By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
The week started out with the bad news that Mike Vanderboegh may not last out the summer. He has been sick with cancer, but has been spending his last few days trying to settle his affairs, including readying a book for publication.
For those who are not familiar with Vanderboegh, he was one of the two bloggers, the other being David Cordrea to uncover the Fast and Furious government sponsored gun running operation, which sold firearms to drug cartels, and then did not track them. At least one of the guns sold to the cartels (mostly the Sinaloa Cartel) was used to kill a US government agent.
It's good to be a US government agent, to conceive of operations that kill another US citizen, yet you and all who conspired get to walk away scot free. Had you or I run guns to "El Chapo", we would be spending time in federal prison. Sonsabitches will probably get an award for Fast and Furious.
The only redeeming news regarding Vanderboegh is that his son has taken over Vanderboegh's Sipsey Street Irregulars (SSI), and has a Facebook page.
We will definitely need SSI to continue, because this week Hillary's daughter, Chelsea informed her followers that now that late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia is gone, gun control can move forward.
Her statement presumes that gun control passes Congress, at the moment a long shot, that the law will be universally obeyed, and that any further laws passed by Congress will be obeyed. Laws, in my view, must have at their base consent of the governed, and firearms laws in their entirety do not. Even the Australians, who were beaten into accepting gun seizures, only gave up about 20 percent of their firearms. The law was a massive failure, being virtually ignored by the owners of the other 80 percent.
Connecticut, in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, with the political will to register AR semiautomatic guns, could not get more than 18 percent of firearms registered. The law was a massive failure. That failure should have been an embarrassment to the political leadership, but it is not. The last I heard, Connecticut government officials are still trying to figure out how to begin seizing unregistered firearms in the state.
As I have written elsewhere, there is a yawning gap between passing laws that 80 percent plus will ignore, and "gun control."
Loads.
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Prices for pistol ammunition were steady. Prices for rifle ammunition were mixed.
Prices for used pistols were lower across the board while used rifles were mostly higher.
New Lows:
None
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Cased, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, Reloads, .24 per round (From Last week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (8 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Freedom Munitions, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
9mm Parabellum, 115 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Bud's Gun Shop, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .17 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: J&G Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .16 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (6 Weeks))
.357 Magnum, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (7 weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: SG Ammo, 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 (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .21 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Hot Shot, FMJ, steel casing, .21 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each)
.308 NATO 150 Grain, From Last Week: +.03 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammunition Supply Company, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .37 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: J&G Sales, Tulammo, steel casing, FMJ, .34 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (6 Weeks))
7.62x39 AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: AmmoFast, Wolf WPA, steel case, FMJ, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Ammunition Supply Company, Wolf WPA, steel case, FMJ, .22 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (7 weeks))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammomen, Aguila, RNL .07 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 325 rounds (2 Cases Max): US Armorment, Federal Automatch, RNL, .07 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $585 Last Week Avg: $555 (+) ($616 (2Q, 2015), $476 (29 Weeks))
California (212, 207): Mixed Build: $525 ($650 (1Q, 2015), $400 (33 Weeks))
Texas (272, 273): Ruger: $600 ($700 (1Q, 2015), $350 (2Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (118, 122): Bushmaster ORC: $650 ($700 (2Q, 2015), $300 (41 Weeks))
Virginia (153, 149): DPMS Panther: $575 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $480 (19 Weeks))
Florida (317, 310): Smith&Wesson M&P15 Sport: $575 ($650 (43 Weeks), $380 (1Q, 2015))
.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $969 Last Week Avg: $985 (+) ($1,359 (2Q, 2015), $820 (28 Weeks))
California (53, 49): Palmetto State Armory: $950 ($1,700 (4Q, 2014), $850 (38 Weeks))
Texas (87, 82): DPMS Panther Oracle: $800 ($1,500 (4Q, 2014), $800 (37 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (31, 34): Armalite: $950 ($1,500 (1Q, 2015), $700 (30 Weeks))
Virginia (46, 46): CMMG: $950 ($2,750 (14 Weeks), $800 (25 Weeks))
Florida (52, 49): Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport: $1,195 ($1,500 (4Q, 2014), $500 (29 Weeks))
7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $596 Last Week Avg: $552 (+) ($626 (2Q, 2015), $450 (39 Weeks))
California (50, 47): IO: $600 ($725 (5 Weeks), $320 (4Q, 2014))
Texas (68, 63): Century/Zastava M70: $700 ($800 (15 Weeks), $350 (3Q, 2014))
Pennsylvania (52, 51): WASR 10/63: $550 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $375 (49 Weeks))
Virginia (42, 34): CAI AMD 65: $550 ($650 (5 Weeks), $350 (1Q, 2015))
Florida (98, 88): WASR 10: $580 ($700 (8 Weeks), $300 (4Q, 2014))
30-30 Winchester Lever Action Average Price: $371 Last Week Avg: $376 (-) ($489 (1Q, 2015), $296 (42 Weeks))
California (13, 12): Winchester Model 54 $350 ($600 5 Weeks), $180 (44 Weeks))
Texas (15, 15): Marlin 336W: $350 ($550 (1Q, 2015), $300 (1Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (23, 24): Winchester 94: $350 ($450 (1Q, 2015), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Virginia (6, 6): Winchester Model 94AE: $435 ($600 (10 Weeks)), $250 (21 Weeks))
Florida (19, 19): Mossberg 464: $370 ($500 (1Q, 2015), $250 (46 Weeks))
Pistols
.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $495 Last Week Avg: $510 (-) ($510 (3 Weeks)), $350 (26 Weeks))
California (164, 158): Rock Island Armory: $650 ($725 (6 Weeks), $300 (37 Weeks))
Texas (187, 160): Rock Island Armory: $450 ($600 (4Q, 2014), $325 (35 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (130, 120): Tisas: $400 ($550 (50 Weeks), $300 (45 Weeks))
Virginia (145, 143): Citadel 1911: $475 ($575 (12 Weeks)), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Florida (265, 269): Taurus: $500 ($500 (11 Weeks), $250 (1Q, 2015))
9mm (Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic) Average Price: $245 Last Week Avg: $246 (-) ($358 (7 Weeks), $245 (CA: $246 (1 Weeks)))
California (188, 170): Kahr CW9: $300 ($500 (8 Weeks), $200 (24 Weeks))
Texas (256, 243): Diamondback DB9: $275 ($355 (1Q, 2015), $200 (33 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (242, 211): Kel-Tec P-11: $225 ($350 (4Q 2014), $200 (40 Weeks))
Virginia (181, 171): Helwan: $189 ($425 (16 Weeks), $189 (3 Weeks))
Florida (399, 397): Kel Tec P11: $240 ($400 (6 Weeks), $220 (32 Weeks))
.40 caliber S&W (Glock or other semiautomatic) Average Price: $324 Last Week Avg: $344 (-) ($399 (14 Weeks), $293 (10 Weeks))
California (86, 86): Glock 22: $399 ($560 (15 Weeks)), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Texas (100, 93): Glock 23: $250 ($425 (4Q, 2014), $250 (19 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (70, 75): Beretta 9000S: $300 ($450 3 Weeks), $250 (1Q, 2015))
Virginia (52, 49): Smith & Wesson SDVE: $350 ($450 (49 Weeks), $275 (1Q,2015))
Florida (148, 143): Taurus PT 101 AF: $325 ($400 (1Q, 2015), $200 (33 Weeks))
Used Gun of the Week: (Indiana)
FN Herstal S.A.Fn5 Chambered in 5.7x28mm
Chris Covert writes for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter.