By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
I am not a video engineer, nor can I reliably analyze video footage. When the incident in Oregon involving the shooting death of LaVoy Finicum at the hands of Oregon state police took place last Wednesday evening, I only had an eyewitness account, and that account was that Finicum had two chances of surviving the encounter with the police and he messed both up.
I am not going to give my opinion of the incident because I have given it elsewhere at Rantburg and on my Facebook page.
Finicum didn't deserve the application of the death penalty.
What took place was was a blatant reminder of just how out of control the federal judiciary is, and especially in Oregon. The political masters of the US Attorney in Portland took a relatively minor fracus in the hinterlands of Oregon, inflated its importance by slapping a conspiracy label on it, thus making whatever was said on social media, and whatever was done a felony, armed police to the teeth and laid in wait for the Malhuer occupiers.
With predictable results.
The fact that every last Patriot and soul were not gunned down in cold blood is more a testament to the restaint of the police and their site commanders than to the federal judiciary, who set the events in motion that led to the death of Finicum.
In the final analysis, the shooting by police appears to be legal, but was just a few notches less than justified, and so the involvement of the police ended there in the cold, snowy forests of Oregon. "Just following orders" and so, a man is dead.
That Wednesday night when I went to the Facebook page of LaVoy Finicum, a number of others had already posted their opinion. Around 25 percent expressed their joy that a man was killed, and not just any man, a white, Christian man was gunned down.
I am not talking just about simple trolls. I have been writing quite a bit for Rantburg and for myself, and I can detect through language whether another writer is expressing an opinion to get a rise out of readers, or expecting a rise out of readers and expressing joy at a shooting death.
What I read was joy, unbridled and unabashed joy that a man was shot to death by the police. You have to wonder why any man would post such vile sentiments, but fortunately for us, they did let us all know why. He was white, Christian, rich and armed with a gun. Finicum had it coming, they said.
As I expressed to a retired USMC gunnery sergeant acquaintance Thursday night, those who said those awful sentiments are our domestic enemies. They do not want our guns, or our money, or anything else. They want, nothing more and nothing less, than our very lives, and if the police and American security forces can be moved to gun down their political enemies under the color of law, then it is all to the best.
The shooting in Oregon was about Thomas Jefferson's Tree of Liberty, which "must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." LaVoy Finicum's blood was used for that purpose. Can his political enemies who cheered his demise expect nothing less than to follow him into that good night?
Loads.
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Prices for pistol ammunition and for rifle ammunition were steady across the board.
Prices for used pistols were mixed, while prices for used rifles were lower across the board.
New Lows:
None
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (8 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Quality Made Cartridges, Store Brand, FMJ, Brass, Reloads, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Quality Made Cartridges, Store Brand, FMJ, Brass, Reloads, .25 per round (From Last week: Unchanged (5 Weeks))
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Bud's Gun Shop, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Freedom Ammunition, Store brand, FMJFP, Brass, Reloads, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))
9mm Parabellum, 115 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Selway Armory, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Cased, .18 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Ammunition to Go, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Cased, .17 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))
.357 Magnum, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .28 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: J&G Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .25 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4Q, 2015))
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, steel cased, FMJ, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, steel cased, FMJ, .22 per round (From Last Week: -.02 Each)
