kitchen knife more with women and the paintbrush more with men, the kitchen knife still made the holder seem bigger and stronger than either the paintbrush or the squirt gun did.

    Of course, holding a gun in bar to make yourself look taller is called “brandishing” and it’s illegal even in concealed carry states, so you should go with Timberlands or cowboy boots instead.

  • Man charged in racial profiling case

    The Chicago Tribune tells the tale of Homer Wright, an 80-year-old man who shot a young black man who was walking by his home and decided he needed a drink by climbing through Homer’s bathroom window and snatching a bottle of his booze. Homer shot the little sprite in the leg. Clearly, a black youth climbing through your window isn’t necessarily a criminal because the Chicago police have arrested Homer.

    “Here’s an 80-year-old man who’s defending himself against a teenager that’s breaking the door in … What if he didn’t have a gun? We’d be having a press conference about something very different,” [Darryl] Smith said.

    Oh, incidentally, Homer is black, too. No word on whether the impetuous youngster, Anthony Robinson, 19, was wearing a hoodie or carrying a bag Skittles.

    OK, I know it’s not a racial profiling case, but it made a better headline.

    Video report at the link. Thanks to Old Trooper for the link.

  • Who knew criminals don’t keep their promises?

    Old Trooper sent us a link yesterday to the story of an apprehension in the Fast & Furious operation to stop gun trafficking to Mexico that went horribly wrong. Apparently, the operation could have ended in 2010 with the arrest of top cartel gun smuggler, Manuel Fabian Celis-Acosta, but, well, let the LA Times tell the story;

    Detained for questioning that day in May 2010, Manuel Fabian Celis-Acosta described to agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives his close association with a top Mexican drug cartel member, according to documents obtained this weekend by the Times/Tribune Washington Bureau.

    The top Fast and Furious investigator, Special Agent Hope MacAllister, scribbled her phone number on a $10 bill after he pledged to cooperate and keep in touch with investigators.

    Then Celis-Acosta disappeared into Mexico. He never called.

    Can you imagine? A top criminal who won’t keep his word to law enforcement officials? Who would have thought such a thing could happen. Certainly not Hope MacAllister, apparently. I guess the most disturbing part of the whole thing is that we’re only hearing about this charlie foxtrot now, almost two years after it happened. It’s almost as if someone was covering it up, huh?

  • Iowa legislature Democrats go AWOL on gun rights

    John sends us a tip that Iowa Democrats walked out on their session rather than debate gun rights for Iowans. At issue, is a constitutional amendment for Iowans to bear arms and the reasonable right to defend themselves and their property with firearms. The Democrats are outnumbered 60-40.

    Other reaction has been predictable. Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky praised the House caucus have “absolutely done the right thing by refusing to allow House Republicans to misuse their power in this manner.”

    Meanwhile, Alan Gottlieb of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms blasted the Democrats for painting “themselves as the party of gun control by disappearing rather than debating” firearm civil rights of Iowa citizens.

    Apparently the “misuse of power” is having a vote on an issue that Democrats don’t want to face. Cowardice, on the other hand, is running away from the issue. If they feel strongly about the issue, they should stand and convince the other side of their merit.

  • Charges dropped against dirt killer

    As Sparky said in the comments, charges against Dennis Fleming, the man who fired into the ground to foil a burglar who was leaving his neighbor’s house, have been dropped according to MyFoxBoston;

    Felony charges against a New Hampshire man who fired a warning shot at an alleged robber have been dropped.

    Dennis Fleming’s attorney confirmed the news to MyFoxBoston.com.

    Apparently, Fleming has been getting support from around the country and even overseas;

    Dennis Fleming may not want to be the poster child, but, gun advocates from all over the county have rallied to his defense.

    He’s surprised by the support he’s gotten ever since he tracked down a burglar and fired a warning shot.

    “I know it’s touched a nerve with a lot of people. I have people come up at Walmart, and say ‘you did great I saw you on TV’, ‘I saw you in the paper’.”

    It’s nice to see the good guys win one for a change.

  • Marines close to new .45 pistol

    The Marine Corps Times reports that the Marines are about ready to name the winner of their $2.2 million contract for a new .45-caliber M45 Close Quarters Battle Pistol, for issue to Special Operations units;

    The new pistol is modeled after earlier versions of the 1911 pistol used since the 1980s by force recon units. Those weapons were called the MEU (SOC) pistol, short for Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable). The precision weapons section at Quantico’s Weapons Training Battalion has hand-assembled 1911s chambered for .45-caliber Automatic Colt Pistol ammo for years.

    It’s not clear who the competitors are but the Times article says these guys are in contention;

    Several companies submitted samples to the Corps in 2010 as part of the competition, but it is unclear who remains in contention. They included Colt Defense of Hartford, Conn., and Springfield Armory of Geneseo, Ill.

    I’m so glad to see the military move away from the Euro-wienie calibers and thug guns. I was so disappointed when, during my service, the Army scrapped the time tested .45 for the Beretta 9mm.

  • Man arrested for endangering earthworms

    OK, so maybe that’s not the charge, but those were the only living creatures endangered when Dennis Fleming, 61, of Farmington, New Hampshire came home and found his own home burglarized and saw Joseph Hebert, 27 coming out of a neighbor’s window. Fleming fired his legally-owned weapon into the ground to get Hebert’s attention and then held him for police. The police then put both men in handcuffs (Fox News link);

    Fleming…is scheduled to be arraigned March 20 on a charge of reckless conduct, which could potentially land him a sentence similar to the one Hebert faces.

    “I didn’t know it was illegal [to fire into the ground], but I had to make that guy realize I was serious,” Fleming said. “I’ve got a clean record. I really don’t want to be convicted.”

    County Attorney Tom Velardi told Foster’s Daily Democrat he will review the case and determine if the charge against Fleming is appropriate under the state statutes regarding self-defense and defense of property.

    I hope the city attorney comes to his senses and sees that Fleming made the best choice he could in that set of circumstances, and be grateful that Fleming didn’t make him prosecute a murder case instead.

    Thanks to Old Trooper for the link.