Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association (ASRPA) held their annual meeting and dinner Saturday, May 7th, in Phoenix and featured Mr. Otis McDonald, of McDonald v. Chicago Supreme Court case fame, as the keynote speaker. ASRPA is the Arizona affiliate of the NRA, (essentially the Arizona arm of NRA) overseeing competitive shooting, training of juniors, and other firearms related issues in Arizona since 1909. Motivational Speaker Beth Terry was an exemplary emcee for the evening, along with ASRPA President, Noble Hathaway. Noble’s lovely daughters, Ashley, Andrea, and Payne graciously assisted with the event and the fundraising raffles that were held throughout the evening.
Sandy Froman presents NRA 100 Years of Excellence Award
During the dinner, past NRA President Sandy Froman formally presented ASRPA with the 100 Years of Excellence award from the NRA. Mr. Hathaway was joined on stage by several past presidents of ASRPA to receive the award from Ms. Froman.
One of a kind Colt Single Action Army Pistol.
ASPRA President Noble Hathaway thanked the state legislators in attendance at the dinner for their part in making the Colt Single Action Army pattern pistol the official State Firearm of Arizona. He also apologized for the minor controversy they endured, and explained that the intent of the state firearm was only to help celebrate Arizona’s statehood Centennial in 2012.
Colt SAA Presentation to the lucky raffle winner by Rep. Judy Burges, Gary Christiansen, Rep. Carl Seel, Rep. Steve Court, Rep. Jerry Weiers, and Todd Rathner.
The highlight of the evening was Mr. Otis McDonald’s very heartfelt and humble explanation of his journey to the Supreme Court. His story is one of a man who tried to make a positive difference in his neighborhood. He worked to get kids off the street and away from crime, but as his neighborhood declined and some of neighborhood kids turned to crime, Chicago banned handgun ownership. The Chicago ban left law-abiding citizens defenseless and vulnerable to criminals who defied the gun bans and terrorized the innocent. Mr. McDonald explained how he wasn’t trying to change the world, he was just standing up for what he felt was right.
I once heard Ken Blackwell say something to the effect that the Declaration of Independence states, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident’ as the Founders way of saying, ‘Any knucklehead should be able to understand this.’
Unfortunately, the knuckleheads in Chicago did not understand these truths. In passing the handgun ban in 1982, Chicago enabled the jewelry theft ring run by Chicago Police chief of detectives William Hanhardt, and the mob, ensuring the safety of the thieves. Hanhardt’s jewelry ring stole millions in the 1980s and 1990s, unopposed by their disarmed victims. The gun ban should have been named the Occupational Safety for Criminals Gun Ban. Mr. McDonald’s case was supported by an amicus curiae brief signed by 58 senators and 251 representatives, with more members of Congress signing than any amicus curiae brief in history.
Otis McDonald at the 102nd Annual ASRPA Dinner
He appeared surprised that people in a state with a Brady Campaign score of Zero would be so grateful for his efforts, but we understand how much he has done for securing our right to bear arms. The Supreme Court’s ruling will have a positive affect on gun laws and legislation for decades. Mr. McDonald appears to still be processing the full significance of his victory at the Supreme Court, where the court ruled that the Second Amendment protects the right of the individual to keep and bear arms.
Mr. McDonald acknowledged that this was just the beginning in the battle to restore even the most basic gun rights in the Chicago area, but he emphasized the role of the individual in determining the future. Throughout his talk, he spoke highly of his lawyer Alan Gura and of Alan Gottlieb, both of the Second Amendment Foundation and the enduring support of the Illinois State Rifle Association.
Otis McDonald Master Sponsors
It is amazing that ASRPA could persuade Mr. McDonald to speak to our group, and it was an honor for everyone in attendance to hear his story. It is rare to hear a victorious story of a hard fought battle to win such an important case. A case that signifies the first major national gun rights case the Supreme Court has heard since 1939’s United States v. Miller. Mr. McDonald’s message was clear – ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary, just by following through on their beliefs and trying to make their part of the world a better place.
Otis McDonald Master Donor Medal – 102nd Annual Meeting of ASRPA 2011
I would also like to express my appreciation to the many members of AZCDL and the Arizona Game and Fish Department for their tireless support of the shooting sports in Arizona.
A few months ago, my awesome competition pistol got a boo-boo, and had to be sent back to the manufacturer for some TLC. I needed a new pistol STAT, and rather than purchase another USPSA production division pistol, I decided it was time to pick up a 1911 so I could start training for the next Western States Single Stack Match, and to avoid becoming a One Gun Princess.
At SHOT Show earlier this year, I had the chance to run a few rounds through a Rock Island Armory 1911 in 9mm, and I remembered being impressed with both the gun and its modest price tag. At under $500, we were willing to take a chance that the RIA would perform acceptably in a competition setting, and we liked the benefit of 9mm being more cost effective than a 45 ACP.
I was able to find an RIA 1911-A1 (tactical version with Novak style sights) at a local shop, brought it home and gave it a light cleaning, then packed it in my range bag for use the next morning. Out of the box, it performed flawlessly – Zero malfunctions, and it shot more accurately than I did.
There was only one issue with the 1911’s performance, and I noticed it about halfway through the match. I felt a slight burning sensation coming from my right arm, and my first thought was that it was time to reapply the sunscreen. I then looked at my arm and noticed that it was dotted up and down with red marks from spent shells repeatedly tagging me.
We took it home and figured out pretty quickly that the extractor probably needed a little adjustment. As soon as I started taking it apart, I was really glad I had picked up a couple of tools for the 1911 – a plastic barrel bushing wrench and an extractor removal tool from Brownells. Both tools are already invaluable to me – I don’t have to call Capitalist Pig out to the garage every 10 minutes to be my extra hand or muscle something for me (which probably makes the tools invaluable to him as well). The extractor tool is especially handy, as one end works perfectly to get the firing pin out, and the other end has a nifty little notch that makes quick work of extracting the extractor, so to speak. After the extractor was out, C. Pig took a look and did just a wee bit of re-profiling to one of the edges, and it’s been extracting casings away from my body parts ever since.
I got my production pistol back from the shop some time ago, but I’ve enjoyed shooting the Rock Island 1911 so much that just within the last couple of weeks I’ve forced myself to go back to the production pistol, since I’ll be shooting my first “big” match with it this fall. I’m sure my RIA in 9mm won’t be collecting any dust though, I am already looking forward to shooting it again.
Disclaimer: I did not get paid to write this, or any other posts on this site. The kind folks at Brownells provided me with the extractor tool with no expectation of anything other than an honest review. When I say I like it, I mean it. If you took mine away from me (don’t even think about it), I would buy another one the same day.
We recently attended an advanced screening of “The Undefeated”, the new Sarah Palin film that is due out in theaters on July 15th. The filmmakers call the movie “a two-hour-long, sweeping epic…” and ” a galvanizing prelude to Palin’s prospective presidential campaign”. I’ll call it a pretty darn good movie that despite leaving a few holes for me, gives you an excellent sense of the real Sarah Palin.
While it’s known that the movie was made to excite current Sarah Palin fans and redefine her as presidential material, I believe this film will prove to be even more valuable to the pull-my-string-I-hate-Palin demographic – those that have a negative opinion about Palin, but if you ask them why they don’t like her, you can see the smoke coming from their ears as they work to keep their head from exploding. If you have friends and/or family members that have bought into the myths created by the mainstream media and other moonbat liberals with Palin Derangement Syndrome, but are otherwise fairly reasonable people, please take them to see this movie. The film does a good job of giving you no choice but to look at Mrs. Palin as a human being, and I can think of several people that could use this type of re-education.
The Arizona premier of “The Undefeated” will be shown at the AMC Ahwatukee 24 theater on July 15th. You can buy your “The Undefeated” tickets in advance right here. There’s even an 11:30 matinee showing for only $5 bucks, leaving you even less of a reason not to go see the movie.
If you can’t figure out what makes the United States so exceptional, read The Declaration of Independence. If you understand and cherish what makes us so great, read The Declaration of Independence as a reminder. Happy 4th of July, everyone!
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:
Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton
Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton
Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton
Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean
Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark
Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton
text from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
We got a chance to shoot the new Springfield XDm 5.25 Competition series 9mm on Saturday. Legendary Team Springfield Armory shooter Rob Leatham and his wife, Kippi Leatham, a fellow Team Springfield shooter, invited people out to shoot the new XDm Competition series pistol at Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club.
The short review
It is an excellent gun for competition!
The longer review
The Springfield XDm 5.25 Competition is based on a wishlist Rob Leatham gave to Springfield Armory a few years ago. The 9mm XDm Competition series starts with the current XDm lower, complete with a match trigger and interchangable backstraps which allow you to adjust the grip size to fit your hand.
The upper part of the new XDm is where the real changes have been made. This pistol features a 5.25″ match grade barrel, extending the sight radius to 7 1/4″ for a more precise sight alignment, while reducing the recoil. The extended barrel and slide gives the pistol an 8.3″ overall length.
The extended slide features a lightening slot to keep the weight the same as the shorter, non-competition XDm at 29 ounces. The Springfield XDm 5.25 Competition also has a low profile adjustable rear site and a fiber optic front sight.
The gun is built to be legal for competition in USPSA and IDPA shooting. Production Division approval is expected after at least 2,000 guns are built (hopefully in the next month), in time for the USPSA Nationals.
The Trigger
Mr. Leatham brought out two stock XDm 5.25 Competition pistols, and one with a Springfield factory trigger job. While the trigger job resulted in a much lighter trigger pull, the stock triggers were fine and had a medium pull, a clean break, and a consistent reset. The pull and reset are excellent compared to other polymer guns (I’m spoiled by a nice 1911), and was a noticable improvement over the standard XD trigger.
Shooting the XDm 5.25 Competition
TGO (The Great One, Rob Leatham’s nickname) brought the ammo and let us shoot as many 19 round mags as we wanted to, with only one restriction. He doesn’t load magazines for anyone else. That seemed reasonable, so we stuck around to shoot the steel plates that made up the Springfield Challenge stage.
The stage had steel plate targets, so while group measurements weren’t possible, the accuracy of the pistol was apparent. Shooting quickly at a 6″ swinging Hostage Target Head plate at about 10 yards demonstrated the improved recoil control and sight radius that make this a formidable pistol for competition.
Just in case there was any question on the new pistol’s accuracy, Rob Leatham’s Mother placed a dead center hit on each of the plates.
Conclusion
It is safe to say that I liked the Springfield XDm 5.25 Competition. The gun sights easily, the trigger is good, and the accuracy is great. In fact, I’ll be contacting Arizona Firearms and Pawn this week to order a two-tone XDm 5.25 Competition and see if they’ll accept a partial trade for an XD-9.
Out with the old, in with the new
UPDATE: A distributor has relayed that the XDm 5.25 Competition in black has an MSRP of $799 and the bi-tone model has an MSRP of $869, with gun store prices around $100 lower.
UPDATE 9/17/2012: XDm Reliability report for my XDm 5.25 – I now have over 5,862 rounds through the gun without any mechanical failures. One failure to eject (FTE) occurred at around 3,410 rounds when using beatup reloads. A failure to feed happened after about 4,490 rounds due to a bulged case, and at 5,282 due to a short cartridge.
Independence Day is right around the corner and this year we’ve got a little something extra to celebrate. Thanks to some pro-liberty Arizona Legislators and our Governor, there will be a significant increase in shiny things during our 4th of July festivities.
Late last year, Arizona bill HB 2246 went into effect, and a variety of “non-aerial” consumer fireworks became legal. Not perfect, but a good start to restoring the liberties and freedoms that Government Gone Wild so casually and continually strips from its citizens. The law includes a provision that allows incorporated cities and towns to regulate fireworks in their jurisdiction, and as soon as the law passed, many of the liberal leaning, nanny cities immediately banned their use. Fortunately, we live in one of the few cities where common sense still pokes its head out from time to time, and we are permitted to have fun with approved fireworks on our property from June 28th to July 4th, and again from December 30th to January 1st. Again, not perfect, but something to build upon.
Another positive effect of the legalization of fireworks in Arizona? Capitalism at its finest. Small and large tents are popping up all over town selling these “approved” fireworks. The jobs created by our new freedoms are sorely needed, as Arizona’s official unemployment rate is currently 9.3 percent.
Economic liberty breeds capitalism. Capitalism creates jobs. Jobs create a healthy economy.
Gunblogger Bob Owens, a writer for Bob’s Gun Counter and Confederate Yankee blogs, has put his money-where-his-mouth-is for what is right. Like many of us, Bob has been following the Congressional hearings into the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE, also known as ATF) critically flawed and “unconventional investigation” into weapons smuggling into Mexico. The “investigation” is known as Operation Fast & Furious, Project Gunrunner, and a few other names that obscure how broad the investigation’s failures actually are. Congressman Darrell Issa has referred to Operation Fast & Furious as “felony stupid”. Bob believes, like many others, that the operation wasn’t just stupid.
How unconventional was the investigation?
ATF, with the cooperation of the Department of Justice and other Federal agencies, decided that the best way to stop the flow of smuggled weapons from the United States into Mexico was to ship more weapons. A few thousand more weapons!
Bob has extensively covered scandals like the death of Marine veteran Jose Guereña at the hands of the Pima County SWAT team, as well as extensively covering Operation Fast & Furious, Project Gunrunner. This time, he has filed a written request with the Federal Government’s Office of Special Counsel, requesting the appointment of an independent Special Prosecutor to investigate the failed operation that lead to the deaths of at least three U.S. law enforcement officers, as many as 150 Mexican law enforcement officers, and possibly thousands of Mexican citizens.
Why would you call that laying it on the line?
Well, Bob is presumably a gun owner, who is certainly in the United States, petitioning his government to seek redress in a case of government wrong-doing. A wrong-doing that at a minimum is:
Negligent “felony stupid” that deserves jail time for responsible parties.
A blunder caused by an abuse of political power used to pursue an anti-gun agenda “by any means necessary”
Or at worst, corruption of U.S. government officials that we could only imagine happening in Mexico.
Whatever the level of corruption, it is so important that Attorney General Eric Holder and other high ranking officials have risked Contempt charges by refusing to turn over documents and otherwise cooperate in the Congressional investigation.
Our hats are off to you!
We here at GreatSatanInc.com salute Bob in taking a stand against this horrific injustice, perpetrated by government officials who allegedly serve the citizens. When the stakes are this high, it takes courage to stand up for what is right. May God bless you and keep you safe, Bob. You are doing the right thing!