.308 NATO 150 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (8 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammunition Supply Company, Tulammo, steel cased, FMJ, .37 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Vizards Guns and Ammo, Tulammo, steel cased, FMJ, .40 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
7.62x39 AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Munire USA, Wolf WPA, steel case, FMJ, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: TrueCaliber.com, Wolf WPA, steel case, .23 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4Q, 2015)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammomen, Federal, RNL .08 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Munire USA, Aguila, RNL, .08 per round (From Last Week: +.01 Each))
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $580 Last Week Avg: $598 (-) ($616 (42 Weeks), $476 (18 Weeks))
California (182, 182): Smith & Wesson M&P: $600 ($650 (1Q,2015), $400 (21 Weeks))
Texas (226, 228): Smith & Wesson M&P: $575 ($700 (47 Weeks), $350 (42 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (96, 93): Ruger AR-556: $600 ($700 (41 Weeks), $300 (29 Weeks))
Virginia (120, 125): Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport: $625 ($750 (47 Weeks), $480 (7 Weeks))
Florida (301, 298): Smith & Wesson Model M&P15 Sport: $500 ($650 (31 Weeks), $380 (43 Weeks))
.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $955 Last Week Avg:$1,303 (-) ($1,359 (41 Weeks), $820 (17 Weeks))
California (46, 49): CMMG: 1,000 ($1,700 (4Q, 2014), $850 (26 Weeks))
Texas (68, 63): DPMS: $800 ($1,500 (4Q, 2014), $800 (25 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (24, 20): DPMS: $1,000 ($1,500 (47 Weeks), $700 (18 Weeks))
Virginia (30, 34): DPMS Panther Arms AP4 LR-308: $1,000 ($2,750 (2 Weeks), $800 (13 Weeks))
Florida (60, 67): PTAC TAC10: $975 ($1,500 (4Q, 2014), $500 (17 Weeks))
7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $570 Last Week Avg: $580 (-) ($626 (43 Weeks), $450 (28 Weeks))
California (53, 54): Zastava Opap: $600 ($700 (45 Weeks), $320 (4Q, 2014))
Texas (46, 48): WASR 10: $800 ($800 (3 Weeks), $350 (3Q, 2014))
Pennsylvania (42, 48): I.O. AKM-247: $400 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $375 (37 Weeks))
Virginia (46, 52): AK: $500 ($625 (48 Weeks), $350 (50 Weeks))
Florida (67, 70): CAI: $550 ($650 (41 Weeks), $300 (4Q, 2014))
30-30 Winchester Lever Action Average Price: $378 Last Week Avg: $380 (-) ($489 (49 Weeks), $296 (31 Weeks))
California (10, 9): Marlin: $400 ($500 (26 Weeks), $180 (32 Weeks))
Texas (21, 20): Winchester Model 94: $340 ($550 (48 Weeks), $300 (1Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (19, 17): Winchester Model 94: $350 ($450 (1Q, 2015), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Virginia (12, 10): Marlin 336CS: $450 ($475 (7 Weeks), $250 (9 Weeks))
Florida (19, 18): Winchester Model 94: $350 ($500 (48 Weeks), $250 (34 Weeks))
Pistols
.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $455 Last Week Avg: $460 (-) ($460 (2 Weeks), $350 (17 Weeks))
California (145, 143): Rock Island Armory: $500 ($600 (49 Weeks), $300 (27 Weeks))
Texas (172, 172): Citadel 1911: $400 ($600 (4Q, 2014), $325 (23 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (126, 135): Regent 1911: $550 ($550 (39 Weeks), $300 (33 Weeks))
Virginia (135, 132): Kimber: $425 ($550 (41 Weeks), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Florida (305, 298): Rock Island Armory: $400 ($475 (2 Weeks), $250 (46 Weeks))
9mm (Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic) Average Price: $318 Last Week Avg: $328 (-) ($336 (44 Weeks), $268 (22 Weeks))
California (118, 125): Smith & Wesson SD9VE: $340 ($450 (49 Weeks), $200 (12 Weeks))
Texas (163, 177): Smith & Wesson SD9VE: $300 ($355 (48 Weeks), $200 (21 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (160, 166): Ruger P95: $300 ($350 (4Q 2014), $200 (28 Weeks))
Virginia (162, 160): Ruger P95: $350 ($425 (5 Weeks)), $250 (28 Weeks))
Florida (325, 342):Canik TP9SA: $300 ($375 (4Q, 2014), $220 (21 Weeks))
.40 caliber S&W (Glock or other semiautomatic) Average Price: $360 Last Week Avg: $353 (+) ($399 (3 Weeks), $300 (3Q, 2014))
California (83, 83): Beretta PX4 Storm: $420 ($560 (3 Weeks)), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Texas (82, 84): Sig Sauer P250: $395 ($425 (4Q, 2014), $250 (7 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (62, 61): Smith & Wesson SW99: $300 ($350 (29 Weeks), $250 (49 Weeks))
Virginia (68, 62): Glock 22: $385 ($450 (38 Weeks), $275 (1Q,2015))
Florida (140, 133): Smith & Wesson SD40: $300 ($400 (49 Weeks), $200 (22 Weeks))
Used Gun of the Week: (Oregon)
Ithaca Flues Double Barrel shotgun Chambered in 16 Gauge
Chris Covert writes for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter.