Re “Affordable 22 LR Revolvers: S&W’s Air Lite Redeems Itself,” November 2008
Your experience of having the Taurus gun “lock up” or “freeze” sounded very familiar. My Taurus Tracker in .44 Mag did the very same thing after I fired about 20 rounds and the firearm became warm. It was completely locked up. Two days later, cold to the touch again, it functioned properly. So far, Taurus has not responded to my letter asking for advice. Needless to say, our mutual experiences with this company’s products suggest strongly they are not reliable and could get you killed in an armed
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confrontation.
—Bill Kayser
Re “All Stand For President Obama!”
Downrange, November 2008
You were right about the election. I’ll commiserate with you now. Gun owners, and others with independent attitudes, are going to see the tools by which they might ensure the perpetuation of their individual freedom outlawed, for their own good, of course. This is just another wave in the sea change of the nation’s state of mind. Years ago I could see that freedom had become an unwanted responsibility and burden. It isn’t just Obama, but the attitude of enough Americans to sweep him, or another like him, into office. The Bill of Rights may survive this, but not unchanged. Most people don’t want or need guns because they can’t or won’t defend themselves. Aren’t there people employed by the city and state who are supposed to do that? It will take a while for the effect of this election to percolate down to the state and county level, but it will. The change will generate conflict between state and federal laws and require basic changes to federal law. But the people want security.
I lived in England for over a decade, 1981 to 1992. I owned numerous shotguns and two hunting rifles. I also owned four pistols. I was licensed for all of these, but if I had been English instead of a official visitor (by invitation of her Majesty the Queen) it might have been another story. I watched the new English laws of 1990 outlaw most repeating shotguns. I just transferred my BPS from my shotgun permit to my firearms permit, but then I already had a firearms permit to transfer it to.
Self defense with a firearm is not a right in England, just bad judgment. We’ll have that here given enough time. We already have that attitude in many places. More and more we are polarizing into the classes of sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves.
The level of violence world-wide is greater now that it was 150 years ago. Here, we haven’t yet felt the full impact of the transition from coke to meth. I don’t think we’ve even absorbed the full social and economic impact of the transition from heroin to coke and crack, and that happened over 20 years ago. We live in a world of denial and rationalization. We simply don’t want to know. We want the security of being herd animals, the safety of the flock. Our national attitude towards survival has changed. We want sheep herders and sheep dogs. We demand them to protect us from the wolves. Even just saying the magic word security helps. We want to be defended, and we don’t want to be held responsible.
I’ve never been a great fan of John McCain, and I don’t know exactly why. I do know he was not the dynamic and forceful leader we need. He often reminds me of someone only half resurrected. And this was our great hope against Obama, who is brimming with personality and ambition? It was going to happen. Obama promises a radical change in our national direction. This is the reining in of the “American Way” and a liberal move to adopt the more civilized “European Way.” I’m 71 years old. I worked as military enlisted, officer and contract employee for a major intelligence agency for 36 years. One thing they did do was teach me how to listen, read and evaluate BS.
The people just keep downsizing their dreams to fit their bellies. Freedom fighters are out. Terrorists are in. We have the vultures’ attitude. Wait for something to die, not knowing it is us we are waiting on.
I believe there is only one unforgivable and original sin. There really isn’t a cure for dumb. Dumb, or dumber people, blame others for their inadequacy. In a democracy they are easy marks for anyone who promises them pie in the sky. Tell me that this is Jefferson’s wise and educated electorate, and I’ll show you people who can’t even pay their credit-card interest.
It is going to be a long, rough ride. I wish I’d be here to see it. Downtown, in a pawn shop just off Main Street, is a nearly new auto shotgun, for sale cheap. Shorten the barrel by 7 inches, fix the stock gouges, and it would be fine.
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Think I’ll go buy it, and maybe a case of buckshot. Time to prepare, just a bit anyway. You never know—I might live longer than I think.
—Walter D. Goss
Re “Big-Bore Wheelguns:
S&W’s Model 625 Is
A Classy Choice,”
September 2008
I share your enthusiasm for the 45 ACP Smith & Wesson revolver. The moon clips can be carried similarly to speed loaders. You are correct in that the Demooner is indispensible.
You should also inform your readers that S&W made this caliber available in the Mountain Gun Series. It has a lighter 4-inch barrel, but otherwise is similar to the 625 you tested. It comes with a S&W “Hogue-like” grip. I was also able to find a leather Kramer form-fitted holster to match it.
—Bernie Urbanik
