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Tag: gun

  • Miami Shooting: 2 Dead In Troubled Neighborhood

    A Miami shooting early on Tuesday left two people dead and several others injured. The shooting took place in Liberty City, a neighborhood in Miami that is known for excessive violence and rampant crime.

    Neighbors were saddened, but not shocked. Resident Jose Hernandez said gun violence is pretty much a daily ritual in the area.

    “I have friends who have been killed,” Hernandez said. “This violence has to change.”

    Local police know that things have to change, but will have to continue to re-evaluate their strategy.

    “We have reached a tipping point in the district where the criminal element has no fear of our police officers and are beginning to act with impunity,” said the release signed by Miami police Sgt. Javier Ortiz. “Folks, people are getting killed in groups three blocks outside of our police station. If this isn’t a wake up call to our stakeholders, I don’t know what is.”

    The street was full of shell casings and onlookers later on Tuesday morning as police continued their investigation.

    Miami City Manager Daniel Alfonso disclosed that those killed include a 20-year-old man and a teenage girl. Police officials say a 17-year-old girl was critically wounded in the shooting and several others were hit also.

    As residents stood around the scene of the Miami shooting, a woman could be heard crying and yelling, “My baby ain’t deserved this. They treated him like a dog.”

    At this pont police still don’t know what happened at the scene and say many area residents are afraid to speak to authorities.

    Police spokeswoman Frederica Burden said of the Miami shooting,”I’m not sure how it occurred. We’re investigating it now. I don’t know if they were all outside standing, some in a car, some not in a car. I don’t know that yet.”

    A sad story. Hopefully, this will indeed be the wake up call that is needed for some changes in local law enforcement.

    Image via YouTube

  • Wyatt Earp Gun Sells For $225,000

    A gun, thought to have been carried by Wyatt Earp during the O.K. Corral shootout in Tombstone, sold at action for $225,000.

    On Thursday, J. Levine Auction & Appraisal announced that they would be having several of Earp’s items for sale at the auction block. Among those items was the Colt .45 revolver.

    The gun, purchased by a telephone bidder from New Mexico, was originally valued between $100,000 and $150,000, and came with a signed affidavit, signed in 1994, declaring its authenticity. There is also a signed letter from Colt stating that the make of the gun coincides with the time Earp was involved in the gunfight.

    The items, which also included his Winchester shotgun and his brother Vigil Earp’s revolver, were owned by the estate of Glenn Boyer, who died in February 2013. Boyer was an author from southern Arizona, who wrote several books about Earp.

    According to Earp’s biography, he was a “frontiersman, marshal, and a gambler,” who’s known for his legendary gunfight at Tombstone.

    Wyatt Earp was born March 19, 1848. One of the icons of the American West, he worked for the law and helped tame the wild cowboy culture that pervaded the frontier.

    In Tombstone, Arizona, Wyatt got into a feud with a local rancher that resulted in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, perhaps the most famous gunfight in American history. Earp died in Los Angeles on January 13, 1929.

    All of Earp’s items, combined, brought in over $445,000.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Navy Railgun: Futuristic Weapon Will Undergo Sea Trials in 2016

    A high-speed electromagnetic weapon is something you would think only exists in your dreams. Yet, the U.S. Navy has finally designed an inexpensive futuristic gun that has brought science fiction to life.

    According to Reuters, the railgun can fire “23-pound (10-kg) projectile at seven times the speed of sound using electromagnetic energy.”

    An electromagnetic energy known as the Lorenz Force creates a magnetic field that can fire the projectile with the lowest possible recoil.

    Compared to a missile, this new weapon’s projectile only costs $25,000. A missile usually ranges from $500,000 or more.

    Unlike a missile, the railgun carries a magazine that never runs out.

    Chief of Naval Research, Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder, says this is definitely the weapon the U.S. military will need to defeat enemies in war.

    “It will help us in air defense, it will help us in cruise missile defense, it will help us in ballistic missile defense,” he said. “We’re also talking about a gun that’s going to shoot a projectile that’s about one one-hundredth of the cost of an existing missile system today.”

