Archive for January, 2009
Toys Guns Threaten New York City: NYC Takes Down Party City Menace
Posted by: | Comments[Editor's note: The use of sarcasm will be employed in this article. While the article is sarcastic, the facts and quotes are all correct. Refrain from flooding me with hate mail!]
In a bold move to protect the citizens of New York City, the Department of Consumer Affairs negotiated a $500,000 settlement with crime menace Party City. Party City, in flagrant disregard for the residents of NYC, had been selling toy guns to anyone with the cash who walked in off the street.
“Fake guns that look real aren’t toys. In fact, they’re so dangerous that selling them is illegal,” said Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz. “The City is committed to cracking down on every single violator of this public safety law and will seek maximum penalties when businesses fail to get the message.”
Mintz and his crack squad of consumer investigators caught Party City in a ring of illegal toy gun sales in April 2008. Apparently selling to anyone, Party City was charged by the city with almost 800 counts of illegal toy gun sales.
And this is not the first time Party City has been caught selling illegal toy guns on the streets of New York City. In 2003, the Department of Consumer Affairs busted Party City for selling illegal toy guns. In that case, Party City paid $150,000 in fines.
This time, Party City isn’t getting off so easy. In addition to the half-a-million dollar fine, DCA required Party City to pay for an independent monitor who will perform unannounced weekly inspections of Party City’s shelves and review its advertising in New York City over the next year. Further, to ensure Party City’s compliance, the settlement allows DCA to double the fine for future imitation gun violations from $1,000 to $2,000.
Since 2002, DCA enforcement teams have removed more than 7,000 guns from the shelves of more than 220 stores throughout the City, and levied $3.3 million in fines.
President Obama’s Official Anti-Gun Policies
Posted by: | CommentsWell, the new president has made the his anti-gun agenda official. Copied right from his transition website to the WhiteHouse.gov site:
Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.
So, look for President Obama backed legislation to:
- Allow the use of law enforcement data to sue gun manufacturers for the misuse of their products;
- Make it a crime to transfer ownership of a firearm from one citizen to another as a gift, inheritance, or private sale;
- Banning of the sales of semi-automatic rifles; and
- Criminalizing the sale and possession of magazines with a capacity above a random, arbitrary number.
Please, get involved! Talk to your elected representatives. Join the NRA. Write letters to your newspapers.
If we do nothing, our rights will be taken. If we stand up, and make our voices heard, we can make a difference!
Smith and Wesson M&P Pistols with Thumb Safety
Posted by: | CommentsIn December, I first told you that all of the Smith and Wesson M&P pistols could now be had with 1911-style thumb safeties. S&W had every model of M&P pistol displayed with a thumb safety at the 2009 SHOT Show.
I worked with several different M&P pistols and found the safeties worked very well. I wasn’t sure I would like them, but they were easy to manipulate, clicked smartly into place, and did not interfere with my grip. I don’t know that I would order a M&P with a thumb safety, but I certainly would consider it.
The Colt Combat Elite Returns
Posted by: | CommentsColt has brought back the Combat Elite. Announced at the 2009 SHOT Show and now listed in the ‘09 Colt catalog, the Combat Elite is a very nice looking and feeling 1911-platform gun chambered in the venerable .45 ACP.
The floor sample at the SHOT Show had excellent craftsmanship, and unlike the Delta Elite at the same show, had no cosmetic blemishes.
Colt lists the following features for the Combat Elite:
- front and rear slide serrations
- three-dot sights, Novak rear
- skeletonzised, three hole trigger
- combat hammer with elongated slot
- 8+1 capacity
- 1/2 checkered, 1/2 smooth rosewood grips
- Smith& Alexander upswept beavertail palmswell safety
- the Colt single side tactical thumb safety
- two-tone finish
- national match barrel
- stainless steel frame
- carbon steel slide
2009 SHOT Show Farewell
Posted by: | CommentsWell the 2009 SHOT Show is now history. Attendance was very good, and the NSSF, who organizes the show, said orders were up 5%. The rest of the economy may be tanking, but guns are still selling well.
