I am going to delve a little bit into the realm of American law. I recently read about a case “Bond V The United States” where a woman attempted to poison her husband. I will not get into the fine details here as Google is (kind of) your friend.
Although in Canada this would be a clear case of attempted murder, they chose to try her as being in violation of the Chemical Weapons Treaty. Essentially they substituted federal/state law for international law. This is still before the courts but it spells ominous things for the people of the United States. If Bond is found guilty of violating the Chemical Weapons Treaty then it sets a legal precedent for other International laws and treaties to supersede the laws of the United States. The question is, does the 10th amendment limit her legal charges to the American version of attempted murder or does the 10th amendment not hold and thus the CWT violation and other laws formed from international treaty can be pursued.
If she loses her case, any treaty can be signed and used to bypass the US Constitution and any protections it may offer. This is key.
The cowardly John Kerry recently signed a treaty regulating the sale and transfer of arms. (I think you know where I am going with this). If Bond loses, Obama will finally have the backdoor that he needs to finally eliminate pesky things that prevent the expansion of government powers. Based on his past exploits with “Fast and the Furious” and his campaign promises we must assume that the Second Amendment is first on his list to destroy.
He has already hinted that measures were being taken to curb gun rights in America. Fast and the Furious was a failed attempt to generate gun violence in Mexico to make the public more sympathetic to gun control schemes and bans. It begs the question; what other black psychological operations has he been involved with that he was NOT caught on? He has shown with his reckless disregard for human life; the serfs are expendable if it advances his blind ideology.
First they will establish a gun registry. The Arms Trade Treaty requires it. Every country that eliminated gun ownership needed to take this step over a long period; usually 10 to 20 years to get the bulk of the new gun owners trapped in the system. The Canadian example shows that you do not need even 50% compliance because they are not worried about the 40 and 50 year olds who owned before the registry and refuse to register now, they want the shooters of tomorrow.
The next step is to use that registry to ban classes of guns. In Canada, people are generally terrified of pistols and view rifles as part of everyday life, hence most pistols are illegal and rifles are largely uncontrolled. Americans seem to be terrified of rifles but view pistols as a necessity to self protection. I suspect the American government will first go after rifles much like Canada went after pistols. A precedent was already set with Bill “The Pimp” Clinton’s Assault Weapons Ban in the 90’s only this time, there will be no sunset clause and with a registry, those guns deemed illegal will be seized.
I always hear Americans saying things like “From my cold dead hands” but the truth is, they will hand over their guns when faced with the destructive forces of done strikes, mechanized infantry and active denial systems.
And this is not just about guns. Treaty’s signed will allow the government to easily suppress freedom of speech, seize your children, increase your taxes and limit your travel.
So the path to Obama’s socialist “utopia” filled with abject despair, poverty and suffering is being decided right now in the Supreme Court. It hinges on Bond v The United States. Either the supremacy of the US Constitution will be upheld or it will be trampled down.
Tuesday 3 December 2013
Wednesday 6 November 2013
Fukshima Fallout
It is a radical departure from what I normally write about but in my introduction post long ago I did mention I would talk about survival topics. This is going to be one of those times.
I was reading about the Fukishima #4 reactor. People with more degrees then me warn that another earthquake measuring 7 or higher would cause catastrophic damage to the reactor releasing massive amounts of radiation and nuclear material in the atmosphere. One person suggested it would be so severe as to warrant an evacuation of the west coast of North America.
Now, I am not agreeing with this assessment. I think the evacuation of the west coast is fear mongering at its worst but I also know that reactor is hanging on by shoestrings so I agree that an earthquake of 7 (or even less!) would probably wreck the thing. The chance of another earthquake at 7 or higher over the next 3 years is 95% - almost certain.
So I started looking into defenses against nuclear contamination.
First nuclear contaminants tend to be heavy elements. They quickly fall from the sky and are typically not absorbed by the skin. This means that most nuclear contaminants on the skin can be washed off with soap and water. The problem comes from inhaling nuclear contaminants and skin absorbsion from the few that can be absorbed.
Let me be clear, once something radioactive enters your body, you can not remove it. It will forever emit dangerous, cancer causing radiation.
Iodine is one of the major radioactive isotopes created in nuclear power plants. It can be absorbed through the skin where the thyroid gobbles it all up and stores it. Luckily the body can process Iodine and there is a preventative measure you can take. Upon a nuclear event, taking Potassium Iodine will “fill up” your thyroid with non-radioactive iodine causing any excess (such as radioactive iodine) to be expelled. Excess iodine can lead to serious health problems so taking it in excess could have detrimental health problems. This is the recommended dosage to “fill” the thyroid. This would need to be taken a day or two before being exposed to radioactive iodine. This treatment would be repeated daily until the threat has passed.
Age KI in mg per day
Over 12 years old 130
3 – 12 years old 65
1 – 36 months old 32
< 1 month old 16
Most radioactive isotopes will enter through inhalation; that is, breathing it in. Once a radioactive element enters your lungs, you can not remove it. The only thing you can use, in defense, is a gas mask. Scott air packs are impractical so I would chose a military gas mask or any mask that uses a 40mm carbon filter cartridge like the military uses. I don’t think an industrial dust mask will work but it is better then nothing if you are in a pinch. If you do opt to try a dust mask, your eyes will become an entry point and need to be defended as well.
