#GunControl

Everyone knows that firearms can be dangerous if they are misused, but in the state of New York, leaders are going to make firearms retailers preach that message to their customers.

Across the United States, gun control laws seem to be loosening or being nixed altogether at a very quick rate. The latest news of more liberal gun control measures (as in, classically liberal) comes from Florida. The state’s House of Representatives recently voted to lower the minimum age of legal firearms purchase from 21 to 18 years. However, this time around, the law will not pass, thanks to the state Senate.

The classic .22LR rifle with a long tube magazine is a standard feature in rural American households. Millions of farm boys started their shooting careers with a Marlin Model 60 or similar rifle that would take almost half a box of rimfire shells… but in Minnesota, some lawmakers are considering rimfire tube mag restrictions that would see those rifles banned as “assault weapons.”

In this sad episode of TFBTV, James Reeves takes an apolitical look at the past and present of the tenuous state of US gun control policy in order to predict, recommend, and price out what guns and accessories Americans should pick up today if they want to make sure they have the hardware that God and George Washington want you to have before the fun police pull the plug on the party. We tackle AR-15s to AK-47s, mags, receivers, barrels, ammo, panic buying, panic NOT-buying, and everything in between.

Closely associated with ‘juvenile delinquency’ of the 1950s, ‘zip guns’ were often fabricated by youngsters who could not afford to purchase or were forbidden from owning the genuine article. A mechanically inclined youngster might upon obtaining ammunition, most often widely available .22 rimfire, find that such rounds will fit into a section of suitably sized steel tubing, often a section of the salvaged car radio antenna. From then on it is a simple matter of fabricating a means of striking the rear of the cartridge while ensuring the entire assembly is held firmly together.

Here is an interesting design which has been seized by authorities on a number of occasions in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, first documented in August 2017. It is an eight-shot pump-actuated revolving shotgun chambered in 12 gauge and represents the cutting edge in Favela Firepower.

In March we reported a law change in Australia could see much of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum’s deactivated and desecrated. Since then a petition has gained over 5,000 signatures and thankfully it seems members of the local city council have recognised the idiocy of damaging such a significant collection.

The firearms and museums communities were recently made aware of an online petition started by the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum aimed at saving the firearms (and the history) in their collection.

Imagine that we would have a time machine that can only go forward in time. What a great tool it would be to for politicians and legislators! Before you enact the law, you can time travel and see the effect that this particular law had on society. Let’s take for example federal gun control reform that some organizations propose.

The city of Mukalla, in war-torn Yemen, has introduced gun control measures. Rather than a blanket ban, the city has become a gun-free area. People wishing to enter the Mukalla must hand over their weapons at checkpoints on the edge of town.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has directed his ministers to examine a full ban on handgun and ‘assault weapons’. The move comes in the wake of the recent Danforth shooting which saw 3 killed and 13 more injured. Trudeau has issued a mandate letter to Bill Blair, the minister for Border Security and Organised Crime Reduction Minister to work with colleagues to examine banning handguns.

The Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have introduced a new bill which would require tougher background checks and retailers to independently maintain records of their sales and individuals purchasing firearms.

One mans humble dream of becoming a master craftsman at Taurus was cut short after Police in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil seized this entirely homemade .380 semi-automatic pistol (excluding the magazine) which was made in his backyard, presumably from melted down Coca-Cola cans.

Figures released last week show that annual long gun sales in California have fallen dramatically. Reports suggest that California’s firearms dealers submitted 54% fewer FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System applications when compared to figures from July 2016.

What is the simplest gun you can possibly make? When you hear this question, the kind of gun that comes to mind is probably a simple zip gun, like the one below, which has a forward-moving mass, a trigger, a barrel, and not much else: