The Firearm Resource

Friends,

I’m sorry I have not had the opportunity to keep my site updated with new content these last few months.  I have recently joined the staff at Front Sight Nevada and have been busy moving my family and getting settled in.  Now that things have stabilized, I will once again post regular content to this site. 

As always, please drop me a line if you are interested in writing a firearms related article for publication on my blog.  Thank you for your patience!

To all my friends and readers:

It has been some time since I’ve posted to my blog. I’m sorry for my absence.

Since my last post, however, I have joined the instructor ranks at Front Sight Nevada. I have been busy learning the material required for my job while simultaneously unlearning a lifetime of bad shooting habits.
In April I hope to again write at least one article per week for this blog. If you want a particular topic covered, please feel free to drop me a request via email.

Please understand that I have not abandoned my blog - I’ve simply had to take care of more urgent matters.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, and to getting back into my writing.

Thank you,
Bill

The major retailers of gun parts are not secret industry information.  What is a secret is how to use them most effectively.  Here is something I do whenever I need to order gun parts from Numrich (or e-gunparts.com):

Use their website to create an account under your name.  Then shop for the parts you need.  When you are ready to check out, CALL THEM ON THE PHONE.  Do not, however, push any buttons to speak with anyone.  Just listen to their message.  They will say something like “If you prefer, hang up now and use code 4920 to get a shipping discount on our website…”

It amounts to $5.95 off regular shipping…so it’s usually free shipping for most orders! 

I will be creating a list of excellent parts suppliers as time allows.  There are so many great, small businesses that it is taking some time to compile the information.  Numrich’s and Brownells are great, but when you need that impossible to find little spring or whatever, it pays to have a rolodex full of places to call.  Look for that article in the next few weeks.

It is often thought that the NRA is the only pro-gun lobbying group in the nation.  I have heard people remark “What’s the NRA doing about…” or “I should join the NRA…” or “The NRA is…” whatever.  I believe the NRA is simply the best known pro-gun group in the country.  There are other groups who do as good a job as the NRA, and some who do better.

Not all groups have the same focus, either.  NRA is at its heart a firearms training organization.  It’s original purpose was to insure that generations of Americans would know how to handle firearms should the need arise to use them against the government…again.  After the American Revolution, firearms use by Americans slowly declined as more and more people moved to the cities.  The NRA was founded to teach these people how to shoot as they were not acquiring the skills from their families.  The NRA, in response to the changing American political environment, has gradually shifted toward more of a pro-gun lobbying group rather than a training provider.  They still offer the training, but if you were to ask anyone off the street what NRA was for they would most likely say they exist to protect the Second Amendment.

The newer groups that have come into existence have focused purposes, too.  I will list some of them below along with their core mission.  I encourage you to join these organizations and give them your support.  Why?  Because the NRA has a blighted history in their support of the Second Amendment.  They partially supported the Gun Control Act of 1968.  Additionally, they offered quasi-support for the Assault Weapons ban of the early 1990’s.  They have a tendency to “go along to get along” when dealing with the politicians in Washington.  For many, myself included, this tendency is not acceptable when the Second Amendment is concerned.  The other organizations listed below take a bit firmer stance on the support of our gun rights.

• Gun Owners of America  - The second largest pro-gun group after NRA, it is “a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue.  GOA’s Board is not satisfied with the “status quo.” Americans have lost some of our precious gun rights and WE WANT THEM BACK! This is why GOA is considered the “no compromise” gun lobby. “
• The Second Amendment Sisters - a women’s advocacy group that is dedicated to preserving the basic human right to self-defense, as recognized by the Second Amendment.
• The Second Amendment Foundation - is dedicated to promoting a better understanding about our Constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms. To that end, we carry on many educational and legal action programs designed to better inform the public about the gun control debate.
• Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership - To destroy “gun control” and to encourage Americans to understand and defend all of the Bill of Rights for everyone. Those are the twin goals of Wisconsin-based Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO). Founded by Jews and initially aimed at educating the Jewish community about the historical evils that Jews have suffered when they have been disarmed, JPFO has always welcomed persons of all religious beliefs who share a common goal of opposing and reversing victim disarmament policies while advancing liberty for all.

(continued below)

Obviously there are many more valuable organizations than those I have listed here.  These are just some of my favorites.  Look around locally, too.  There may be a 2A organization near you that would allow you to become involved in your hometown.

Take the time to support these groups.  Look beyond the NRA.  Learn what each group stands for and how it relates to your views on the Second Amendment.

I have received a great honor - I have been invited to attend Front Sight for an Instructor Development class. If successful, I will have the opportunity to train students at Front Sight as a range master, instructor, or shooting coach, along with all the other great instructors on staff. It is a very demanding class, and not everyone passes their first time through. I will give it my best and do what I can to succeed.

I will be there from Dec. 19 - Dec. 22, and will write a review and synopsis of my experience when I return. I know that many shooters dream of attending Front Sight, and I will write the review from a shooter’s perspective. Check back right before Christmas for the article. If you have any specific questions for Front Sight I would be happy to find out the answers for you and post them back.

If any of you have attended, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the experience. Please post them in the comments for everyone to read. Thanks!

In an ideal world, when a person is first exposed to firearms, they would be exposed to firearm safety, too.  Unfortunately, that is not always the case.  As an NRA instructor, I am constantly amazed when students in my class do not know the four rules of firearm safety.  And yes, NRA only stipulates three rules, but I add another….NRA omitted it for some reason.

If you do not know them already, or have persons in your household who do not have the rules for gun safety memorized, here they are in all their grandeur.  If you follow these rules to a tee, the likelihood of having a firearm related negligent discharge is reduced to almost zero.

***Notice I call it a “negligent discharge?”  Guns do not “accidentally” fire.  They are fired by a willful act, or a negligent omission of proper attention to firearm safety.  There are no gun accidents.

The Four Rules of Firearm Safety:

1.  Never load your firearm until you are ready to shoot it.

2.  Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.

3.  Always keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction - do not point it at anything you do not wish to kill.

And the rule I add -

4.  Know your target and what lies beyond it.

I encourage every gun owner to review the 4 rules of firearm safety every time they handle their firearms.  Talk about gun safety with your children.  Talk about gun safety with anti-gun wackos.  Practice gun safety yourself.  Spend the time and money to obtain firearms training.  Live by these 4 simple rules and your firearm experience will be much safer - and fun!

Each person who chooses to own a firearm tacitly accepts the responsibility to know how to use it safely.  Please pass this “safety reminder” on to all the firearm owners you know - and tell them why there are no “gun accidents.”

I have received numerous requests for information about specific firearms, articles on a wide variety of topics, and other articles not directly related to the stated purpose of this blog.  I aim to please, however, and have decided to expand the focus of the blog to include a wider variety of topics.

To this end, I will be adding categories for self-defense articles, shooting technique, and reloading.  As always, I welcome submissions from readers who want to write a firearm related article.  Just pick any topic and send it to me via email. 

Thank you,

Bill Kapeles

P.S.:  If you want something included in this blog that is generally related to firearms, drop me a line!

There is much concern these days regarding what Obama and Congress will or will not do. Similarly, many of us face adverse legislation in our state governments. This has lead to a massive surge in firearm purchases across the nation. This buying spree is based in fear and uncertainty and is not without some merit, but it is carrying with it a negative unintended consequence.

The net result of the negative effect I am seeing is the possible closing of many, many small firearms dealers. The buying public is going to accomplish what liberal legislators and the BATF&E have failed to do for years. How will this happen you ask? First let’s look at why this problem might come to pass.

The following is a sampling of comments I heard from my suppliers on Thursday and Friday (November 13th and 14th, 2008). They are listed in the format of source - “comment” - my thoughts.

• Davidson’s: “There just aren’t any hi-cap semi-autos or AR anythings available.” One of the nation’s largest firearms wholesalers is completely out of every AR product they carry, every popular hi-capacity semi-automatic pistol, and hi-capacity magazine. This is unheard of.
• Black Hills Shooter’s Supply: “There has been a rush on powder and components this week - I can’t even tell you when we’ll get more in.” One of the west’s largest wholesale distributors of reloading components and powder was almost completely out of powder, primers, and components. I tried to make a $4,500 order and they only had enough product for $1,750. This is the same company that just dropped Federal’s primers due to lack of availability.
  
• Acusport: “What the website shows we have is all we have.” I asked our sales rep if they would be getting more of certain products in soon and was given the above comment. I asked what he meant by that and he could only say that if we wanted items, we had better buy what they had now. I asked if they were planning to close operations and it was met with silence. That made me feel warm all over.
  
• Doublestar Corp.: “We should have some AR lowers available in 2 - 3 weeks.” I received this answer when I called to order 200 of them (most of which are pre-sold). I asked how they were getting product so quickly when other places are months behind (all AR lowers come from 5 different foundries). I was told that it was just an estimate and that’s what the sales staff was instructed to tell people.
• DPMS: “We’re 150,000+ rifles behind. It’s going to be a while.” Pretty self-explanatory.
• Rock RIver: “We are months behind in production - at least 6 - maybe as many as 12.” Thank God I’m not a big fan.

I believe these quotes illustrate the pattern that is being seen in the industry from every angle. No one has any product to sell. This happened basically overnight following the election. Of course, companies like Rock River, DPMS, and Doublestar were known to always run a little behind, but 12+ months behind in production is a bit severe. The worst part is that this instant scarcity is not restricted to the AR and other black rifle platforms. EVERYTHING is out of stock - unless you want a single action revolver or pump shotgun! (continued below)

The main question I have with regard to this buying frenzy is simple: How will it affect me as a gun dealer? The answer I have come up with is not reassuring. I believe the instant scarcity of supply coupled with the outrageous demand for most firearms will combine to form a serious problem for small gun dealers like myself. The issue at hand is the inability to restock inventory or to special order items for customers.

On its surface, the issue may not seem all that important. Consider, however, how a small business can stay open when it has nothing to sell? Popular wisdom will immediately answer that the business must find other product lines to carry them through the hard times. That is not possible for a small gun shop. The product lines are too restrictive. Relatively few people are buying knives - even less are buying standard shooting accessories, and most small shops do not have the space, traffic, or capital to expand into clothing, fishing, etc. What people want is guns - and lots of them. If the niche market small business owner, a.k.a. me, cannot supply firearms to their customer, their cash flow will decrease too far to warrant staying open.

Businesses such as mine will fare better, but only marginally. By offering gunsmith services and custom ammunition, I will be better prepared to deal with the decreasing cash flow situation - but only for a short while. I estimate that many small shops will start to fail in as few as 3 months. Businesses like my own may last 6 - 12 months. It all depends on one thing: how soon will the guns be back in stock?

The panic and fear Obama and his ilk have caused with respect to firearms will, of course, subside. Only a very foolish politician would mess around with gun control when the economy as a whole is in meltdown. The general opinion of people I speak to in my shop is that the Second Amendment is safe until at lease 2010. If he starts trying to play uber-liberal instead of doing what needs to be done for the economy, he will not get re-elected. Obama may be many things, but stupid is not one of them.

You, the American firearm consumer, need to step back, look at the situation as a whole, and STOP. Think before you run out and buy those 10 AR-15 lowers. Is it really necessary? Are you “getting them before they get banned?” Or are you making a bad situation worse? It is my belief that mass purchases of guns is not necessary at this time. They are not going to be outlawed tomorrow - or next month - or even next year. Let the gun makers catch up to the demand. Donate some money to Gun Owners of America, the National Rifle Association, or Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership - or any other pro-gun lobbying group.

If this trend continues, the small shops will fail. It’s a mathematical certainty. If it continues too long, even larger firearms related companies will go down. The makers can only manufacture so many firearms. Let’s all use our collective head to slow down and buy the available supply at a reasonable rate and keep the retail firearms industry healthy (and in business).

One of the most commonly replaced parts on any 1911 is the thumb safety. Unfortunately, the safety system on a 1911 can seem very complicated and you may be hesitant to work on it yourself. Rest assured, replacement of the safety is a simple task. Anyone can do it with a bit of patience and the right procedure to follow. Whether you are replacing the stock safety with an ambidextrous safety, or adding an extra-large single-sided safety, the procedure is basically the same. This guide will work on almost all 1911’s. If you are having difficulty removing any part of your pistol, stop and take the pistol to a qualified gunsmith. No operation in the tutorial should be difficult to complete. Here is how you do it:

First, make sure your pistol is unloaded. You may want to field strip the pistol to make it easier to handle, but that is not absolutely necessary. If so, remove the slide, barrel, and guide rod assembly. Remove the grip panels and set them aside.

Next, place the pistol’s safety halfway between “engaged” and “off.” It may be tricky to get it to stay in the middle position, so you may have to combine this step with the next one. (continued below)

Use a small drift (brass is preferable) to push the safety out of the frame of the pistol from the right side. If you have an ambidextrous safety, you must pull the right side out of the frame prior to using a drift to remove the left side (it should come out easily - no tool required). If you are having difficulty, check to make sure the safety is in the middle position. You may have to wiggle the safety slightly to get it to disengage.

IMPORTANT: Do not lower the hammer, pull the trigger, or otherwise mess with the pistol. Keep it in the same configuration as when you removed the safety.

To install the safety, gently slide the left side into the frame so the safety is oriented to the “middle” position of the safety detents - just like when you removed it from the frame. If you have an ambidextrous safety, insert the right side after the left side is in the frame. Make sure the safety is tight against the frame of the pistol (on both sides if applicable). IMPORTANT: The safety parts should go smoothly and easily into the frame. If there is much resistance, STOP and examine the parts. Make sure the beavertail safety has not been moved or that the trigger has not released the hammer. If you have problems inserting the parts, contact a local gunsmith or contact me and I will help you.

Reinstall the grip panels (keep in mind the grip panels hold the right side of an ambidextrous safety assembly in the frame) and reassemble the pistol (if it was field stripped).

Test the safety to make sure it functions properly. Cock the hammer, grip the pistol, and pull the trigger. The hammer should fall without hesitation. Next, engage the thumb safety, cock the hammer, grip the pistol, and pull the trigger. The hammer should not move at all, even with significant trigger pressure. Next, engage the safety, cock the hammer, DO NOT GRIP the pistol, and pull the trigger. Again, the hammer should not fall. It is important to test the operation of the safety with and without engagement of the beavertail safety. Failure to do so could lead to a negligent discharge and risk of injury or death. Always keep in mind that the safety systems on the 1911, and any other model pistol, are mechanical devices WHICH CAN FAIL. Do not substitute proper safe handling techniques with reliance on a mechanical safety. Always follow the four rules of gun safety:

1. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot (and kill).
2. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
3. Never load your gun until you’re ready to shoot.
4. Know your target and what lies beyond it.

Hopefully, you have removed and reinstalled your safety successfully. If you are having problems, I suggest you contact a local gunsmith, or get in touch with me and I will talk you through it.

*I purposefully left out photos for this article. If anyone wants them, they are available. I decided, upon review of the photos, that they did not do enough to illustrate this operation to warrant their inclusion. Please contact me if you would like photos.

It has been less than two days since Barack Obama won the presidency. I have already heard distressing news of price increases, shortages of “black rifle” parts, and more doom and gloom. Here is my take on what this election is going to do to gun ownership in this country and this country as a whole.

It is a foregone conclusion that some form of anti-gun bill will be forthcoming from Congress. I believe Obama will support ANY anti-gun legislation that arrives on his desk. The optimist in me hopes for nothing worse than an assault weapons ban of the sort passed under the Clintonistas. The realist in me believes it could be something as radical as a complete ban on semi-automatic firearms, as they have in Canada. Regardless, it is clear by his Senate and state voting records that Obama is the most anti-gun president to ever win the office.

I believe that members of Congress are already drafting the bills to raise our taxes and take our rights. When Obama takes the oath of office in January, the socialist legislation will be introduced, and will be signed by the president who seems to be hell-bent on taking us down a completely socialist road filled with loss of freedom, defamation of America, and a naive desire to make the world into one big happy family. In the past, I have not encouraged conspiracy theorists or radical conservatives in their propagation of New World Order theories. I’m starting to change my mind.

It’s enough to make me shake in anger and fear. Exactly what kind of CHANGE is coming? It cannot be good and it cannot be in the best interest of America. For these statements and others Obama has made throughout his campaign, I am bewildered that he was able to win the election - and even more so that people - my countrymen and women - actually voted for him.

Edited for content - “quote” from WP article has been removed after a reader informed me of its fictional origins (as found on snopes.com). My thanks to N.U.G.U.N. for pointing this out.

For these reasons, we as gun owners must fight the legislative process at it’s core - money. We must generously support organizations such as the NRA, Gun Owners of America, Jews for the Protection of Firearms Ownership, and others. They have the access to Washington to buy the votes needed to protect the Second Amendment. I know it sounds extremely cynical to equate lobbying and fighting the good fight to simple bribery, but I’m a realist. The only common good that socialist politicians support is their own. P.J. O’Rourke said it best - “When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.” So join the groups of your choice. I recommend the NRA and Gun Owners of America. They seem to offer the best return for the money.

If the bribing, or lobbying as it’s sometimes called, fails to preserve our Second Amendment rights, I believe the following will happen:

• All “assault weapons” will be outlawed;
• Costs of ammunition and firearms will skyrocket due to increases in the Federal Excise taxes on them;
• Private sales of firearms could be outlawed - no more selling a gun to a buddy or selling guns at guns shows without a FFL;
• All semi-automatics could be outlawed depending on the degree to which the politicians deny themselves financial gain.

The above results are just a few broad examples. Nothing is certain which is reassuring and terrifying at the same time. What can we do right now? I recommend the following actions:

• Hold on to the guns you have now. Do not sell any.
• Buy as many new guns as you can afford. Concentrate on semi-autos, AR-15’s, AK47’s, high capacity firearms, etc.
• Prepare to hide your firearms from the government. You should probably not talk about how many you have, what kinds you have, etc., with friends and relatives, either. You never know who will betray you when these weapons become illegal.
• Read my special report on long-term storage and caching of weapons due out in a couple weeks! Subscribe to my RSS fee to be notified of its release. It will tell you how to hide guns from everyone and keep them in prime condition for as long as needed.

Here are some links to the organizations I’ve mentioned in this article:

• National Rifle Association
• Gun Owners of America
• Jews for the Protection of Firearms Ownership

That’s the bottom line. It’s not pretty, but that’s what an Obama presidency will bring to gun owners. Keep reading this blog and others to stay abreast of the anti-gun legislation. As noted above, I will be releasing my free report on firearm caching and protection, along with many others. Subscribe to my RSS feed to get it as soon as it’s released.