Until a rainfall, stay clean. Most radioactive isotopes will not absorb through the skin so they can be washed off. To keep it out of the fibers of my clothes, I plan to use rain gear. I have no evidence to back up the following statement but I imagine that cuts and scrapes would need to be covered to keep contaminants out of the blood,
When the rain does come, most contaminants will be washed out of the air and end up on the ground and in your water supply. Filtering water is a topic for another day.
I hope this quick guide will help people in their disaster plans and empower them not to live in fear.
Stay safe.
I was reading about the Fukishima #4 reactor. People with more degrees then me warn that another earthquake measuring 7 or higher would cause catastrophic damage to the reactor releasing massive amounts of radiation and nuclear material in the atmosphere. One person suggested it would be so severe as to warrant an evacuation of the west coast of North America.
Now, I am not agreeing with this assessment. I think the evacuation of the west coast is fear mongering at its worst but I also know that reactor is hanging on by shoestrings so I agree that an earthquake of 7 (or even less!) would probably wreck the thing. The chance of another earthquake at 7 or higher over the next 3 years is 95% - almost certain.
So I started looking into defenses against nuclear contamination.
First nuclear contaminants tend to be heavy elements. They quickly fall from the sky and are typically not absorbed by the skin. This means that most nuclear contaminants on the skin can be washed off with soap and water. The problem comes from inhaling nuclear contaminants and skin absorbsion from the few that can be absorbed.
Let me be clear, once something radioactive enters your body, you can not remove it. It will forever emit dangerous, cancer causing radiation.
Iodine is one of the major radioactive isotopes created in nuclear power plants. It can be absorbed through the skin where the thyroid gobbles it all up and stores it. Luckily the body can process Iodine and there is a preventative measure you can take. Upon a nuclear event, taking Potassium Iodine will “fill up” your thyroid with non-radioactive iodine causing any excess (such as radioactive iodine) to be expelled. Excess iodine can lead to serious health problems so taking it in excess could have detrimental health problems. This is the recommended dosage to “fill” the thyroid. This would need to be taken a day or two before being exposed to radioactive iodine. This treatment would be repeated daily until the threat has passed.
Age KI in mg per day
Over 12 years old 130
3 – 12 years old 65
1 – 36 months old 32
< 1 month old 16
Most radioactive isotopes will enter through inhalation; that is, breathing it in. Once a radioactive element enters your lungs, you can not remove it. The only thing you can use, in defense, is a gas mask. Scott air packs are impractical so I would chose a military gas mask or any mask that uses a 40mm carbon filter cartridge like the military uses. I don’t think an industrial dust mask will work but it is better then nothing if you are in a pinch. If you do opt to try a dust mask, your eyes will become an entry point and need to be defended as well.
Until a rainfall, stay clean. Most radioactive isotopes will not absorb through the skin so they can be washed off. To keep it out of the fibers of my clothes, I plan to use rain gear. I have no evidence to back up the following statement but I imagine that cuts and scrapes would need to be covered to keep contaminants out of the blood,
When the rain does come, most contaminants will be washed out of the air and end up on the ground and in your water supply. Filtering water is a topic for another day.
I hope this quick guide will help people in their disaster plans and empower them not to live in fear.
Stay safe.
Monday 28 October 2013
Dishonest Gun Show Dealers
There is a dishonest dealer who is claiming that the Military SKS being sold by Specter Arms are a Norinco product. The Type 56 is built by the Chinese State Arsenal and is marked with a numerical factory marking indicating its point of origin.
Norinco products can be identified with the Norinco gear and spearhead symbol. It is found on all Norinco products. Norinco has produced SKS-D and SKS-M out of spare SKS parts. The quality of these cobbled together firearms varies in quality and features.
This dealer is lying in an attempt to drive customers to his own higher priced rifles. Don’t be fooled: check the factory stampings on prospective SKS rifles and get the real story.
Norinco products can be identified with the Norinco gear and spearhead symbol. It is found on all Norinco products. Norinco has produced SKS-D and SKS-M out of spare SKS parts. The quality of these cobbled together firearms varies in quality and features.
This dealer is lying in an attempt to drive customers to his own higher priced rifles. Don’t be fooled: check the factory stampings on prospective SKS rifles and get the real story.
Friday 9 August 2013
“I Don’t Want Quality I Want Cheap”
The topic of the S2 has once again appeared on Gunnutz. It was very quickly mentioned that the price was high. It certainly is. The S2 is designed for the masses just like the Porche is; not at all.
It is not for someone who wants to waste the day shooting at cans on grandpa’s farm, it is a tactical trainer designed for precision, weight, function and feel. It is for a professional who is tired of light, flimsy crap made out of structurally weak polymers in third world nations. It is for someone who has pride in Canada and wants a Canadian made product.
Everyone seems to want cheap. This is why our industry is dying. Walmarts selling poisoned baby milk from China have spread like a cancer across North America and people enable it! On CGN a few months ago someone was wanting to get VZ58s built in China because the $800 price tag was too high. They wanted to see the price at $400. I had a few choice words for this individual. He did not want a quality rifle, he wanted tacti-cheap.
A North American manufacturing business can only successfully respond to the “cheap” with the opposite point on the buying spectrum; “Quality”. Sadly this response is a failing defense that appeals to less and less people. Some North American manufacturers have tried “cheap” with dismal results. It is sad, we have M1 Garands from WW2 that shoot as well as the day they were made but we have ISSC Mk22 that fail out of the box or the GSG-5 coming apart on the range. Yet suckers keep buying them… after all they don’t want quality, they want cheap.
Finally, I am a one man show; I am a machinist and a gun smith; not a web site designer, not an advertiser. So I get upset when people complain that the website sucks. Yes it is simple but at least it works. I am going to lay it out simply: do you want to buy guns from someone like me or someone web savy? A person is lacking life experience if they allow themselves to be taken by a slick conman with all style and no substance. A flashy website with sounds, animations, bells and whistles can never fill the gap of real competence where it matters: The Service and the product.
It is not for someone who wants to waste the day shooting at cans on grandpa’s farm, it is a tactical trainer designed for precision, weight, function and feel. It is for a professional who is tired of light, flimsy crap made out of structurally weak polymers in third world nations. It is for someone who has pride in Canada and wants a Canadian made product.
Everyone seems to want cheap. This is why our industry is dying. Walmarts selling poisoned baby milk from China have spread like a cancer across North America and people enable it! On CGN a few months ago someone was wanting to get VZ58s built in China because the $800 price tag was too high. They wanted to see the price at $400. I had a few choice words for this individual. He did not want a quality rifle, he wanted tacti-cheap.
A North American manufacturing business can only successfully respond to the “cheap” with the opposite point on the buying spectrum; “Quality”. Sadly this response is a failing defense that appeals to less and less people. Some North American manufacturers have tried “cheap” with dismal results. It is sad, we have M1 Garands from WW2 that shoot as well as the day they were made but we have ISSC Mk22 that fail out of the box or the GSG-5 coming apart on the range. Yet suckers keep buying them… after all they don’t want quality, they want cheap.
Finally, I am a one man show; I am a machinist and a gun smith; not a web site designer, not an advertiser. So I get upset when people complain that the website sucks. Yes it is simple but at least it works. I am going to lay it out simply: do you want to buy guns from someone like me or someone web savy? A person is lacking life experience if they allow themselves to be taken by a slick conman with all style and no substance. A flashy website with sounds, animations, bells and whistles can never fill the gap of real competence where it matters: The Service and the product.
Friday 5 July 2013
New Techniques
I was at the Calgary gun show this year showing off my wares and a person came over to examine a S2. He picked it up and shouldered it, grabbing the forend using what I can only describe as the Magpul overgrip method.
This prompted a lively discussion with my helper. We are in agreement that there are a lot of new shooting methods coming out where an instructor with “Street Cred”, that is someone who has shot at people for a living, comes up with a new idea and markets it as the newest greatest thing.
What I find is that often people invent new things for the sake of inventing new things and use the cognitive fallacy of false attribution (claiming something as the reason for something else when they are in fact there is no causality).
Without naming names, let’s take a trip through inductive reasoning.
Premise 1)
Man trained as part of _______ where he won many harrowing gun battles.
Premise 2)
He used the methods taught to him by that elite unit. Those methods clearly worked and therefore are proven and workable.
Premise 3)
He comes back to America and develops his own methods to sell to the public. He uses his past exploits to justify why you should trust his new system.
Conclusion – His fancy new method was never tested in battle. Its value is therefore called into question as a fighting method. It may perform on a 3-gun range but can not be proven like his original skill set was.
Why can't he pass on his proven skill set?
Back to the Magpul overgrip method. It is touted as a way to increase stability. When I instruct I tell my students, I tell them that the farther they grip the rifle down the forend, the more stability they will gain; it does not matter if they use a forgrip, angled grip or the traditional hand grip. The trade off to gripping farther down the forend, is they will fatigue quicker. All the Magpul overgrip method does is adds a silly grip to a proven theory and falsely claims the stability benefit as a result.
But if instructors taught what worked and did not invent new stuff they would have a hard time marketing themselves and standing out as a brand. From a marketing standpoint, I can't blame them; they just want to make money. But from a gunfighting standpoint, I think they are subtly cheating the consumer out of what they should know and what they hope to learn.
I think the moral of the story is don't buy into every silly little method. Critically ask yourself if these new novel methods actually make you a better gunfighter or if you are simply lining someone else's pockets or worse yet, buying into a cool looking fad.
This prompted a lively discussion with my helper. We are in agreement that there are a lot of new shooting methods coming out where an instructor with “Street Cred”, that is someone who has shot at people for a living, comes up with a new idea and markets it as the newest greatest thing.
What I find is that often people invent new things for the sake of inventing new things and use the cognitive fallacy of false attribution (claiming something as the reason for something else when they are in fact there is no causality).
Without naming names, let’s take a trip through inductive reasoning.
Premise 1)
Man trained as part of _______ where he won many harrowing gun battles.
Premise 2)
He used the methods taught to him by that elite unit. Those methods clearly worked and therefore are proven and workable.
Premise 3)
He comes back to America and develops his own methods to sell to the public. He uses his past exploits to justify why you should trust his new system.
Conclusion – His fancy new method was never tested in battle. Its value is therefore called into question as a fighting method. It may perform on a 3-gun range but can not be proven like his original skill set was.
Why can't he pass on his proven skill set?
Back to the Magpul overgrip method. It is touted as a way to increase stability. When I instruct I tell my students, I tell them that the farther they grip the rifle down the forend, the more stability they will gain; it does not matter if they use a forgrip, angled grip or the traditional hand grip. The trade off to gripping farther down the forend, is they will fatigue quicker. All the Magpul overgrip method does is adds a silly grip to a proven theory and falsely claims the stability benefit as a result.
But if instructors taught what worked and did not invent new stuff they would have a hard time marketing themselves and standing out as a brand. From a marketing standpoint, I can't blame them; they just want to make money. But from a gunfighting standpoint, I think they are subtly cheating the consumer out of what they should know and what they hope to learn.
I think the moral of the story is don't buy into every silly little method. Critically ask yourself if these new novel methods actually make you a better gunfighter or if you are simply lining someone else's pockets or worse yet, buying into a cool looking fad.
Sunday 2 June 2013
What is Going on With the Firearms Lab?
Recently I just finished a criminal intelligence course. The material was not new to me but it put intelligence analysis back into the forefront of my mind. I started to think analytically about the recent strange behavior coming out of the RCMP firearms lab.
The RCMP approved an AKM (AK47) look alike called the Canadian Sporting rifle. It looks exactly like an AKM and even takes AK47 magazines in the standard AK47 caliber of 7.62x39 Soviet. The internals are reported to be different. This flies in the face of previous RCMP rulings most noteable the .22LR Armi Jager. It looks like an AK47 but it had different internals, different materials and fired a different caliber all while using a different magazine. It was classed as prohibited based on looks alone. This was not an isolated thing; the crappy GSG-5 was also deemed prohibited because it looked exactly like a MP5. Different materials, different internals, different caliber but its appearance made it prohibited. The Colt-Umarex .22LR: restricted because of looks. This sudden departure from what has been the RCMP norm for well over the 8 years I have been involved in the industry suggests something has changed.
- Management. Last I heard, Bill Etter was still in charge of that gong show so this is unlikely. Perhaps the techs are cool guys who like guns?
- Money changed hands. Lets face it, there have been RCMP members caught killing people in jail cells and having sex with underage girls in cars, is it that far fetched to think some bribery took place?
- One of the techs snuck this in because he personally wants an AK. I know several people who are part of the gun control bureaucracy only because they want to act as agents of positive change; agents that are secretly on our side.
- Politicians put boots to ass and forced a change. That is how I forced the RCMP lab to give the S2 the ok. But the S2 I sent to the lab had no telltale features that looked like any other firearms.
I have had dealing with the lab so I know they are a slow, inefficient and stubborn bureaucracy. This fact forces me to conclude that this gun went to the RCMP lab anywhere from a year to 6 months ago.
So speaking analytically we have 3 hypothesis. Now lets looks at some disturbing data.
Recently the RCMP firearms lab has determined that the Sig Special “Sig 550” that the receiver is the same as its select fire counterparts. This moves the rifle from the category of non-restricted rifle into the prohibited category of “Converted Auto” – a made up Canadian term developed to ban more guns. Despite having no capability to fire full auto with no full auto fire control parts, it may be deemed an illegal gun. The RCMP did this with a small batch of VZ58 that mistakenly were sent with a converted auto receiver. So using deductive reasoning we can eliminate our first hypothesis from the list.
Even though they act like they are above the law, the RCMP must answer to parliament and the Minister of Public Safety. So what do you get when you force a bureaucrat to do something he does not want to do? A pissed off petty man who lashes out at those he thinks are beneath him. The Sig rifle may be a backlash to punish the citizens of Canada for forcing them through the democratic process to allow an AKM variant to hit the market.
Politics should be considered as well. So I will add it as a fourth Hypothesis. The RCMP actually lost the GSG-5 case before it went to the appeal court and was overturned. If the Canadian Sporting Rifle was deemed illegal (as the past pattern suggests) it could be another legal battle. You see the RCMP are playing a high stakes game, if they deemed it prohibited and lost a court case on the CSR it would force them to re-evaluate and re-classify many of their other prohibited firearms back to non-restricted status. Their credibility would be forever lost in the courts in regards to firearms and more importantly they would lose positive control over many more guns. This hypothesis fits the story of the CSR but not that of the Sig Rifle. Interesting.
Our new list of theories:
1 The firearms lab is taking bribes.
2 A Firearms Lab tech wants his own “AK47”
3 Politicians or put pressure on the RCMP labs with the “Canadian Sporting Rifle.” The RCMP labs responded to this insult by jumping on the “Ban”-Wagon.
