Whisper

I didn't see your letter, but from your description, it was probably specific enough. Blackburn just chose to respond with a generic "I support RKBA" letter instead of saying anything about red flag laws. To me, that suggests she hasn't decided whether she will vote for or against the red flag bill, and she wants to preserve her options, but she also wants to mollify you with a vague statement that isn't really a commitment, but might be interpreted as one. But perhaps I'm too skeptical about politicians and their motives....

It's certainly not a waste of time, and good on you for doing it. You just need to be careful in reading politicians' replies. Blackburn gave you some vague generalities about supporting the Second Amendment, but said nothing about the specific issue that was the topic of your letter. Anyone can claim to be in favor of the Second Amendment -- heck, even Obama says he supports the Second Amendment -- but when faced with an actual vote on Second Amendment issues, most politicians will vote against freedom.

Looks like a generic "Letter for RKBA Supporters." Doesn't address the red flag issue specifically, which doesn't surprise me. The red flag issue is going to show clearly who is on the side of the Constitution and who is not

I'll need to watch that again. My recollection was that they showed the back of the sign *before* Frank opened up on it with the BAR, but perhaps I'm wrong. For sure those BAR rounds would have no problem shooting through a highway sign, so that would count as a serious technical error in the film.

I agree that the 12-round mag is The Stuff for the P365. With the 10-round mag, I found the gun uncomfortably small, and I initially dismissed it from consideration. But then later on I got clued in on the 12-rounder, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much better it made the gun handle. For me, the 12-round mag transforms the P365 from something that's unusable to my favorite hideout heater.

This gun is the same thing as the Sarsilmaz SAR-9, a Turkish pistol that's been out about two years. Stoeger is just putting their name on it. The gun handles great, and seems accurate in offhand shooting. But it has without doubt the worst trigger I've ever seen in a striker-fired pistol. My brother bought two samples -- one stainless, one blue -- and both suffered from this problem. The trigger on the stainless one locked in the rear position and wouldn't return forward, so that gun's been sent back to the manufacturer for repair. The blued one hasn't done that yet, but I'm expecting it will. There really isn't a good way to convey how bad the trigger is -- a long, rough pull with many hitches along the way until it finally breaks. You'd have to feel it yourself to appreciate its wretchedness. But if the trigger problems can be fixed, it's a gun with possibilities.

.277 Wolverine.

Geoffrey Lewis (you'll recognize him from a dozen Clint Eastwood movies) and his daughter Juliette Lewis, Taye Diggs in one of his earliest (maybe his first) major roles, and Scott Wilson (famous for In Cold Blood, the Walking Dead, and plenty of other character roles). This movie is an undiscovered gem, with surprisingly decent tactical movement and gun handling.

My vote: Send it in. Don't trust a local gunsmith to fix a problem with an extraction system that even the manufacturer couldn't get to work properly. Cheers, Whisper

I'm an admirer of the .32 H&R Magnum and may need to buy this. I had one of the first Charter .44 Bulldogs when they came out in stainless, and it was a great gun. It got stolen in a break-in and I never replaced it. But I'm thinking a seven-shot .32 Mag may be the ideal woods gun....

There is no problem carrying a gun like a Glock 19 in dress clothes. It's especially easy for a guy your size. Get some good advice on holster selection and on where you carry the gun. Try out different holsters (maybe you have Glock-carrying friends that will let you try out theirs). If you're in a church where people do a lot of hugging, be aware that this could affect where you place your holster. Now, if you are just wanting an excuse to buy a subcompact, that's a different story. Walther PPS, S&W M&P Shield, Sig P365 all are fine choices. Cheers, Whisper

Wait until someone tells these people that many of us make our own.

This is what's so weird about this whole case. Most colleges are pretty open about the fact that they give special consideration to children of major donors. Instead of paying a crook to help your kid cheat on the admissions test, you could simply pay the university to endow a professorship or to create a new scholarship fund, and your kid could get admitted with no problem. And it's entirely legal. These people wanted to go the back door route and commit a crime when it wasn't necessary.

I have no use for a .380, but those Micro 9s are mighty tempting. Their early bad reputation was concerning, but one of my brothers has one and it runs like a sewing machine, and is inexplicably accurate.

Right. Sure. Yeah, that's it.

If she wants a heavier revolver, think about the Ruger SP101 in .32 Mag. Mild recoil, six rounds, and dependable. The only problem is that they're expensive nowadays.

Don't ask, don't tell. A bow doesn't make much noise.... Cheers, Whisper

This is another reminder that most politicians, no matter what party, will sacrifice any belief or any principle as long as the deal is right. I hope Graham's constituents are taking the blowtorch to him. Disgusted but not surprised, Whisper

"Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark." --Robert Heinlein

What local gun shops have these things in stock now? I need to see one and handle it. Because of the wretched Solo, I am going to be cautious about the EVO. But the Kimber Micro 9 had some bad reports early on, and it apparently got straightened out. One of my brothers bought a Micro 9 two years ago and it runs like a top. I've shot it and was pleasantly surprised by its accuracy at 25 yards. I also decided it's probably the smallest 9mm semiauto I would want to carry; any smaller and it would be difficult to manipulate for someone with my size hands. Since the EVO is essentially a striker-fired Micro 9 (they even use the same magazines and holsters) I'm thinking the EVO would be great candidate for a hideout gun.

These things are showing up on Gunbroker now at surprising prices. One went for $685 last night, which is well below MSRP. Has anyone seen any genuine reviews of this gun, or does anyone have any personal experience? Thanks, Whisper

I'm looking forward to seeing this one. I wanted the Solo, but from the first, there was a steady string of reports that the guns wouldn't work, and that trips back to Kimber seldom were successful in making them work. I hope the EVO does better. It's a great size. Cheers, Whisper

Well, except for Kevin Costner's seven-shot revolver, and Robert Duvall's shotgun that will blast people through the air....

Mandatory gun registration and a nationwide federal database of gun owners. It's for the children.

There's certainly nothing wrong with having a .44 Special or .44 Magnum -- every honest American should own one -- but I think a .357 with a 4-6" barrel and shooting 158-gr bullets would adequately dissuade porkers. Now, if you were looking for an excuse to buy a new .44, then the .357 is hopelessly inadequate and you owe it to yourself and your family to get a nice S&W Model 29 to protect yourself. Hope this helps, Whisper