The Shelters of Stone
This Winchester Defender Model 1300 jumps out of my forward hand when fired, but comes right back. 00 buck is intense, but manageable (I didn't fall down or drop the gun, and it didn't hurt). Slugs and #6 game load are no problem. Easily hits a twelve-inch target with a slug at 25 yards. Six of twelve 00 buck (.30 caliber) pellets hit a twelve-inch target at 25 yards. 18 inch barrel; 29-1/8 inch overall length. Has sling mounts. $333 retail. Very nice short-range weapon.
Aguila Ammunition is imported from Mexico by Centurion Ordnance. They make unusual ammunition including 12 gauge mini-shells. The mini-shells are 1.5 inches long, so if six 3-inch shells fit in your magazine, 12 of these babies will fit. They claim that the Winchester 1300 series cycles them flawlessly. Mossberg and Remington shotguns need a minor elevator modification. They come loaded with #7.5 bird shot, a slug, or buckshot (four 1B (.30 caliber) pellets and seven 4B (.25 caliber) pellets) getting 1175, 1250, or 1200 fps, respectively. $12.60/20 or $269/500 for the buckshot. Cheaper for the others (prices). I haven't tried them, yet. Added to my Arms Manufacturers page. [shotgunnews]
Russell Madden at Laissez Faire Electronic Times - Self-Defense in the Heartland - Iowa is often used by politicians as an example of the "heartland of America". Mr. Madden shows how it is no such thing; it requires a permit to defend onself and the permit can be denied by the local sheriff for whatever reason he chooses. The local paper thinks this is a good thing. Mr. Madden set them straight. [grabbe]
"Many people today proclaim their love of liberty and their willingness to defend our rights. Your extensive story in the 4-28-02 Gazette on "Authorized Arms," however, reveals a lack of understanding of both freedom and of rights that is shared by far too many people.
"An action that is ours by right is one that requires no one's permission to exercise.
"The U.S. Constitution -- including the Bill of Rights -- imposes limits on what the government is authorized to do. Adult citizens have the right to engage in whatever peaceful behavior they want -- even if that behavior is unwise -- as long as their actions do not physically harm or threaten to harm the life or property of another citizen. The Constitution -- and the government -- is supposed to defend our rights, not violate them.
"The U.S. is supposed to operate on the rule of law, not the rule of men. The latter occurs when the arbitrary decisions of one person or a small group of people with political power are imposed upon peaceful citizens. That situation is the opposite of liberty.
"Imagine if you had to get a permit and be forced to undergo training classes in order to buy or carry a book or newspaper; imagine if you had to get a license to attend the church of your choice; imagine if a sheriff could deny you those rights on a whim, based on rules he refuses to tell the citizens whose rights he supposedly has sworn to uphold and defend. Imagine if that sheriff gets to decide for you whether your reasons are "good enough," your "need" great enough to exercise your rights to free expression and religion.
"Imagine how you would feel and how you would react if such things happened to you as they have in other countries. Imagine if a newspaper published a list of who was granted a license to buy books or to attend church.
"Decorum prevents me from declaring just how strongly I feel about such unconstitutional and unsavory actions when applied to my right to defend myself."
Chris Tangney at The Boston Globe - Legislation easing gun license ban advances on Hill - a tiny bit of sanity enters the state with some of the most tyranical gun control laws in the country. Not passed into law yet.
The new guidelines would weaken the sweeping reforms passed in 1998, hailed as the toughest gun control laws in the country, by eliminating lifetime bans on gun permit eligibility for persons convicted of violent misdemeanors, such as assault and battery.
...
The current proposals would allow individuals convicted of a violent misdemeanor, other than domestic assault, to obtain a Firearms Identification Card (FID), and a License to Carry (LTC), seven years after completing their sentence, parole, or probation. A second conviction would result in a lifetime ban on eligibility to own or carry a firearm of any kind.
...
The Senate version of the bill also loosens the requirement to keep a handgun in the home, lowering the standard from a License to Carry to an FID card.