4 The RCMP fear a court case that could shatter them.
This new data does not support theory 1 or 2 but it does not disprove it. Through inductive reasoning theory 3 is looking more likely. The introduction of the Sig Rifle data lowers the probability of Theory 4 as this could be a feared court challenge. But these events may not actually be linked meaning that it could be more then one of these factors after all it is a mistake to assume that decisions and actions are the result of a grand, organized hierarchy. Sometimes what happens is the result of misunderstood orders, political maneuverings or even insubordination.
News has also surfaced about the RCMP looking long and hard at the Norinco CQ rifle. This is a copy of the M4. Unlike most other AR15’s that enter Canada, this one is shipped with a full auto bolt. There are no other full-auto fire control parts. Apparently a gunsmith/manufacturer complained about it. The result of the Norinco investigation will suggest the driving influence behind the RCMP’s actions.
a. If the Norinco M4 comes back as restricted (what it is now) I would guess the lab’s goal is control. The rifle is part of the gun registry so it is still under the positive control of the RCMP. They have no interest other then to prevent the loss of more gun registry data. If the Norinco M4 stays restricted, I predict that the RCMP will work to reclassify as many non-restricted rifles as possible to keep accurate tabs on firearms and their owners. This action would also be another indicator that Hypothesis 3 is correct and Hypothesis 4 is not.
b. If the Norinco M4 comes back as prohibited, I would guess the lab’s goal is confiscation and starting a spearhead to eventually take other AR15s. The AR15 is only restricted because of name. A simple change in the Order in Council would force the AR15 (except for ones with silly short barrels) off the registry and into the land of non-restricted rifles. With a legitimate reason for an all out ban it would serve the RCMP’s interest to re-classify. This time they would have a real legal leg to stand on. This would mean that Hypothesis 4 is most likely correct.
I must conclude that, at this time, I can not definitively say what is going on. But I rate my hypothesis’ like this:
Hypothesis 1 (The firearms lab is taking bribes.): Unlikely
Despite some serious ego issues and some limited criminal actions, the RCMP is a large organization that for the most part is moral and just. To bribe the entire lab would be uneconomical considering how small our gun ownership actually is.
Hypothesis 2 (A Firearms Lab tech wants his own “AK47”): Possible
We know that our people are secretly embedded in the gun control structure. It is highly likely that such a person would love an AK47 but the size of the organization suggests this would be a tough one to sneak past the other lab people. It would depend on his ingenuity and understanding of the bureaucratic function. I would rate this as only “Possible.”
Hypothesis 3 (Politicians put pressure on the RCMP labs with the “Canadian Sporting Rifle.”): Likely
The RCMP must obey Parliament but dislike doing so. They managed to dance around my MP for a solid 3 months resisting my attempts to make a lawful living. When the Long Gun Registry was scrapped the RCMP’s CFOs attempted to punish the people through slow transfer times, a backdoor registry and ridiculous ATT restrictions. If their petty past is an indicator of the future they are trying to punish the public for demands placed on them through our democratic process.
Hypothesis 4 (Credibility called into question): Highly Likely
The RCMP were on the brink of losing the GSG-5 battle. A lower court held that the function of a firearm made it a variant. The appeals court ruled that identical guns are a variant noting the guns in question were advertised as a .22LR version of their prohibited counterparts. As no literature and/or advertisements make the “AK47” claim for the Canadian Sporting Rifle, the RCMP may feel that the element that got them to win last time, is missing.
In conclusion, we don’t know exactly what is going on, but I suspect things will get very clear in the next year.
The RCMP approved an AKM (AK47) look alike called the Canadian Sporting rifle. It looks exactly like an AKM and even takes AK47 magazines in the standard AK47 caliber of 7.62x39 Soviet. The internals are reported to be different. This flies in the face of previous RCMP rulings most noteable the .22LR Armi Jager. It looks like an AK47 but it had different internals, different materials and fired a different caliber all while using a different magazine. It was classed as prohibited based on looks alone. This was not an isolated thing; the crappy GSG-5 was also deemed prohibited because it looked exactly like a MP5. Different materials, different internals, different caliber but its appearance made it prohibited. The Colt-Umarex .22LR: restricted because of looks. This sudden departure from what has been the RCMP norm for well over the 8 years I have been involved in the industry suggests something has changed.
- Management. Last I heard, Bill Etter was still in charge of that gong show so this is unlikely. Perhaps the techs are cool guys who like guns?
- Money changed hands. Lets face it, there have been RCMP members caught killing people in jail cells and having sex with underage girls in cars, is it that far fetched to think some bribery took place?
- One of the techs snuck this in because he personally wants an AK. I know several people who are part of the gun control bureaucracy only because they want to act as agents of positive change; agents that are secretly on our side.
- Politicians put boots to ass and forced a change. That is how I forced the RCMP lab to give the S2 the ok. But the S2 I sent to the lab had no telltale features that looked like any other firearms.
I have had dealing with the lab so I know they are a slow, inefficient and stubborn bureaucracy. This fact forces me to conclude that this gun went to the RCMP lab anywhere from a year to 6 months ago.
So speaking analytically we have 3 hypothesis. Now lets looks at some disturbing data.
Recently the RCMP firearms lab has determined that the Sig Special “Sig 550” that the receiver is the same as its select fire counterparts. This moves the rifle from the category of non-restricted rifle into the prohibited category of “Converted Auto” – a made up Canadian term developed to ban more guns. Despite having no capability to fire full auto with no full auto fire control parts, it may be deemed an illegal gun. The RCMP did this with a small batch of VZ58 that mistakenly were sent with a converted auto receiver. So using deductive reasoning we can eliminate our first hypothesis from the list.
Even though they act like they are above the law, the RCMP must answer to parliament and the Minister of Public Safety. So what do you get when you force a bureaucrat to do something he does not want to do? A pissed off petty man who lashes out at those he thinks are beneath him. The Sig rifle may be a backlash to punish the citizens of Canada for forcing them through the democratic process to allow an AKM variant to hit the market.
Politics should be considered as well. So I will add it as a fourth Hypothesis. The RCMP actually lost the GSG-5 case before it went to the appeal court and was overturned. If the Canadian Sporting Rifle was deemed illegal (as the past pattern suggests) it could be another legal battle. You see the RCMP are playing a high stakes game, if they deemed it prohibited and lost a court case on the CSR it would force them to re-evaluate and re-classify many of their other prohibited firearms back to non-restricted status. Their credibility would be forever lost in the courts in regards to firearms and more importantly they would lose positive control over many more guns. This hypothesis fits the story of the CSR but not that of the Sig Rifle. Interesting.
Our new list of theories:
1 The firearms lab is taking bribes.
2 A Firearms Lab tech wants his own “AK47”
3 Politicians or put pressure on the RCMP labs with the “Canadian Sporting Rifle.” The RCMP labs responded to this insult by jumping on the “Ban”-Wagon.
4 The RCMP fear a court case that could shatter them.
This new data does not support theory 1 or 2 but it does not disprove it. Through inductive reasoning theory 3 is looking more likely. The introduction of the Sig Rifle data lowers the probability of Theory 4 as this could be a feared court challenge. But these events may not actually be linked meaning that it could be more then one of these factors after all it is a mistake to assume that decisions and actions are the result of a grand, organized hierarchy. Sometimes what happens is the result of misunderstood orders, political maneuverings or even insubordination.
News has also surfaced about the RCMP looking long and hard at the Norinco CQ rifle. This is a copy of the M4. Unlike most other AR15’s that enter Canada, this one is shipped with a full auto bolt. There are no other full-auto fire control parts. Apparently a gunsmith/manufacturer complained about it. The result of the Norinco investigation will suggest the driving influence behind the RCMP’s actions.
a. If the Norinco M4 comes back as restricted (what it is now) I would guess the lab’s goal is control. The rifle is part of the gun registry so it is still under the positive control of the RCMP. They have no interest other then to prevent the loss of more gun registry data. If the Norinco M4 stays restricted, I predict that the RCMP will work to reclassify as many non-restricted rifles as possible to keep accurate tabs on firearms and their owners. This action would also be another indicator that Hypothesis 3 is correct and Hypothesis 4 is not.
b. If the Norinco M4 comes back as prohibited, I would guess the lab’s goal is confiscation and starting a spearhead to eventually take other AR15s. The AR15 is only restricted because of name. A simple change in the Order in Council would force the AR15 (except for ones with silly short barrels) off the registry and into the land of non-restricted rifles. With a legitimate reason for an all out ban it would serve the RCMP’s interest to re-classify. This time they would have a real legal leg to stand on. This would mean that Hypothesis 4 is most likely correct.
I must conclude that, at this time, I can not definitively say what is going on. But I rate my hypothesis’ like this:
Hypothesis 1 (The firearms lab is taking bribes.): Unlikely
Despite some serious ego issues and some limited criminal actions, the RCMP is a large organization that for the most part is moral and just. To bribe the entire lab would be uneconomical considering how small our gun ownership actually is.
Hypothesis 2 (A Firearms Lab tech wants his own “AK47”): Possible
We know that our people are secretly embedded in the gun control structure. It is highly likely that such a person would love an AK47 but the size of the organization suggests this would be a tough one to sneak past the other lab people. It would depend on his ingenuity and understanding of the bureaucratic function. I would rate this as only “Possible.”
Hypothesis 3 (Politicians put pressure on the RCMP labs with the “Canadian Sporting Rifle.”): Likely
The RCMP must obey Parliament but dislike doing so. They managed to dance around my MP for a solid 3 months resisting my attempts to make a lawful living. When the Long Gun Registry was scrapped the RCMP’s CFOs attempted to punish the people through slow transfer times, a backdoor registry and ridiculous ATT restrictions. If their petty past is an indicator of the future they are trying to punish the public for demands placed on them through our democratic process.
Hypothesis 4 (Credibility called into question): Highly Likely
The RCMP were on the brink of losing the GSG-5 battle. A lower court held that the function of a firearm made it a variant. The appeals court ruled that identical guns are a variant noting the guns in question were advertised as a .22LR version of their prohibited counterparts. As no literature and/or advertisements make the “AK47” claim for the Canadian Sporting Rifle, the RCMP may feel that the element that got them to win last time, is missing.
In conclusion, we don’t know exactly what is going on, but I suspect things will get very clear in the next year.
Saturday 25 May 2013
Survivalist Rifle on a Budget
I have been asked many times "What gun should I get for SHTF?"
My answers vary based on what the person's idea of a disaster is but there is always one option I get people to seriously look at, The Scout Rifle. The Scout Rifle is a concept developed by Jeff Cooper. Cooper imagined a rifle with the following characteristics:
-Light
-In 30 cal
-Bolt action
-Long eye relief scope
Firstly, a scout rifle is light. It is not a sniper rifle or a battle rifle and is not intended as such. Ideally this rifle would only see use in deliberate circumstances so it should not be a burden on other day to day tasks. I am a fan of never setting your rifle down where you can not reach it on a second’s notice so having something light that you can sling on your back while you build shelter or gather wood beats doing the same tasks with something heavy.
Secondly a scout rifle is chambered in something 30 cal. I suspect Cooper was leaning towards the heavy hitting 30-06 (or “God’s cartridge” as my friend calls it) but I think any full power 30 cal round will do: 762x51, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag, 30-06, 7.62 Russian. A full power cartridge is needed for its utility and range.
Thirdly a scout is bolt-action. The average person does not have spare parts or the skills to effect repairs in the field. The bolt action is mechanically simple and it unlikely to ever break or fail. Maintaining a bolt action (such as disassembly and cleaning) is also easier. I must mention that I use a semi-auto for my survival rifle, only because I do have spare parts and the skills needed to make repairs in the case of a failure.
The final and most unique feature is a long eye-relief scope. This scope is a low power scope (set to 2 or 3 magnification) placed above the beginning of the barrel as opposed to a traditional scope which is near the eye. The reason for this seemingly odd design is to prevent the user from getting tunnel vision looking through an optic and maintain peripheral vision and thus situational awareness. The long eye-relief scope magnifies only what you are looking at and after all, isn’t that all you need? Such a scope would be labeled as “Scout Scope”, “Long Eye-Relief” or “Pistol Scope”.
The scout rifle is not designed to do anything really well but do everything adequately. It is a “jack of all trades” rifle. Ruger and Styer both came out with scout rifles but they can be quite pricy especially after you add the necessary optics.
Today I will talk about how to build a scout rifle on a budget and with simple tools.
I started with a Mosin Nagant carbine. The carbine is much shorter and lighter then its full sized brother but this guide will work equally well for a full size Mosin Nagant as well.
Next I sanded off the varnish and repainted the stock. I used duracoat with a digital stencil on mine but you could use a olive green krylon paint. I refinished the stock because my stock was military surplus and had many dings and scratches from use. Exposed wood on the stock would be vulnerable to rot and I wanted to preserve its structural integrity. Should you have one of the rare Mosin Nagant synthetic stocks you will still want to re-paint it as black stands out and is poor camoflauge.
Next I removed the rear sight with a pin punch and installed a picatinny rail. These are kits that replace the rear sight and allow for picatinny accessories to be added. In this case, the scope.
I searched Edmonton for a long eye-relief scope but the only gun store that had them was Cabella’s. I didn’t want to order online because I wanted to see the optical clarity of the scope I was buying. I got a Simons 2-7x32. It had good optical clarity and was fairly affordable at $250. Personally I would not go cheap on scopes. Put the cash down and spend $200-400. The temptation to get a NC Star pistol scope is certainly there but I advise getting something better; after all, this is a survival rifle that your life may depend on.
The final modification I did was put a rifle round sleeve on the buttstock to carry loose rounds for reloading. I did not want to carry loose rounds in a pocket or a pouch because they would rattle. If I decide to use stealth, I want to be stealthy.
This project’s total costs were:
Mosin Carbine: $140 at the Camrose Gun Show
Paint: $40 (est)
Scope Mount: $60
Scope: $250
Round Holder: $10
Total: $500
Thursday 28 March 2013
Science and Magpul Back Up Sights - Gen 1 vs Gen 2
Anyone who knows me knows that I am somewhat of a student of the psychology of perception. How the brain sees things and organizes shapes, lines, colors and even how it makes assumptions. It is a fantastic science. One thing that is science fact is the brain has an easy time lining up circles or determining if the circles are in alignment. I was cutting washers to cap the barrel shrouds on the S2s (something that customers seem to want) and something looked off. The center hole was not quite right. I examined the cutting program an sure enough it was cutting the inner hole offset 0.05 inches from the center. I could see that tiny difference. This is not a skill I uniquely have, it is biological – something all people can do to some extent.
This fact is why I like diopter sights; sights like the MP5, the HK416, the Troy Back up Iron Sights (BUIS) etc. A circle aperture lining up with an encircled front post. They are the fastest sight to line up and they blow the traditional rabbit ear sights (like the AR15) out of the water. People who try diopters seldom, willingly go back.
Diopter sights do not need a full circle to work, having a break in the top still allows the principle to function. The 416 sights are an example of this.
So I have this article who’s title suggests I am going to talk about Magpul back up sights. Now that I have the science out of the way, I will get to it.
I had the chance to examine the Magpul Gen 1 and Gen 2 sights mainly because most retailers are dumping their Gen 1 sights to make way for the Gen 2 sights.