    The electromagnetic railgun-which the Navy hopes to officially implement in 2018-has already been tested on land and now is being prepared for sea trials in 2016.

    Two prototypes by BAE Systems and General Atomics have been used for testing. The Navy has decided to use BAE’s railgun for the second phase in trial and development.  

    The railgun’s projectile consists of 32 megajoules of force, which one official says one of those can “move a one-ton object at about 100 mph.”

    Klunder later told sources: “That … will give our adversaries a huge moment of pause to go: ‘Do I even want to go engage a naval ship? You could throw anything at us, frankly, and the fact that we now can shoot a number of these rounds at a very affordable cost, it’s my opinion that they don’t win.”

    Check out the railgun blow up stuff: 

    Image via YouTube

  • Mikhail Kalashnikov Mourned the Deaths Caused by His Invention

    The deceased Russian designer of the Ak-47 may have just felt guilty months before his death in December.

    According to a heartfelt letter to Russia’s Orthodox Patriarch in April 2013, Mikhail Kalashnikov pondered on the notion that he may be guilty in the eyes of God.

    The head churchman accepted the plea with immense support, for the Russian Orthodox Church honors and recognizes those who protect the state.

    In 2006, Kalashnikov wrote a letter to the United Nations addressing the sorrow he felt in regards to how the rifle was a major culprit to war casualties.

    However, in 2007 his interview with the Associated Press portrayed such indifference.

    When asked if he sleeps well at night, he was confident that it didn’t trouble him.

    “I sleep well. It’s the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence,” he said.

    The pioneer usually blamed politicians for the usage of his machine gun in war and combat, but in a revealing repentance letter to his church before his death at 94, it shows a different side of him:

    “If my rifle took lives, does it mean that I, Mikhail Kalashnikov, aged 93, a peasant woman’s son, an Orthodox Christian in faith, is guilty of those people’s deaths, even if they were enemies.”

    His daughter Elena disclosed that she believes a priest helped her father write the letter being that she has assisted him in the past.

    “I have been in charge of his letters in the recent years but I did not take part in this one,’” she told Daily Mail.

    His last written thoughts on the matter displayed just how much Kalashnikov was concerned about the destructive purpose that the Ak-47 served:

    “The longer I live, the more this question drills itself into my brain. And the more I wonder why the Lord allowed man to have the devilish desires of envy, greed and aggression.”

    Although Kalashnikov was born into a Christian home, he matured into adulthood with atheist beliefs. It was not until age 91 that he decided to rededicate his life to God, which may have been what led to his change of heart.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Magpul Leaves Colorado Due To New Gun Law

    Gun accessories maker Magpul Industries is leaving Colorado. The company has decided to relocate its operation to Texas and Wyoming following Colorado state’s  gun control legislation enactment last month. The gun control law includes restrictions on how many bullets can be loaded into a magazine.

    Last year, following the Denver shootings, Gov. John Hickenlooper and the Democrat-led legislature enacted a law that prevents the sale of magazines with more than a 15-rounds capacity.

    Magpul CEO, Richard Fitzpatrick, announced that the relocation was necessary for growth.

    “Moving operations to locations that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “Moving to a true multi-state operation will also allow Magpul to utilize the strengths of both Texas and Wyoming as we continue to expand.”

    The departure of Magpul will result in Colorado losing up to $85 million in economic contributions and about 400 people will be out of a job. Sources say the company plans to set up its manufacturing plant in Cheyenne, Wyoming whilst its headquarters will be in Texas. The company also plans to lease a 58,000 square foot building for a period of 2-3 years while they construct a 100,000 square foot building that will form part of the Cheyenne commercial facilities.

    Wyoming governor, Matthew Mead welcomed the move saying Magpul and Wyoming are a great match. Gov. Mead said that Wyoming offers great tax environment to Magpul as well as a  stable legislation environment.

    The governor of  Texas Rick Perry had earlier openly encouraged gun manufacturing companies to move their operations to more friendly states in February:

    “You may choose to consider relocating your manufacturing operations to a state that is more business-friendly,” the governor wrote in a letter sent to a dozen gun manufacturing companies.

    Magpul will not completely move out of Colorado, it will maintain limited operations in the state as it still has a significant number of clients there.  Some 96% of its employees plan to relocate outside Colorado in the next 12-16 months.

    Image via Wikipedia

  • Mikhail Kalashnikov, Pioneer of AK-47 Dies at 94

    Russian gun designer Mikhail Kalashnikov died on Monday 23 at the age of 94. He was well known for his creation of the AK-47, which became one of the most abundant machine guns that has ever been used in combat and war; especially in World War II.

    The AK-47 (AK being an acronym for “Kalashnikov’s machine gun” and 47 the year it was introduced to the gun market) is what the late designer said to be simple but yet reliable and effective.

    According to CNN “Kalashnikov designed his first machine gun in 1942 after suffering injuries as a tank commander for the Soviet Union’s Red Army during World War II, but it wasn’t until 1947 — after years of tweaks — that the AK-47 was introduced for Soviet military service.”

    During the 1950s, the AK-47 was used prominently as the standard firearm in the Soviet Union, but newer models ceased production in the 1960s.

    Kalashnikov also was the unofficial arms ambassador of the Russian state and “used public appearances to try to cast the AK-47’s checkered legacy in a positive way and to complain that knockoffs were being manufactured illegally by former Soviet allies and cutting into Russian sales.”

    Originally, Kalashnikov created the weapon to be used in the protection of his homeland and not for thugs or terrorists.

    “This is a weapon of defense,” he said. “It is not a weapon for offense.”

    However, when asked how he felt about his invention being the culprit of so much bloodshed, he wasn’t too move by the though. (image)

    “I sleep well. It’s the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence,” he told The Associated Press in 2007.

    Kalashnikov died Monday in a hospital in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia republic where he resided.

    His health conditions that lead to his passing is unknown.

     

    Image via Youtube, Euronews

  • Starbucks Asks Patrons to Leave Guns at Home

    Starbucks, whose website is presently down, has entered the American gun debate by asking customers to leave their firearms at home. As more a gesture than anything, Starbucks employees won’t say anything to customers who don’t abide by the gun request, and no signs will be posted concerning the new stance.

    “We are going to serve them (gun-toting customers) as we would serve anyone else,” Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said, adding that “there are going to be people on both sides who will be disappointed or angry, but we’re making a decision we think is in the best interests of our customers, employees and the company.” The majority of domestic Starbucks stores lie in states with open carry laws, and pro-firearm activists have long used the coffee huts as “a political stage for media events misleadingly called ‘Starbucks Appreciation Days’ that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of open carry,” according to Schultz.

    While nothing specific was mentioned regarding what might have prompted an actual stance on the open carry matter, it’s a good business practice to disassociate a product with gun violence, especially with the recent Navy Yard shooting.

    Schultz adds, “I want to make it very clear that Starbucks is not a policy maker and as a company we are not pro- or anti-gun. However, there have been a number of episodes over the course of the last few months that have put us in a position to take a big step back and assess the issue of open carry.”

    In related Starbucks news, it was recently found that a shop in Hong Kong was using toilet water to brew its coffee. A spokesperson for Starbucks explained that the particular Starbucks location used the toilet water because it was the closest source.

    Starbucks is based in Seattle, and presently operates 20,891 stores in 62 countries

    Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

  • American Company Building Super-Gun

    A company called TrackingPoint, that previously made the world’s first Precision Guided Firearm (PGF) system, has announced it is working on a new “Super Gun” capable of consistently hitting a target at over 3,100 yards, or farther than the longest confirmed long-range small arms shot of all time. The Super Gun would build upon the company’s existing technology, currently available in its Precision Guided Firearms, to create the world’s most advanced PGF weapon.

    But you can’t have one. TrackingPoint’s Super Gun initiative would not result in a commercially-available rifle, although the company is having an internal discussion about how to apply the technology once it has been proven. The company has released various blueprints and sketches on its Labs blog that indicate how the PGF optics could be applied to a McMillan .50 caliber rifle.

