By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
The big news is last week's massacre of the television reporter and her cameraman in Virginia, all videoed by the shooter using a GoPro-type camera setup. When I first saw the video, I thought the shooter was a terrible shot, but it appears he had a first round hit; the reporter just kept running even after being hit.
My first thought was that this was just another skirmish in the second American civil war, and that hasn't changed. Of course, those with the biggest megaphones want to impose universal background checks, which would have done nothing to stop the shooter from obtaining the gun and then using it. A federal official said the man had emotional problems, which a UBC regimen would not have detected in any case. As it is, even if the man had emotional problems, he had no contact with a mental health Mandarin, and who is to say he had an emotional problem to begin with? Just because you can pound the lectern in front of a buncha sympathetic stenographers who will quote every single word that comes out of your commie mouth, doesn't make every word you say the Gospel truth.
Leaving aside all of the usual fingering of the guy as an Obamanaut leftist, personally I think he was a f*cking asshole, and that is the most objective standard.
Again, referring to the video, it seems to me if the shooter had shown up with a machete, he could have killed the reporter and her camera man with very little effort. Both of the intended victims paid so little attention to their surroundings, the shooter had an unusually easy time killing them. Military and cops call it "situational awareness"; I call it paying attention. A lot of that about, with people who go around now with their noses buried in a phone.
Even a few days after the attempted attack by a jihadi aboard a French passenger train, authorities are being stingy with information about the rifle used. The sequence of events is somewhat shrouded in mystery (AKA the usual reportage by paid media), but it appears the shooter got one shot off, then the gun jammed. I know, right? An AK jamming? The hell you say!
Just now coming to this party: a man named Christian Kerodin is in some hot water with several individuals in the Patriot blogging community. Something about his III project, money missing or gone, and product never delivered. It appears Kerodin took advantage of the goodwill of a number of prior service military, Patriots and IIIpers and failed to deliver the goods.
This isn't about that, but about this little missive.
The main target for the author's unhappiness is those men and women who show up, basically anywhere, wearing tactical gear and carrying ARs, awarding themselves ranks and titles they haven't earned, whether from their current activities or from prior service, but which exist within their own private organization. One of the targets is a fella that was recently arrested in Arizona for plotting with a federal snitch to kill cartel bad guys. It turns out he was one of several patriots who were patrolling in the desert border area, because the federal government wouldn't. In other words, he was trying to help; to fill a gap in the national security that the government had not only been shirking but was actively trying to destroy. The whole scenario for which he and a number of others were arrested was a hoax perpetrated by government agents, yet the entire case will be brought before a black robed federal Mandarin judge who will impose sentence for a crime that could never take place.
In the missive the author states that his ilk defend liberty, but he also states that he never had more personal liberty than when he was in military service.
Leaving aside for the moment trading on your own experience and training at the expense of American taxpayers who expect soldiers in the American military to understand their own place in the hierarchy of the military, who wouldn't want a group of men who want to help, but who are too old to do so, yet who deliver invective for something that may make them better fighters and better citizens? Why in the world would anyone try to convince anyone else that military life, uniforms, equipment and orders means personal liberty?
Loads.
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Prices for pistol ammunition and for rifle ammunition were mostly steady.
Prices for used pistols were higher across the board, while prices for used rifles were mixed.
New Lows:
None
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2Q, 2015)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ventura Munitions, Wolf Polyformance, FMJ, steel cased, .27 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Homeland Munitions, Store brand, FMJ, Reloads, .25 per round (From Last week: -.02 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks))
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (7 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Freedom Munitions, Store Brand, RNFP, New Brass, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Ammo Mart, Store Brand, FMJ, Reloads, .21 per round (From Last Week: -.02 After Unchanged (10 Weeks))
9mm Parabellum, 115 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Bud's Gun Shop, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Cased, .17 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Homeland Munitions, Store Brand, FMJ, Reloads, .16 per round (From Last Week: -.01 each After Unchanged (4 Weeks))
.357 Magnum, 158 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2Q, 2015)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .28 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: Surplus Ammo, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .27 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (8 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Munire USA, Tulammo, steel cased, FMJ, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Wolf Polyformance, steel cased, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
.308 NATO 150 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (8 weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, steel cased, FMJ, .40 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, Steel Cased, FMJ, .37 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks))
7.62x39 AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammunition Depot, Wolf WPA, steel case, FMJ, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: SG Ammo, Wolf WPA, steel case, .23 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q 2015))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: -.05 Each (!!)
Cheapest, 20 rounds (10 Box Limit): Natchez Shooters Supplies, Federal Automatch, RNL .10 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 325 rounds (2 Box Limit): Natchez Shooters Supplies, Federal Automatch, RNL, .06 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $513 Last Week Avg: $537 (-) ($616 (21 Weeks), $486 (6 Weeks))
California (285, 282): Mixed Build: $500 ($650 (32 Weeks), $425 (33 Weeks))
Texas (317, 309): Ruger: $445 ($700 (26 Weeks), $350 (21 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (185, 182): Bushmaster: $550 ($700 (20 Weeks), $300 (8 Weeks))
Virginia (211, 196): Ruger: $570 ($750 (26 Weeks), $500 (30 Weeks))
Florida (417, 417): Mixed Build: $500 ($650 (11 Weeks), $450 (44 Weeks))
.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $1,015 Last Week Avg: $1,020 (+) ($1,359 (20 Weeks), $890 (5 Weeks))
California (55, 50): Mixed Build: $999 ($1,700 (34 Weeks), $850 (4 Weeks))
Texas (60, 65): Mixed Build: $1,400 ($1,500 (40 Weeks), $800 (4 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (41, 39): DPMS LR-308T: $800 ($1,500 (26 Weeks), $800 (34 Weeks))
Virginia (56, 53): CMMG MK3: $1,175 ($1,650 (10 Weeks), $900 (40 Weeks))
Florida (76, 76): Rock River LAR8 Operator: $700 ($1,500 (41 Weeks), $700 (3 Weeks))
7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $468 Last Week Avg: $500 (-) ($626 (22 Weeks), $450 (9 Weeks))
California (50, 47): Zastava N-PAP M70: $540 ($700 (25 Weeks), $320 (36 Weeks))
Texas (68, 72): WASR: $500 ($750 (24 Weeks), $350 (42 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (41, 49): WASR: $400 ($750 (31 Weeks), $375 (16 Weeks))
Virginia (52, 52): Unknown Build: $500 ($625 (27 Weeks), $350 (29 Weeks))
Florida (106, 102): Century GP-1975: $400 ($650 (20 Weeks), $300 (40 Weeks))
30-30 Winchester Lever Action Average Price: $420 Last Week Avg: $364(-) ($489 (30 Weeks), $296 (10 Weeks))
California (8, 6): Marlin 336W: $399 ($500 (3 Weeks), $180 (10 Weeks))
Texas (16, 17): Marlin 336: $525 ($550 (29 Weeks), $300 (34 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (14, 13): Marlin 336W: $375 ($450 (30 Weeks), $250 (35 Weeks))
Virginia (8, 6): Winchester Ranger (w/scope): $350 ($450 (14 Weeks), $350 (32 Weeks))
Florida (16, 18): Marlin JM: $450 ($500 (27 Weeks), $250 (13 Weeks))
Pistols
.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $355 Last Week Avg: $350 (+) ($450 (28 Weeks), $350 (2 Weeks))
California (191, 193): Llama: $350 ($600 (28 Weeks), $300 (6 Weeks))
Texas (239, 248): Llama: $325 ($600 (39 Weeks), $325 (2 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (144, 143): Auto Ordnance: $350 ($550 (18 Weeks), $300 (12 Weeks))
Virginia (148, 147): Citadel M-1911: $400 ($550 (20 Weeks), $250 (37 Weeks))
Florida (337, 334): Unknown brand: $350 ($475 (11 Weeks), $250 (26 Weeks))
9mm (Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic) Average Price: $292 Last Week Avg: $274 (+) ($336 (24 Weeks), $274 (4 Weeks))
California (159, 164): Smith & Wesson SD9VE: $350 ($450 (28 Weeks), $250 (33 Weeks))
Texas (280, 271): Smith & Wesson SD9VE: $289 ($355 (27 Weeks), $220 (19 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (206, 219): Ruger P95DC: $270 ($350 (45 Weeks), $200 (7 Weeks))
Virginia (198, 217): Smith & Wesson SD9VE: $300 ($400 (21 Weeks), $250 (7 Weeks))
Florida (431, 452): Sccy CPX: $250 ($375 (37 Weeks), $230 (7 Weeks))
.40 caliber S&W (Glock or other semiautomatic) Average Price: $368 Last Week Avg: $350(+) ($368 (17 Weeks), $300 (43 Weeks))
California (88, 87): Beretta PX4: $425 ($425 (2 Weeks)), $250 (34 Weeks))
Texas (127, 123): Glock 27: $400 ($425 (38 Weeks), $275 (20 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (84, 83): Kahr CM: $300 ($350 (9 Weeks), $250 (29 Weeks))
Virginia (90, 82): Glock 22: $415 ($450 (17 Weeks), $275 (33 Weeks))
Florida (154, 150): Smith & Wesson SD40VE: $300 ($400 (27 Weeks), $200 (2 Weeks))
Used Gun of the Week: (Virginia)
Glock 26 Chambered in 9mm Parabellum
Chris Covert writes for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter