Law Enforcement

WASHINGTON -- 2008 is ending as one of the safest years for U.S. law enforcement in decades. The number of officers killed in the line of duty fell sharply this year when compared with 2007, and officers killed by gunfire reached a 50-year low.

News of a man dressing up in a Santa suit and murdering nine people in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve dominated cable news headlines for days after the event. News reports suggest Bruce Pardo took as many as four handguns and a homemade flame-thrower to the home of his ex-wife's parents, where at least 25 people were enjoying a Christmas Eve party. Pardo shot at partygoers and burned down the house, murdering at least nine people before committing suicide hours later.

North Haven, CT, Dec. 22, 2008—Mossberg is the manufacturer of the only 12 gauge pump action shotgun ever to pass the stringent U.S. Military Mil-Spec 3443 standard. For 2009 Mossberg will make available select 590A1 models to the general public. All models will come standard with heavy-walled barrels, metal trigger guards and safety buttons in a Parkerized finish. A full range of sighting options will be available in front bead, ghost ring rear or 3-dot configurations.…

This roller-locked HK variant was Vector’s V-53, chambered for the .223 cartridge. This well-made rifle had a composite trigger-assembly housing, incorporating the pistol grip as well as holding all the parts normally contained in a sheet-metal housing.Takedown was much the same as for the .308 version, except the V-53 had only one pin holding the all-composite buttstock to the receiver. The recoil spring was not captive within the butt cover, as it was on the JLD rifle.

Our initial evaluation showed us a very well made rifle with a lot of aura and some mystery to its makeup. The rifle came with two barrels, the mounted one of 20.25 inch length for the Expeditionary Rifle, and one of 16.2-inch length that let us convert this rifle into the Recon Carbine.There was no magazine, and the operator’s manual even stated that it didn’t come with a magazine. But any AR-15/M16 mag would do, the manual told us, so we used the Bushmaster’s 10-shot one. It worked perfectly throughout our testing.

SOUTHPORT, CT – Ruger's SR9 pistol has been placed on the Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale within the State of California, as well as the Massachusetts Approved Firearms Roster.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Smith & Wesson Corp. announced that it has filled orders from three state agencies for duty firearms for its Military & Police (M&P) Pistol Series. Smith & Wesson has filled an order from the Washington Department of Corrections for 500 M&P pistols chambered in 9mm. In addition, the company also shipped 555 M&P357 pistols to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Services, as well as 100 M&P45 pistols to the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations. Each of the three agencies converted to the M&P pistols from non-Smith & Wesson firearms.

This gun has a street price around $750, and for that money the owner gets a tricked-out gun with a copy of the AK-74 muzzle brake and detachable top handle with fully adjustable aperture sight within the handle. This good-looking and well finished little rifle had a fluted, chrome-lined barrel. The barrel was 16 inches long with its permanently attached brake, and had a 1:9 inch twist rate. The actual barrel, without the brake, was 14.5 inches long. The mil-spec receiver had protective rails around the magazine release, and also had a forward-assist button. There was a deflection block to keep empties off the face of lefties.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SWHC) has recently filled orders for its Military & Police (M&P) tactical rifles.

MOLINE, Ill. — The Rock Island Auction Company has announced the firearms and estate of Wilbur Henry Hoffeld will be auctioned on December 6, 7, and 8, 2008 here. Proceeds from a portion of this auction will benefit the NRA Foundation. The auction will include more than 1,000 Colts, 8 Patersons, 2 Walkers, more than 350 Colt Percussions, more than 80 Colt Brevetes, more than 100 Colt First Generation Single Actions, dozens of 1877s and 78s, more than 300 Winchesters, 5 Henry Rifles, Civil War items, and more.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Salt Lake Tribune reports, 'As polls and pundits in recent weeks increasingly pointed to the election of Barack Obama as the next president, scores of Utahns flocked to gun stores.'

Barack Obama would be the most anti-gun president in American history. But according to the Brady Campaign, the NRA failed to deliver its “supposed block of single-issue voters” in Tuesday’s election. According to exit polls, the economy took precedence for many voters.