    PGFs are not just long rifles. The setup often includes a heads-up screen, guided trigger system, and can even be set up for wireless operation, functioning over wi-fi. Some can interface with smartphones and tablets.

    “As an applied technology company at the forefront of the firearms industry, we at TrackingPoint need to consistently push ourselves to innovate above and beyond even our own expectations,” said Jason Schauble, TrackingPoint Chief Executive Officer. “Our ‘Super Gun’ project will push the boundaries of perception in the firearms and shooting communities. In the process we hope to find inspiration for a whole new generation of tech applications.”

    The current record for a confirmed long-distance hit is held by a British soldier who shot 2,707 yards in November, 2009 during the war in Afghanistan. Unconfirmed claims have been made for a shot of 3,079 yards in October, 2012 by an Australian soldier using a .50 caliber rifle. The shot, if officially confirmed, will be the standard to which TrackingPoint holds its Super Gun capabilities.

  • Illinois: Concealed Carry Bill Confuses State Gun Laws

    Late last year, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down an Illinois state ban on carrying concealed weapons. The Illinois state government was given 180 days to end the ban, sending the state legislature into a legislative session filled with arguments about gun control. Though the legislature did manage to pass a law allowing concealed carrying of handguns with a license, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has not yet signed the bill.

    Now, with state law declared unconstitutional and new laws hung up in the governor’s mansion, individual counties are beginning to make their own law. Though the Supreme Court has granted Illinois an extension for modifying its existing laws, county attorney’s in several Illinois counties have now announced that current concealed carry laws will not be enforced.

    Last week, Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas Gibbons released an opinion on the matter, stating that citizens of the county can immediately begin carrying concealed firearms, with a few caveats.

    “It serves no just purpose to continue to deny responsible, law-abiding citizens their Constitutional right to bear arms,” said Gibbons. “Continuing to criminally charge citizens for conduct that is constitutionally protected and for which charges would, ultimately, be dismissed, would be unconscionable and a terrible waste ofjudicial resources. Therefore, we will no longer deny responsible citizens this important right.”

    Gun owners wishing to carry concealed weapons in Madison County must still possess an F.O.I.D. card or a valid permit from a state that performs background checks. They must also be carrying their firearm for self-defense only, must not be prohibited from carrying a firearm in another state, and must not be engaged in any criminal conduct. In addition, the firearm in question must be kept concealed from public view and law enforcement officers must be notified of the firearm when encountering a person carrying one in the course of their duties.

    This week, another Illinois county has decided not to enforce current Illinois gun laws. According to the Associated Press, Randolph County State’s Attorney Jeremy Walker on Tuesday made an announcement similar to Gibbons’, saying that “it is time to act.” Walker criticized the Illinois State Legislature for its hesitation on the issue, saying that it could have been resolved in January, when the legislative session began.

    In all other Illinois counties, state gun laws still prohibit concealed weapons, though the legality of the practice is effectively now in a grey zone. Governor Quinn has less than one month to sign the current bill or get the legislature to pass a new bill, as the court’s recent extension only gives the state until July 9 to comply.

  • Bowler Shoots Himself When Concealed Gun Goes Off

    A Florida man was wounded on Tuesday when the pistol he was carrying accidentally discharged while he was bowling.

    The man was bowling at the Jupiter Lanes Bowling Alley in Jupiter, Florida. Witnesses say that the gun, which was apparently in his pocket, was struck by the ball during the man’s backswing. The bullet grazed the man’s leg before lodging in the floor.

    According to local authorities the man, whose name has not yet been released, owned the firearm legally and had a license to carry it concealed. As such, they do not expect to file charges in the incident.

  • Pippa Middleton Facing Arrest Over Gun Incident

    Having ties to the royal family can often lead to disastrous media attention, and not even “Her Royal Hotness” can escape it.

