The M-4 was based on a cut-down M16-A2 and was intended to be a compromise between a rifle and a carbine so that the military could issue only one light weapon, rather than having to also have the XM177 carbine to issue for urban warfare where the M-16’s barrel was too long. This great plan on the part of the military geniuses in the Pentagon finally came to fruit in the mid 1990’s when they got the Army (but not the Marines) to buy into the M-4. The Marines continued to carry the M-16 until a decade of our most excellent war in Iraq finally convinced them that they, too, needed a more compact weapon to deal with all the urban warfare they were doing, and they finally switched to the M-4 too.
]]>The first semi-auto rifles I ran into were Garands that started to replace 1903 Springfields for deer. .30-06 was the deer rifle caliber when I grew up. The WWI and WWII vets were comfortable with it.
Yes, you could carry a lot of ammo, but most of it was wasted, which is why the M-16 was replaced with the M-4 which has a 3-round burst instead of a full auto selection. I fired the M-16 and an Uzi on the range during the police academy. They were a waste of ammo. In law enforcement you need to ID the target and take it out without wounding/killing a lot of by-standers. Guns aren’t magic, they’re tools. You need training and experience to learn how to use them properly. You also need the right ‘tool’ for the job.
]]>Do I think people need an AR-15. Nope. If you need the flatter longer trajectory of the .223 round for hunting varmints on the prairie, just chamber and re-barrel a .22 bolt action rifle for that round. (Most .22’s of course have a tubular magazine and shoot rim shot, you can’t put a center-fire round in a tubular magazine, but there’s a few that are bolt action with a box magazine). Hard to do mass shootings with a bolt-action rifle…
]]>At least one gun owner in Florida has seen the light. He surrendered his AR-57 for disposal.
Hopefully, this will start a trend. Unfortunately, we all know that the real crazies, who really should not have a weapon like this, will even consider getting rid of them. But just maybe, it will make some politicians think harder. *shrug*
]]>The NRA used to be about gun safety and conservation, emphasizing hunting and target shooting. Then it was ‘captured’ by the gun manufacturers and became their lobbyists. Their answer for everything is buy more guns. They are “drug dealers” selling death as a dream of a time and place that never existed.
The thing is the AR-15/M-16 is a piece of shit as a weapon. It can pump out a lot of rounds at close range, but you can’t be certain what you’re going to hit beyond something in front of you. I was very happy when I shifted over the S&W revolver for qualification and turned in the plastic weapon card with the serial number of an M-16 that I actually saw maybe once a year to qualify. The Air Force had tight controls on weapons, even in combat zones.
The kids have had it politicians and intend to clean house on the gun issue. We had an assault weapons ban before and we can have one again. We can have better background checks and can eliminate the exceptions for gun shows and private sales. There are exemptions for every right in the Bill of Rights, no matter what the NRA tells you.
]]>Missouri Third-Graders Selling AR-15 Raffle Tickets For Their Baseball Team
Unbelievable. Well, it should be… it isn’t. *shrug*
]]>Another NRA link:
Florida Shooting Suspect Took Part in Training Program That Received NRA Grant
John Oliver had a good piece on the shooting in his first episode back:
John Oliver praises Parkland massacre survivors for refusing to be told it’s ‘not the time to talk about gun control’
And Student’s, Parent’s, Teachers and everyone up to University Snr. Lecturer’s and Dep’t Heads have joined forces to create a rapidly growing movement against gun violence and the NRA. I’d say the tipping point has finally been reached!
It’s it just amazing how Humans have to be forced to breaking point before most will do anything?! I really don’t think most Humans have any kind of rational survival instinct! *sigh*
]]>Florida is not going to be a good place for the GOP to hold fund-raisers for a while, which doesn’t look good for the mid-term election.
The dating site is good news – the lack of genetic diversity will eliminate the “strain”. 👿
]]>Make Dating Great Again! Find Your Pro-Trump Match Today
And… It’s NOT a joke! Hmmmm…. The parent Company is reg’d in FL & runs several *dating* type sites, including for Veterans etc.
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