By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Housekeeping Note: Rantburg's This Week in Guns column is officially one year old. Tempus Fugit.
No question that media will start pushing out antigun propaganda at an increased rate as time goes on. Anna Marie Cox, a particularly noxious leftist gave a preview of the basic strategy: shame.
In her article for the UK Guardian, she posits that gun control measures will fail until hearts and minds are changed. She notes that gun owners are a very small voting block, so not enough people are there to shame into giving up their Gawd given rights, so the next best set, their neighbors will be prevailed on to shame gun owners into giving up their guns.
Her article relies heavily on data supplied by Michael Bloomberg's Everytown antigun group.
Another journalist who apparently not only relies on data from Bloomberg, but also has Bloomberg as a public relations client is Daily Beast's Cliff Schecter.
Newsbusters made note of the way Schecter spoke about gun control, blaming the amorphous group the National Rifle Association for the non existent "murder epidemic". It should be noted that the choice of words, epidemic, conflates gun use as a public health issue that liberals want to use as a means of gun control. This tactic will become even more prominent in gun fascists' upcoming articles. And make no mistake, they are coming.
The wording in the article is quite passionate, and no wonder. When you have dollars rolling in not only from a business client but also from a putatively independent news outlet, I would be jumping through my ass to make my case to the public as well.
Both Schecter and Cox have arrived on the national and international scene by slaving in the left's farm league, developing their arguments in such publications as Alternet and The Nation. Somewhere and somehow along the way you'd think they might have gotten the memo that you should disclose your businesses dealings if it impacts your writing.
Cliff Schecter and Daily Beast did not, instead simply deciding to act as a journalist with balanced coverage of an issue, deliberately hiding his conflict of interest. I can't comment on the state of American journalism, simply because I don't poke my nose into something so noxiously bad, it is easy to see how it got that way.
Cliff: don't forget that twenty on the nightstand.
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Prices for rifle ammunition were mixed, while prices for pistol ammunition were generally lower. Prices for used rifles were mixed, while prices for used pistols were generally lower.
Pistol Ammo
.45 Caliber, 230 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, steel cased, .30 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Quality Made Cartridges, Reloads, RNL, .30 per round (From last week: Unchanged )
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 grain, From Last Week: +.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt, Tulammo, RNFP, steel cased, .26 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Store Brand, reloaded, .23 per round (From Last Week: +.01 Each)
9mm Parabellum, 115 grain From Last Week: -.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt, Tulammo, Steel cased, FMJ, .19 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Freedom Munitions, Store Brand, FMJ, Reloads, .20 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged )
.357 Magnum, 158 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged
Cheapest, 50 rounds: SWVA, RWS, FMJ, .39 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 Rounds: Ammo2U, Geco, FML, .38 per round (From Last Week: -.02 Each )
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt, Tulammo, steel cased, .22 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Lee's Mags, Tulammo, steel cased, .23 per round (From Last Week: -.03 Each )
.308 NATO 145 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt, Barnaul, steel cased, .41 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: SG Ammo, Silver Bear, steel cased, .45 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
7.62x39 AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammunition Depot, Wolf, steel case, .21 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,080 rounds: SG Ammo, Red Army Standard, steel case, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged
Cheapest, 50 rounds (2 box limit): O.D. Green Supply, CCI Blazer, .07 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 325 rounds: Trop Gun Shop, Federal Champion, .10 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $609 Last Week Avg: $619 (-)
California (209, 204): Del-ton AR-15: $650 (Same Gun)
Texas (309, 314): Mixed Build): $575 (!)
Pennsylvania (149, 154): Palmetto State Armory: $620 (Same Gun)
Virgina (205, 210): Bravo Company USA: $650
Florida (413, 413): Smith & Wesson M&P15: $550 (Same Gun)
.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $1,140 Last Week Avg: $1,100 (+)
California (43, 43): Iron Ridge Arms: $1,100 (Same Gun)
Texas (54, 60): DPMS Oracle: $900 (Same Gun)
Pennsylvania (23, 23): Bushmaster: $1,200
Virginia (41, 38): Mixed Build: $1,300 (Same Gun)
Florida (75, 76): Smith & Wesson M&P 10: $1,200
7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $520 Last Week Avg: $505 (+)
California (41, 43): Saiga: $475 (!)
Texas (62, 54): Romak: $625 (Same Gun)
Pennsylvania (51, 57): Saiga: $500 (Prolly Same Gun)
Virginia (73, 80): CAI Vz 2008 : $500
Florida (125, 125): CAI Vz 2008: $500
7.62x54mm (Dragunov Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $1,000 Last Week Avg: $1,134 (-)
California (0): None Available
Texas (0): None Available
Pennsylvania (0, 1): None Available
Virginia (1, 1): Romak PSL: $1,200
Florida (7, 7): Romak PSL: $800 (Same Gun) (!)
Pistols
.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $422 Last Week Avg: $417 (+)
California (151, 152): Rock Island Armory: $460 (Same Gun)
Texas (215, 212): Tisas: $400 (Prolly Same Gun)
Pennsylvania (185, 190): Rock Island Armory (Nickel Plated): $400
Virginia (185, 180):American Tactical Imports: $400
Florida (380, 385): Rock Island Armory: $450
9mm Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic Average Price: $446 Last Week Avg: $427(+)
California (153, 150): Glock 17 : $450 (Same Gun)
Texas (333, 328): Glock 26: $435
Pennsylvania (209, 203): Glock 17: $450
Virginia (227, 235): Glock 26: $450
Florida (452, 492): Glock 19 : $445
.40 caliber S&W (Glock and other semiautomatic) Average Price: $410 Last Week Avg: $410 ()
California (94, 102): Sig Sauer SP2022: $425
Texas (148, 144): Sig Sauer SP2022: $400
Pennsylvania (118, 117): Glock 22: $375 (!)
Virginia (126, 120): Smith & Wesson M&P 40: $400
Florida (231, 237): Glock 27: $450 (Same Gun)
Used Gun of the Week: (North Carolina)
Kriss Vector Rrfle Chambered in .45 ACP
Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com