    Pippa Middleton–who was the object of millions of ogles after sporting a derriere-flattering gown to the royal wedding last year–is now in some hot water after one of her friends pointed a gun at photographer who was following them in Paris this weekend.

    Middleton was in the passenger seat of a convertible with three male friends on Sunday when the driver took out a gun and aimed it at a French photographer who was behind the car. Although it appears he did it with cheeky intentions–and it isn’t yet clear whether the gun is real or not– the photographer didn’t appreciate looking down the barrel of a gun and is considering pressing charges.

    French gun laws are becoming more and more strict since the fatal shootings of seven Toulouse residents earlier this year, and officials say that if the gun proves to be real, all parties involved could face up to seven years in prison.

    “Waving a weapon in public is not only illegal — it’s incredibly stupid,” a security source said.

    (image)@jamestweeting
    James Hupp    Thank god. It’s been too long since the last good Franco-English war. RT @stefanjbecket: PIPPA NOOOOO http://t.co/AO4SD9CU(image) 44 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Margoandhow
    Margo Howard    I’ll bet the Palace is thrilled with this one. “Pippa Middleton Caught in Gun-Wielding Scandal” SHE could do time. http://t.co/q8H7Srrr(image) 8 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@mkmswain
    Marianka Swain    Interested to see tabloid coverage of Pistol Pippa. On the one hand, crazy gun-toting. On the other…well, she’s royal! #pippa middleton(image) 4 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Lifelike Portal Gun Toy Unveiled

    NECA has revealed a lifelike scale model of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device to delight of cosplay fanboys everywhere.

    The toy is to scale and features orange and blue LED lights and even makes a genuine firing sound when you pull the trigger.

    The gun does not fire actual portals, however. I don’t know if they just forgot to add this feature while spending most of their time trying to get the design accurate or what. But it is kind of a bummer.

    There have been some concerns about the low quality of sound coming from the device on the video. NECA has addressed these concerns in a Tweet, saying the poor sound quality is from the digital camera, not the device.

    @NECA_TOYS
    NECA    @Spindash54 the quality of the sound is great & loud. Video was shot w/ small digital camera. Not good for sound. Item is top notch 16 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Pre-orders for the toy have already been snatched up, but NECA assures enough units will be available for purchase. Stay tuned to their Twitter updates to grab the toy as it becomes available.

    @matthewrex
    Matthew Rex    @NECA_TOYS So…five online stores in the entire country get the preorders? And they all sold out in minutes? Great. 19 hours ago via Twitter for Mac ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @NECA_TOYS
    NECA    @matthewrex more like hours, not minutes and Amazon had a large quantity
    There will be other opportunities coming like I said 19 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    The toy retails for $140, leading me to believe it will be purchased exclusively by overweight 40-year-olds living in their mother’s basement. If this is you, please go on a diet before donning that skin tight orange jumpsuit at the next Comicon.

  • Santorum Fires Gun, Woman Yells “Pretend It’s Obama!”

    It’s well known that Rick Santorum has a lot of fans in Louisiana, whose primary will be held on Saturday. But an incident involving a suggestion for Santorum to pretend he was shooting President Obama has people wondering about those fans and just how hardcore they are in their political stance.

    While on a tour of the state, Santorum stopped at a firing range and used paper targets to fire rounds into. Of course, there were various members of the press present, and during the shoot an unidentified woman yelled out, “Pretend it’s Obama!”

    “It’s absurd,” Santorum said of the woman’s outburst when reporters told him about it. “No we’re not pretending it’s anybody but shooting pistols. It’s a very terrible and horrible remark and I’m glad I didn’t hear it.”

    (image)@lolpacorg
    lolpac.org    Just when you think the Republicans can’t get any lower- Woman Yells http://t.co/EFc92GoA via @toxichominid Unreal. #p2 #Decision2012 #ff(image) 1 hour ago via Tweet Button ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@jussomeinfo4u
    just some info 4 u    What a sic, vile person this is exactly Y the World is the way it is bcause of ignorant, senseless hatred of others? http://t.co/WOLJtILC(image) 1 hour ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto