Firearms in America

by Erik  

The information contained on this site provides easy to understand information related to firearms, their use, and operation.


I do my best to provide unbiased information pertaining to different types of firearms, manufacturers, and laws.  Certain sections of this site focus on specific areas and topics related to firearms.  I only post information on topics and items that I can speak intelligently about.  If I am not educated on a specific topic or item then you will not find it here.

Now for the disclaimers; I am not a gunsmith, lawyer, law enforcement officer, or gun control lobbyist.  Nor do I play one on television.  Any information contained on this site contains no warranty or guarantee of any kind.  This site exists for the sole purpose of being useful to those who are less educated about firearms.

Gun shows: background check loophole

by Erik  

Many times over I hear liberals talk about how bad gun shows are. For whatever reason (probably the media) they are under the impression that some type of loophole exists where you can purchase a gun without a background check or waiting period.


There is some truth to this, but before we get ahead of ourselves, let's look at the laws concerning the sale of firearms in the state of Florida. All gun shops are licensed under a Federal Firearms License. Otherwise known as an FFL. The BATFE issues these licenses and requires that businesses or individuals which posses an FFL must sell firearms according to certain rules.

All FFLs must complete a form 4473 and an NICS background check. This goes for new and used guns, both pistols and rifles. So if you attend a gun show and buy a Glock from a gun dealer, you must submit a 4473 and have a background check pulled. If you DO NOT have a concealed carry permit, you will be required to wait 3 days. Which is actually 5 days because the day you buy and the day you pick up do not count.

If you have a concealed carry permit or trade a gun, you can take it home same day.

Here is where the loophole comes into play. Private parties are allowed to sell guns at gun shows. Person A holds up a home made sign which says "Glock 19 4 sale." Person B approaches, and the two parties agree to make a sale.

A private seller is under no legal obligation to perform a background check or collect any identifying information from the seller. Some sellers may request a copy of the buyers drivers license, but in the state of Florida they are not required to provide it for the sale.

The fact that this scenario occurs at a gun show is irrelevant. People sell guns privately online all the time and agree to meet in person to exchange money for guns. It is perfectly legal, and if I was so inclined I could sell guns from the trunk of my car.

So from the trunk of my car, or the middle of a gun show, selling guns privately is perfectly legal. It happens all the time, but the driveby media finds it convenient to blame gun shows and lead liberals to believe people are buying guns illegally at gun shows.

However, the communist state of California does not allow private sale among individuals. If I wanted to sell a gun to a friend, we would be required under California law to complete the transaction with an FFL.

Tools and chemcials for cleaning guns

by Erik  

There are a million products out there for cleaning guns. They range in price but they all yield the same end result: a clean gun. It's important to keep your guns clean and properly lubricated to ensure proper operation and life of the weapon. If you live in a humid climate you may want to consider oiling the exterior of your gun often to ensure it doesn't start to rust.


That being said, here is the mainstay of my gun cleaning tools/chemicals:
As far as cleaners go, I've tried many other things. Hoppe's Number 9, Gunzilla, and a handful of other CLP products. To me, nothing was noticeably better than the rest. I use the nitro solvent because the fumes are not acceptable (I say Windex, my girlfriend says Cinnamon). Unlike Hoppe's Number 9 which will peel wallpaper off the walls. Gunzilla works well, has no noticeable fumes, but was 3 times the price for a tiny bottle.

Boresnakes are awesome. While expensive, they are completely worth the money and will save you a lot of time and energy. Running a few or many patches down the barrel with a rod takes forever. It's a mess and it's cumbersome. A boresnake will do the same job in 10% of the time with no mess.

Pistols can be cleaned easily with the Hilco wipes. They are tough enough not to shred and the chemical smell is very similar to bubble gum. I have also used them to clean the inside of the upper receiver guns like AR-15s, UMPs, and most .22 rifles. However, there are some gun parts that will require some brush work to come completely clean. The brushes come in 3 flavors:
  • Plastic
  • Copper
  • Metal
The brush you will use is dictated by what you are trying to clean. Plastic brushes should be used on plastic parts. Carbon build-up on polymer frames, buffers, or other delicate parts should be cleaned only with plastic.

Copper brushes are good for metals which have any type of finish or parts which can wear down like springs or suppressor baffles. Copper brushes are abrasive enough to clean metal, but not hurt their finish or durability. The only downside to using copper brushes is that they are soft which makes them wear out faster. They also leave a gold-ish tint on most metal parts.

Wire brushes are for the heavy stuff. I use wire brushes for things like cleaning bolts, hammers, and other durable gun parts. With enough scrubbing, a wire brush will take the finish off your gun parts. With the exception of something like Nickel Boron which is applied electronically and holds up very well. Be careful what you use the metal brush on.

The Black Mamba gloves are very tough. I mean seriously, they are the toughest rubber gloves on the planet. I can rub the wire brush directly on them and they will not break or shred. However, they will break from the inside if you have long finger nails so make sure you don't. They make cleaning such a breeze. You don't have to worry about getting carbon or chemicals all over your hands and when your done, turn them inside out and throw them away. Well worth the money when cleaning multiple guns.

All moving gun parts should be lubricated with some type of gun oil. I use remoil because it works well and is cheap. Do not use grease unless specified by the firearm manufacturer. Carbon will stick to grease like glue and once the two mix it's an almost magical recipe for turning guns into jam-o-matics.

Last, the CRT-15 is an expensive tool used for cleaning the bolts and carriers of an AR-15. It works well and is very easy to use. Like I said, a little pricey, but worth it in the long run. It really saves some time when cleaning your AR-15.

Sandy Hook Shooting: New Gun Laws?

by Erik  

Here we go... of course myself and many others are shocked by the tragedy which happened at Sandy Hook elementary school. However, a big issue here is the media and politicians will spin this and other recent shootings into a reason to bad guns or at least tighten gun laws.

For all the hippies, gun-haters, and democrats, here is the reality of completely banning guns, and why it would never work:
  • Unconstitutional
  • Resistance from local Militias
  • Lack of funding/man power
  • NRA/Pro-gun lobbyist
Let's start by remembering that our country was founded with guns in mind. I'm not going to spend much time talking about the 2nd amendment, but it exists for a reason. If we abolish the 2nd amendment, we may as well get rid of the entire document all together.

Believe it or not, there are local militias in every state. The members of such militias have been recruiting and preparing for the fall of the government, post-apocalyptic event, or civil war. Militias are based on the fact that someone must remain in authority if the US government were to fail or turn against the US people. They are not going to hand over their guns without a fight.

It's no secret the government sucks at nearly everything they do. Social security, mortgages, and postal system are all failures. The programs are mismanaged and very close to bankrupt because of the way our government operates. If Obama were to wave a magic wand and immediately ban all guns, how would it be enforced? Are the police and military going to visit every household in the US and say "we are here to collect your guns, we know you have them." No way. They don't have the man power to execute such a program or the funding.

The NRA is very good at what they do. They employ some of the nations best lobbyist and have strong political support to help ensure we keep our 2nd amendment rights. Despite the media trying to persuade the general public that guns are bad, the NRA has a solid backing by millions of gun enthusiasts.

If there were ever a time when an assault weapons ban could pass it would probably be now. The only good thing about an AWB is that the NFA stuff would probably remained untouched. Why? The BATFE generates a large amount of revenue from all the tax stamps processed. While the government may be into making changes, it rarely involves changes that knowingly reduce their bottom line.

1 ... 29 30 31 32 34 36 37 38 39 ... 57