By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
This week's insanity from the gun grabbing left comes from Connecticut, where last January 1st every owner of an "assault weapon" by the newly expanded legal definition had to be registered. At the time I wrote that the rumor was that the participation rate was somewhere around 10 percent. Just a rumor at that point, with the photo of a few Connecticut serfs standing in line to register their firearms circulating about the Internet.
Last week it came out that a total of 50,000 of those weapons had made it in in under the deadline. Two years ago Connecticut
It is unclear which number is the case, but even with the most optimistic estimate, it is clear the law has failed, which is a good thing. But news is that now Connecticut STASI are checking their records to identify which gun owners have failed to comply.
Given what we know about the failed Canadian gun registration program, and the attitude of nearly every AR owner on the planet, the participation rate may be half what BearingArms.com says it is.
The question then becomes, what does Connecticut do? They have three choices
1) They can move to repeal the law
2) They can double down and move to the next phase of gun confiscation (which I believe will happen eventually while this is state law)
3) Do nothing and allow state level law enforcement to jail whomever they can and leave the legal situation en situ.
From Gateway Pundit comes the news that the Obama Department of Veterans Affairs is sending out letters to disabled veterans warning them they may not be able to possess firearms. The letter appears to be a clear cut case of a violation of the 2nd Amendment right, but then I remember, we have no law in this country now with a presidential administration all too willing to pull new law out of its ass to suit its supporters' agenda.
Ammoland.com reports that signs at Alabama interstate highway rest stops ban guns, which is clearly illegal.
In a case of accidentally speaking the truth, one of the terminally fascist tweeted a statement that Oregon firearms owners are "pigs" and "need to be put down with your own ammunition". This is the main problem I have with those who would employ, happily, the national security apparatus against those who refuse to comply with their agenda goals, such as gun confiscation. Do you know what you become when you advocate using the raw power of the state against your fellow citizens? A target.
Loads
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Ammunition for pistol ammunition was mixed. Prices for rifle ammunition were mostly lower.
Prices for all classes of used firearms were mixed to mostly higher.
Pistol Ammo
.45 Caliber, 230 grain, From Last Week: -.03 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt, Tulammo, steel cased, .30 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Jack Ross Ammunition, No Label, reloaded, brass cased, .32 per round (Unchanged)
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (Unchanged, 3 weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Bang it Ammo, No Name, reloaded brass, .30 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Jack Ross Ammunition, No Label, reloaded brass, .32 per round (From Last Week: +.02 Each )
9mm Parabellum, 115 grain, From Last Week: -.06 Each (!) (After unchanged for 2 weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt, Brown Bear, steel cased, .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Freedom Munitions, No Label, Reloaded, .24 per round (Unchanged 2 weeks)
.357 Magnum, 158 grain, From Last Week: +.04 Each (After unchanged (Two weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Wideners, Federal CCI, reloaded, .44 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 Rounds: Bulk Ammo, PMC, .56 per round (From last week: +.03 Each)
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 grain, From Last Week: -.04 Each (-.05 Each over 2 weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt, Tulammo, steel cased, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Bulk Ammo, Brown Bear, HP, steel cased, .30 per round (Unchanged after +.02 Each)
.308 NATO 145 grain, From Last Week: -.05 Each (Unchanged 6 of 7 previous weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Munire USA, Prvi Partizan, brass cased, .64 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Ammunition to Go, Prvi Partizan, brass cased, .65 per round (Unchanged from last week)
7.62x39 AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each (Unchanged previous 4 of 5 weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Alamo Ammo, Wolf Polyformance, steel core and case, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: The Sportsman Outdoor Super Store, Wolf, steel core and case, .22 per round (Unchanged)
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (From Last Week: +.03 Each)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammo Fast, Aguila Superextra, .12 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Ammo Fast, Aguila Superextra, .17 per round (From Last Week: + .05 Each, (After unchanged previous 3 weeks))
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $782 Last Week Avg: $770 (+)
California: Bushmaster (Carbon Fiber): $750 (same Gun)
Texas: Mixed Build (PSA Lower): $800
New York: Mixed Build: $900
Virgina: Palmetto State Armory: $660
Florida: Bushmaster XM-15: $800
.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $1,400 (!) Last Week Avg: $1,100 (+)
California: DPMS: $1,400
Texas: Bushmaster: $1,300
New York: None Available
Virginia: Smith & Wesson M&P10: $1,400
Florida: DPMS: $1,500
7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $690 Last Week Avg: $755 (-)
California: Saiga: $700 (possibly same gun)
Texas: CAI M-92: $800
New York: WASR: $800
Virginia: CAI VZ-58: $500 (!)
Florida: Romak: $650
7.62x54mm (Dragunov Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $1,545 Last Week Avg: $1,495 (+)
California: Romak PSL: $1,689 (Same Gun)
Texas: None
New York: None
Virginia: None
Florida: Romak: $1,400
Pistols
.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $518 Last Week Avg: $624 (-)
California: Rock Island Armory: $450
Texas: Girsan MC1911SHC-G2: $440
New York: Remington Rand: $750
Virginia: Rock Island Armory: $450
Florida: Regent 1911 (Stainless): $500 (Same Gun)
9mm Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic Average Price: $395 Last Week Avg: $450 (-)
California: Ruger P85: $375 (Same Gun)
Texas: Ruger (94: $320
New York: Glock 19: $405
Virginia: Glock 26: $450
Florida: Ruger P95: $425
.40 caliber S&W (Glock and other semiautomatic) Average Price: $442 Last Week Avg: $425 (+)
California: Glock 23: $485
Texas: Bersa Thunder 40: $450
New York: Ruger P94: $400 (Same Gun)
Virginia: Smith & Wesson: $450
Florida: bersa Thunder: $425
Used Gun of the Week: (From Florida)
UZI Model B (Semiautomatic) Chambered in 9mm Parabellum
Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com.