Good or Bad for the Jews

"Good or Bad for the Jews"

Many years ago, and for many years, I would travel to Morocco to visit uncles, cousins, and my paternal grandmother. Some lived in Tangiers;...

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Thank You Second Amendment!

I am busily writing a couple of posts, one on free trade and one on the atrocity in Istanbul, but as we approach July 4, I wanted to put up a little "Thank You" to the Founding Fathers for the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

I have the good fortune to live in a suburban/rural part of the country. It's in Blue California, but this corner of it is more akin to Texas, to wit, lots of pick-up trucks with American flags, lots of veterans, and, surprising for California these days, several excellent gun stores. For the last few days I had suffered from an itch that could only be scratched with the purchase of a quality firearm.

I had been looking for either an AR-15 or an MP-15. Sold out.

I switched my search to a revolver and was debating between the Ruger GP100 .357 and the Smith & Wesson 686 .357. That also proved tough--as one gunstore salesman told me, "Every time Obama talks about guns, we sell out." But the gods of firepower finally deigned to smile on me, and I got a tip that a store in Temecula had a lightly used 686 at a good price. I tore over there in the ol' Mustang GT, and, indeed, there sat a stainless 686 on the shelf! I wasted no time letting the very amiable salesman know that I wanted it. He then proceeded to fill me in on how to purchase a handgun in California.

The process is not very onerous, but it is irritating because you know that not one life will be saved by it.

I had to prove that I lived in California--driver's license and car registration did the trick--and fill out an absurd questionnaire mostly having to do with any convictions or restraining orders for domestic abuse. It even asked me if I were in the country illegally. After I answered all that nonsense, the salesman told me I had to take a 30 question test. I could go home and look up the booklet online on which the test was based, and study it, or I could take my chances right there. I decided to go for it. Went off to a little classroom in the store, sat down, and took the test. The 30 questions ranged from the idiotic to the obvious by way of a couple of trick ones meant to trip up people who read too quickly. I got 29 right; I missed the one about whether a sibling can transfer a gun to another sibling--that is not allowed in California, only a parent may transfer a gun to a son or a  daughter. Each of these steps, by the way, had a price tag, so the State of California gets not only the sales tax but fees for the background check and the test. I then had to sit through a 30-second safety presentation by a licensed trainer, sign that I had sat through it, and then, and only then, was I allowed to plop down my money. I was also required to buy a lock, which the salesman threw in for one cent.

Now this ain't Florida, so I wasn't going to walk out the door with my possession. I have to wait ten days; I can pick up the 686 on July 9 after 11:20 am. Assuming I am not on some mysterious list, I should be able to add this toy to my collection shortly after Independence Day.

After all this, I engaged the store folks in a little chat. Gunstore owners are some of the nicest people on earth. They told me that last Thursday they sold their entire stock of 18 AR-15s and 3 MP-15s. They were almost completely out of Glocks, I had just purchased their last S&W, and Ruger had a huge waiting list. They had a few Charter Arms semiautomatics, one Kimber .45, and some assorted H&K pieces here and there. Lots of shotguns, however. The factories are way behind in meeting the demand. The store had a steady flow of customers, many of them leaving disappointed that their desired weapon was sold out.

Restores your faith in America.

23 comments:

  1. You get buy an AR15 from Cheaper Than Dirt et al and have it shipped to your local gun dealer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Buy from them or Buds & pay shipping fees plus a high transfer fee bc that's how we FFLs make money from people like you & CTD makes their margin from the shipping overage you pay; we as a FFL refuse to sell to Californians bc there are too many unknowns for us accidentally selling a gun that we shouldn't (i.e. isn't legal in CA & keeping track of every state's law is a waste of our time given we get plenty of business from our own state).

      So yeah, buy from CTD & think you're getting a deal. Rarely you are. And for sure you're not building a relationship with your local FFL who'll set aside ammo for you or call you when something cool comes in, or give you the good guy price bc you're a repeat customer.

      Delete
  2. Congrats on the S&W 686, I purchased a GP100 for my first handgun after 9-11-01 & carried that in the non-summer months in Minnesota after carry was passed here. The Smith will do you right but also consider a semi with a higher capacity. Enjoy your blog immensely and keep up the good work...Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wanted the 686 seven round version but, well, in these times of Obama you take what you can get. I have several semis in 9mm, .40, and .45, but I somehow keep getting drawn back to classic revolvers, esp S&W. I wanted to try the GP100 as I have some excellent Ruger semis, but, well, sold out. The only drawback to the 686 I bought is that it's the 6" barrel version whereas I wanted a 4". But, that's the way of the world nowadays.

      Delete
  3. So much of California is much like Texas, very down-to-earth, common sense.There are the blighted/benighted areas, and the rest of the state, suffering, waiting to see whether the scourge will pass away once the economy has been destroyed, or perhaps they'll have to join the throngs of refugees headed to Texas. We, of course, hope that they don't bring socialist voting patterns with them, as happened to Colorado.Otherwise, y'all come on iiun!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I got the same score / same question wrong!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the 686; and I am sure you will as well. They are a very good thing.

    I am pretty sure in your place I would have added the Kimber onto the sales docket as well.

    Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  6. with this blog, just know yer on their list.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd have thought shotguns were pretty handy for home defence. I'm sure lots of rural Britons keep them for that purpose, among others.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Handy enough for home defense, but not so useful if we need to use them, um, civically. That is the reason, after all, that we have the Second Amendment.

      Delete
    2. I'm puzzled about using revolvers "civically". I'd have thought RPGs more useful. Or anything that you can easily convert into an IED. Probably I didn't understand your euphemism.

      Delete
    3. Re-read the last bit of Solzhenitsen's Gulag Archipelago, the part about waiting in hallway with fireplace pokers, etc, to understand why variety is the spice of life. The Second Amendment was put in there to ensure that the people would be as dangerous as the government.

      Delete
  8. Before you get too excited about living in Kalifornia and your Second Amendment rights, be advised that the legislature is preparing to strip many of your 2A rights:
    https://www.firearmspolicy.org/alerts/breaking-they-will-vote-for-gunpocalypse-tomorrow/

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have no interest in owning guns at all.

    However, the freedom to think differently from me, and to own the arms you wish is critical to our nation. Despite the continual efforts of governments and the Left to obstruct or deny that freedom.

    Graham

    ReplyDelete
  10. Even though Oregon is a blue state, we have been able to resist much of the nonsense that is present in Calistan. I recently have purchased a couple of Walther CCP's for carry use by just filling out the ATF 4473, with no wait period, and yes I have obtained a Oregon carry permit, where it is nearly impossible to obtain carry permits in Calistan unless your a celebrity, or large Democrat donor, both are one in the same. Also, of note Calistan has a list of "Permitted" firearms, my Walther's while being only 8 shot single stack semi-autos are not on that list. I also have a Sig P250 on order, but like a you mentioned in your post, everytime Obama opens his mouth about guns... It is increasing difficult to special order a firearm, because stocks are quickly depleted. Back in the bad old days of G.W.B. I special ordered and would have it in a week or two.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Florida resident. Can't walk out with a gun on the day of purchase unless you are a concealed carry permit holder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep. When I lived there I had CC permit. It was wonderful--and I didn't kill anybody, either.

      Delete
  12. Florida resident. Can't walk out with a gun on the day of purchase unless you are a concealed carry permit holder.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm a big fan of the Ruger GP-100. I'm sorry you had to "settle" for the 686. :)
    I'm not surprised the GPs sold out.
    WA State residents w/a concealed weapons permit, can also walk out with a gun on the day of purchase, like those in FL can.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You should give HK a try. I carried a USP45F as my duty weapon for 14 years. I think you will quite like them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never tried an HK. Must put it on my list.

      Delete