I have been working to get as much information and photos up as I can squeeze into my day. I hope that everyone has found the information useful.
During the coming weeks, I will continue to post information and product announcements from SHOT. I met with a lot of people and have secured sights, flashlights, slings, ammo, and more for testing and evaluation in the coming months.
So, stick around…there’s more to come!
Taurus 709 SLIM Pistols a Reality: Information from the SHOT Show
Posted by: | CommentsThe Taurus 709 pistols, also known as the Taurus SLIM, is a series of single stack 9mm pistols designed for concealed carry. They are polymer framed, and offer a choice in slides: blued. stainless steel, and titanium. The blued and stainless models weight 19 ounces unloaded, and the titanium model shaves another two ounces off of that number.
All three models have a 3.2″ barrel and come with a 7-round, flush magazine and a 9-round extended magazine. The pistols have the Taurus SA/DA trigger system, meaning once you chamber a round, the trigger pull is a “short, crisp” SA pull. Should the gun fail to fire, the next trigger pull (second shot capability) is a longer double action shot. Assuming the gun fires each time, the trigger pulls will all be single action.
Sights are a low profile, but very usable, three-dot system.
Taurus announced the 709 series of single stack 9mm pistols last year, but never shipped them. During the past year, the Taurus SLIM has undergone several changes.
There are several cosmetic changes, such as the grips:
and recess around the take down:
The most significant design change has been the addition of a trigger safety. The original 709 did not have a trigger safety, but the shipping models of the Taurus SLIM will have one.
I had the chance to handle the blued and titanium models at SHOT. The SA trigger pull was light and felt pretty good for a polymer gun. The DA pull was much longer, but relatively smooth.
These guns fit in my medium-sized hand pretty well, but someone with large hands may not like the size as much. These guns should conceal easily in a IWB or belt scabbard. While not as concealable as a Taurus TCP or Ruger LCP, they do offer the added benefit of a more serious caliber, better sights, more grip surface, and up to 10 rounds on tap before a reload.
I hope Taurus gets these to the dealers soon. The single stack 9mm is a good choice for concealed carry and if they work well on the range, Taurus may sell a bunch of these.
Taurus 738 TCP: .380 ACP Pistol Takes Aim at the Ruger LCP
Posted by: | CommentsTaurus introduced three versions of the TCP, or Taurus Compact Pistol, at the 2009 SHOT Show. The TCP, also known as the model 738, is a .380 ACP pistol clearly aimed at taking market share from the Ruger LCP.
The TCP is a very small, very thin, very light polymer pocket gun. The sights are described by Taurus as “low-profile,” but I would describe them as almost non-existent.
The Taurus TCP has a slide lock, ambidextrous magazine release, and a loaded chamber indicator. It holds six in the magazine, with an additional eight round magazine available. The TCP has a 3.3″ barrel and an overall length of 5.19″.
It is a double action only (DAO) pistol. The trigger pull was long and moderately heavy. I would have liked it a lot more with a shorter trigger pull with the same weight.
The TCP is the lightest gun that Taurus offers weighing only 10.2 ounces with a blued or stainless steel slide, and a mere nine ounces (!) with a titanium slide. The titanium slide version is so light, you might actually forget you are carrying it.
The Taurus TCP will be manufactured here in the United States. The Taurus rep on the show floor said pricing would be “around $300″ with the titanium model “about $100 more.”
The Taurus Judge Goes Tactical
Posted by: | Comments
Playing off the success of earlier Judge revolvers, Taurus introduced the tactical Judge at the 2009 SHOT Show. The Taurus 4510TKR-SSR and -BR offer a 3″ ported barrel Judge with a Picatinny rail for lasers and lights.
The new Judge chambers five .45 Colt cartridges or .410 (2.5″) shotshells. Standard on both the blued and stainless models are the red fiber optic front sight, fixed rear notch, and the Taurus Ribber grips.
Taurus reps said “around $500″ for the retail price on this new Judge.
