U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Santa Rosa County (Florida) Sheriff Bob Johnson has created a media stir over comments on his preference for law-abiding citizens to shoot home invaders.
The events that preceded these comments from Sheriff Johnson were reported on AmmoLand by Lee Williams; read more here.
Events began when 32-year-old Brandon Harris allegedly broke into four homes in Pace, Florida. Harris is known as a “frequent flyer” to Johnson and his deputies, he has been arrested 17 times. During Harris’s alleged four break-ins, one homeowner attempted to take a shot at the criminal but missed.
At a press conference after Harris’ arrests, Sheriff Johnson said:
“I guess they think they did something wrong, which they did not. If somebody’s breaking into your house, you’re more than welcome to shoot them in Santa Rosa County. We prefer that you do, actually,” Johnson said.
“So, whoever that was, you’re not in trouble. Come see us. We have a gun safety class we put on every other Saturday. And if you take that, you’ll shoot a lot better, and hopefully, you’ll save the taxpayers money.”
Proponents of gun control in the media quickly jumped on this quote.
They all want to focus on the end of the quote, accusing the sheriff of telling citizens to shoot home invaders to save taxpayer money.
None of them want to acknowledge the Sheriff was trying to save the lives of law-abiding citizens from violent criminals.
Sheriff Johnson said, “If somebody’s breaking into your house, you’re more than welcome to shoot them in Santa Rosa County. We prefer that you do.”
For most people, myself included, this is the kind of Sheriff you want in your county
Unfortunately, the good Sherriff failed to add, “We also offer a basic courses on excavator operation, wood chipper maintenance, and guiding courses to help you locate the nearest well. – Grumpy
Not everything displayed at the recent Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous in the Grand Tetons required a federal firearms license. Amidst the absolute state-of-the-art in modern weapons, ammunition and accessories, the Umarex HK416 fully automatic BB machine gun was sufficiently cool to have precipitated the gyrating fantods in me had I encountered it as a teenaged boy. No kidding, I’d have drunk bathwater to get my mitts on this rascal at age 15. I’d very nearly do that today.
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Umarex HK416
Master Sergeant Kirk Tensile moved like a wraith toward the target building, his customized HK416 assault rifle tracking like some sentient beast. A 10-year veteran of the Unit, MSG Tensile now found himself the point man for the most important mission of his career. Ever since he had assessed into Delta Force he had prepared for this very moment. Every training iteration, every deployment, every drop of blood and sweat he had spilled led up to this event. Now he is stacked outside the derelict shack in the Mississippi Delta with his mates tucked in tightly behind. He took a deep breath, thumbed the selector on his German assault rifle to rock-and-roll and kicked in the door.
Operation Urgent Chaos
He had gotten the call at school on Friday. It had come as a nondescript note slipped to him by a cute intermediary during fourth period Geometry. It read simply, “Operation Urgent Chaos is a go. Mission brief after study hall behind the gym.” Tensile wadded the note up and shoved it in his pocket. It promised to be a hard weekend.
The mission was indeed intense. ISIS had captured the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on a public relations junket in Iraq. Before U.S. forces could react, they had spirited the dozen terrified girls to Syria and locked them away in their evil lair. As soon as the sixth period bell rang, Tensile and his mates were immersed in their accelerated planning cycles. The following morning he was stacked outside the shack ready to rock. It was showtime.
Lock & Load
The door burst inward and his Number Two tossed in a fistful of Black Cat firecrackers as a distraction device. The moment the pyrotechnics detonated, he and his fellow operators poured into the room like some kind of deadly serpent. They were met by three cardboard terrorists, each packing an AK-47 meticulously drawn with Sharpie markers. Without a moment’s hesitation, MSG Tensile unleashed a burst to the chest and head of each of the Tangoes, leaving a tidy cluster of holes for his trouble.
As soon as the operation began it was over. The Tangoes were all down, and, in the minds of the teenaged operators at least, the imaginary cheerleaders all rescued successfully. MSG Tensile and his fellows cleared their weapons, popped open the cold Cokes their moms had packed for the occasion and proceeded to the debrief. Another day, another professional cheer squad rescued. Such was the life of a teenaged Delta Force operator.
Life Imitates Art
I wouldn’t admit this to just anybody, but my buddies and I actually did silly stuff like that back when I was a kid. I’m a professional gun writer. This means I’m congenitally cursed with a hyperactive imagination, a deplorable dearth of maturity and questionable impulse control. When we discovered girls for real the tempo on our tactical exercises dropped off precipitously, but I have indeed killed many a Saturday doing sophomoric CQB drills with my friends on my buddy’s Mississippi Delta farm. Don’t hate. We all ultimately grew into law-abiding, tax-paying adults.
The training area was an expansive working cotton farm replete with derelict barns and abandoned structures. Our kill house was an empty shotgun shack that still contained a bunch of old furniture. Considering all the bottle rockets and smoke bombs we touched off in the place it is a miracle we didn’t burn it to the ground.
Our weapons were generally improvised from the toys of the day. There were not so many rules back in the late 1970s, and war toys looked very much like the real thing. Uzis, MACs, M16s, and AKs filled the armory. Some even made mechanical machinegun noises when you pulled the triggers. Back then we did a lot of simulating. Pellet guns stood in for sniper rifles, but for close-in work we just faked it. Nowadays I’m sure we’d have been remanded someplace vile for mandatory inpatient re-education. Back then, however, we were just boys being boys.
Back when I was 15, I had no idea exactly what I was missing. Running about like idiots playing with fake guns is one thing. However, I would have done just about anything to get my mitts on one of these Umarex HK416 full-auto BB guns back in the day. Whether you are 15 or 55, this thing will reliably bring out the kid in you.
HK416 Background
The Heckler & Koch HK416 was a collaborative effort between HK and the American Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta back in the 1990s. The legendary Larry Vickers helped design the weapon alongside HK engineers. The end result is arguably the finest assault rifle in the world.
The HK416 was originally supposed to be the HK M4, but Colt purportedly threatened a lawsuit. The gun indeed resembles an M4 on the outside. However, underneath the hood it is a different beast entirely. For starters, the HK416 is a piston-driven rifle. The action is inspired by the original AR-180 that Gene Stoner intended to replace his previous M16. This design ensures the receivers remain tidy and keeps the heat and chaos up in the handguard where it can’t hurt anything. Disassembly involves using one of the bolt lugs as a wrench to remove the railed forearm and strip the piston system. The resulting rifle is markedly heavier than a comparable direct impingement M4 but is hugely more forgiving and reliable.
Owning One
There are two ways an American civilian can obtain an HK416. HK sells a semi-auto facsimile of the rifle called the MR556 that costs as much as my car. The alternative is to find a police agency with some ragged-out HK416s they want to trade for newer iron. Bin the registered lower receiver and buy the rest as a ludicrously expensive parts kit. You could then build the whole thing up on a registered transferable M16 lower receiver. There is literally no telling what that project would cost.
As an alternative you can get into a decent rendition of the Delta Force HK416 that shoots standard steel BBs at 460 feet per second for a mere $140. This selective-fire gun has a 500-BB reservoir, feeding a 36-round magazine. It is powered by a pair of standard 12-gram CO2 cartridges and cycles at up to 1,500 rounds per minute. The full-auto function features a six-shot burst limiter to help perpetuate the fun as long as possible.
The general layout is classic HK416. Flip-up polymer sights keep things shooting straight, and there is ample rail space up top for optics. Forearm rails will accept any real steel or airsoft accessories. The sliding stock adjusts like that of the actual rifle, and the controls will seem familiar to anyone who has ever hefted a live M4. The CO2 cartridges reside in the detachable magazine, while the BBs ride in the forearm.
Flying BBs
Wow. Just wow. Don’t touch one of these things if you are stingy with CO2 cartridges and BBs. Just keep reminding yourself of what it would cost to be doing this with the real steel.
You would struggle to kill a man with this thing, but it will transform an aluminum Coke can into a screen door for your pet hamster in less time than it takes to describe. The Umarex HK416 will shatter glass bottles with verve and chew a cardboard box absolutely to pieces. You could conceivably use this HK416 to whack poisonous snakes if you live in the sorts of places I frequent, but that would be missing the point.
The Umarex HK416 is a range toy for grownups. An airsoft or paintball version would make a better training tool. This thing is pure unadulterated fun. After a long day at work, just unlimber your imagination, slip into some Oakley’s and feel the stresses of life melt away. I got about half a dozen 36-shot cycles out of each pair of CO2 cartridges.
Ruminations on the Umarex HK416
The Umarex HK416 is like crack to guys like us. Once you squeeze that trigger and feel this thing chatter against your shoulder you’ll just want more. It is kind of amazing something this cool ships straight to your door.
Despite all the sophomoric buildup, the HK416 is most certainly not a toy. Eye protection and a safe shooting space are non-negotiable necessities. You recall how Ralphie shot himself in the eye with his Red Ryder in A Christmas Story? This rascal does the same thing at more than 1,000 rounds per minute.
Actual full-auto operation has been so glamorized by a toxic combination of Hollywood and lame federal restrictions as to tempt us like the sirens of antiquity. The HK416 is the cheapest, easiest route to own a legit real-deal, fully-automatic gun I have yet encountered. The construction is predominantly plastic instead of aluminum and steel, but this rascal will reliably cure what ails you. It’s what I personally use whenever I’m called upon to rescue the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders from vile ISIS terrorist masterminds. For more information visit umarex.com.
Firearm actions are one of the three basic parts of a firearm: action, stock and barrel. Actions of a firearm did not exist until the mid-to-late 1800s. Prior to the development of modern actions, firearms had locks. This is where the old phrase, “Lock, stock and barrel,” originated from.
Before you can understand the different types of actions, you need to know what an action does. The action of a firearm performs three functions; it loads, fires and ejects the cartridge or shotshell.
There are five common action types: bolt, lever, break, pump and semi-automatic. Firearms are often referred to according to the type of action they possess. Understanding the different action types not only makes you a more educated shooter but also a more responsible gun owner.
Bolt Action The bolt-action rifle is the preferred action of most hunters and long-range shooters. Bolt actions are not exclusive to rifles. They can also be used in shotguns. Bolt-action shotguns can be used for goose and crane hunting and are usually found in 10- or 12-gauge. Bolt-action shotguns are also used in conjunction with rifled barrels for deer hunting.
Bolt-action rifles are usually identified by the presence of the bolt handle that extends from the breech area of the receiver. The bolt handle is attached to the actual bolt. The bolt of the firearm is the component that contains the firing pin. It also contains components such as extractors, which make it possible to cycle spent cartridges out of the firearm and load new ones.
The bolt is operated by rotating the bolt handle up and then pulling to the rear. This resets the firing pin. As the bolt is closed or pushed forward, it picks up a cartridge or shell from the magazine. When the bolt reaches its most forward travel position, the bolt is rotated down. There are locking lugs that secure the bolt in place for firing. These lugs prevent the bolt from blowing back, and force all the expanding gasses out of the muzzle.
Bolts are not exclusive to bolt-action rifles and shotguns. Bolts are also found in lever, pump and semi-automatic actions. Bolt handles in these firearms are referred to as charging handles.
Lever Action Lever-action rifles have a special place in the history of the American West. These types of actions are still very popular among hunters. Lever-action rifles are also used in the Cowboy Action Shooting and Single Action Shooting Society (SASS). Henry Rifles manufactures a popular lever-action .410 shotgun.
Lever-action firearms are identified by a lever under the receiver. The lever is a solid piece and consists of two parts. The forward part of the lever is the trigger guard, and the larger rear part is a loop for the middle, ring and the pinky finger. On some lever action firearms, the finger loop of the lever can be very large. Chuck Connors made the large loop lever action rifle popular in his series, The Rifleman.
The lever action is operated by using three fingers to rotate the lever downward. The lever pivots just forward of the trigger at the guard, so that when it is rotated, the trigger is exposed. When the lever is opened, the bolt is moved to the rear and extends past the end of the receiver. Opening the lever resets the firing pin. When the lever reaches its most downward position, the spent cartridge or shell is extracted from the chamber and thrown clear of the breech. As the lever is closed, it picks up a new cartridge or shell from the magazine and feeds it into the chamber. The firearm cannot be fired until the lever is fully closed.
Break Action Most break-action firearms are shotguns. Break-action shotguns can be single-barreled or double-barreled. Double-barreled shotguns are either over-and-unders or side-by-sides. There are also break-action rifles. Break-action rifles are either single-barreled or side-by-sides. There are even break-action firearms that are both rifles and shotguns. These are usually over-and-unders. Of these, one barrel is chambered for a shotgun shell and one barrel is chambered for a rifle cartridge.
Break-action firearms are also referred to as hinge-action firearms. Whatever you call it, the break-action firearm is operated by moving a lever or tang to one side. When the tang reaches its furthest travel, the lock is disengaged, and the barrels rotate downward by a hinge at the front of the receiver. Breaking the firearm open resets the firing pin. The cartridges or shells are loaded by manually inserting them into the receiver. After firing the cartridges or shells, the shooter can break open the firearm; the spent casings or hulls are either thrown clear of the chamber or manually removed.
Pump Action Pump-action firearms are also commonly associated with shotguns. Like break-action firearms, rifles can also be pump actions. Pump .22s were very common in our grandparents’ day. Today you can find pump-action rifles in nearly all the common hunting calibers.
Pump-action firearms are operated by sliding or pumping the forend of the firearm’s two-piece stock to the rear. This forend is referred to as the slide. As the slide is moved rearward, it resets the firing pin while moving the bolt to the open position. When this movement is complete, the spent cartridge or shell is thrown clear of the breech. As the slide is pulled forward to the closed position, the bolt picks up a new cartridge or shell from the magazine. When the slide reaches its most forward position, the slide is locked in place.
The locking mechanism of the slide prevents the bolt from being thrown backwards when the cartridge or shell is discharged. The lock also prevents the expanding gasses from escaping out of the breech. This forces all the gasses to exit the firearm through the muzzle.
Semi-Automatic Action Semi-automatic firearms can be found in rifles and shotguns. Modern sporting arms are very popular with today’s shooters. These include the modern AR platforms. Semi-automatic shotguns are also very popular with waterfowl hunters. These types of firearms are easy to learn and operate. They also allow for fast follow-up shots. The downside to semi-automatic firearms is that their operation can be adversely affected by the residue from previous shots. As a result, semi-automatic firearms need to be properly cleaned after each use.
Semi-automatic firearms are operated by pulling the trigger. When the cartridge or shell is discharged, the recoil, gasses (or a combination of both) work the action. This means the bolt of the firearm is thrown rearward, and then slams forward to the closed position in one fluid motion. There are several things that happen in this fast operation. As the bolt travels rearwards, the firing pin is reset and the spent cartridge or shell is thrown clear of the breech. As the bolt travels forward, it picks up a new cartridge or shell from the magazine and feeds it into the chamber.
A semi-automatic firearm discharges one round for every pull of the trigger. As a result, a semi-automatic firearm can be fired as fast as the trigger can be pulled. This is not to be confused with a fully automatic firearm, which will continue firing until the shooter lets off the trigger, or the firearm runs out of ammunition. As responsible shooters we must use the correct terminology when referring to our firearms.