The Gen 1 sight posts curve inwards around the front post creating a quasi-circular bracket. I say quasi because the bottom is squared off. The front sight reminds me of the PPS-43 front sight. Combined with the rear aperture it makes a damn fine sight, using the human brain’s natural ability to line up on the target.
The Gen 2 sights have the outer posts curving in but on the vertical plane, the sight area is very shallow creating a frame that is rectangular and obviously so. The brain does not line up rectangles very well and it certainly does not line up rectangles inside circles so you are left with that is essentially a traditional American style sight where you line the post up in the middle of the rear sight. Despite a few pluses that the Gen 2 has, I feel it is a step backwards.
With the rush towards, “Combat Sexy” where only the latest trend will do, I have found that wholesalers and retailers are letting their Gen 1 sights go at criminally low prices. If you are looking for a BUIS, go out and get a Magpul Gen 1.
This fact is why I like diopter sights; sights like the MP5, the HK416, the Troy Back up Iron Sights (BUIS) etc. A circle aperture lining up with an encircled front post. They are the fastest sight to line up and they blow the traditional rabbit ear sights (like the AR15) out of the water. People who try diopters seldom, willingly go back.
Diopter sights do not need a full circle to work, having a break in the top still allows the principle to function. The 416 sights are an example of this.
So I have this article who’s title suggests I am going to talk about Magpul back up sights. Now that I have the science out of the way, I will get to it.
I had the chance to examine the Magpul Gen 1 and Gen 2 sights mainly because most retailers are dumping their Gen 1 sights to make way for the Gen 2 sights.
The Gen 1 sight posts curve inwards around the front post creating a quasi-circular bracket. I say quasi because the bottom is squared off. The front sight reminds me of the PPS-43 front sight. Combined with the rear aperture it makes a damn fine sight, using the human brain’s natural ability to line up on the target.
The Gen 2 sights have the outer posts curving in but on the vertical plane, the sight area is very shallow creating a frame that is rectangular and obviously so. The brain does not line up rectangles very well and it certainly does not line up rectangles inside circles so you are left with that is essentially a traditional American style sight where you line the post up in the middle of the rear sight. Despite a few pluses that the Gen 2 has, I feel it is a step backwards.
With the rush towards, “Combat Sexy” where only the latest trend will do, I have found that wholesalers and retailers are letting their Gen 1 sights go at criminally low prices. If you are looking for a BUIS, go out and get a Magpul Gen 1.
Thursday 21 February 2013
Adcor Industries Gets it Right
About 2 years ago I wrote an article about the AR15 and advancements that need to be made to bring the rifle up to modern fighting rifle techniques. When I started this blog it was one of the first articles I bridged over from Facebook to here.
Well great minds must think alike. The Brown Enhanced Automatic Rifle has taken the AR15 platform to the 21st century with a ambidextrous cocking handle located on the upper area of the handguards. Finally riflemen will not have to move their support hands back to manipulate the cocking handle or worse yet take their dominant hand off the pistol grip to manipulate the handle.
The old throwback to bolt action rifles is finally gone. I hope other manufacturers follow suit.
http://www.adcorindustries.com/wordpress/index.php/products/bear/
Wednesday 23 January 2013
Done to Death, The Red Dot
Everywhere I look it seems that someone has their own red dot sight. The exteriors all look different but inside it is the same plain old red colored dot. It seems that Aimpoint in particular will put out different shaped optics all molded to the same height that, in the end, all do the same thing.
The term “Combat Sexy” comes to mind where having the latest red dot (which is functionally the same as past generations) is akin to a Cosmo girl having the latest fashionable purse.
If I was to write a list of all the red dot sights that were functionally the same and had you read it out load you would get so bored you would stop reading my blog and do something more interesting like painting the fence or taking your wife out to shop for make-up.
Oh! I can hear them now, th loudest detractors being the Aimpoint fanboys as I have mentioned Aimpoint by name:
“I will have you know that the M3 has a better blah blah blah of blah blah then the M2 so it is not about style”
Or
“The ____ was chosen by _____ because blah blah blah”
I am not here to debate these things . I am here to say that the concept has been done to death.
I suppose what really gets me is a system that keeps being made over and over again with the same flaw; The Dot.....
Make it too big and you lose precision. The Tasco propoint has a 5 MOA dot which means at 100m it obstructs 5” of your target.
Make it too small and it is too slow to use as the eye searches for the dot.
The Russians have a sight. It is multi-reticule and I’d say they got 2 of them just right; the circle-dot and the chevron. Its other 2 reticules seem either mundane (the dot) or silly (the dot-chevron) so I will not talk about them here.
The circle dot is my favorite. So much in fact that my company’s product (The Advanced Reflex Optic) uses it. The Circle-Dot takes advantage of the brain’s ability to line up circles. It allows you to use a smaller dot because the large outer ring draws the eye to the middle.
The chevron is really good as well but it is quite hard to find an optic that uses it… I will fix that problem but I digress. The idea of the chevron is it acts as a pointer that points at the space you are shooting at. The advantage is, there is nothing actually covering your target as the point of aim is set right above the tip.
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