Author: Grumpy

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All About Guns Anti Civil Rights ideas & "Friends" Cops

Execute the Buffalo Shooter The highest punishment sends a message to those deranged few who will admire his actions. by Charles Fain Lehman

On Saturday, 18-year-old Payton Gendron opened fire at a Tops Friendly Markets in the predominantly black Kingsley neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. Over the course of his ten-minute rampage, Gendron murdered ten people and injured another three; he livestreamed the massacre on the platform Twitch. The horrific incident is being investigated as a hate crime, owing in part to a manifesto in which Gendron allegedly justifies the attack as a defense of the white majority against “replacement” by blacks and Jews.

The shooting has already been absorbed into the culture war. Commentators on the left have been quick to argue that the Buffalo massacre is simply more evidence of white supremacy’s grip on the Republican Party, and on American society as a whole. Some on the right mutter about the manifesto’s stranger sections, insinuating that the whole thing is some sort of FBI conspiracy. These efforts misappropriate, or wholly obscure, the bare meaning of these murders. Our response to the Buffalo mass shooting should be that a monster committed a heinous and indefensible act, and that justice demands we hold him to final account. Try him, convict him, and put him to death.

Doing so would acknowledge the basic mandates of morality. Certain offenses are so reprehensible as to be unforgiveable. To fail to answer a vicious, hate-motivated rampage with anything but death is to deny the requirements of retribution.

Just as important, executing Gendron sends a message to those deranged few who will admire his actions: violently enacting your bigotry is intolerable to our society. As I have argued, hate-crime laws can be seen as a set of guard rails, delimiting certain criminal behavior as incompatible with shared values of civic tolerance and respect for one’s fellow citizens. When those laws are egregiously violated, capital punishment can restore the moral order that the law exists to defend.

Punishing Gendron may seem so obvious as to not be worth mentioning. But the fixation on the vulgar political significance of his atrocity reveals our collective inability to think in such stark moral terms. In particular, taking the killer as mere symbol of white America’s depravity waives his responsibility for his actions. It reinforces the therapeutic morality, undergirding most criminal-justice progressivism, that sees brutal criminals as mere products of their environment, rather than freely choosing individuals culpable for their actions. Punishment, the philosopher Herbert Morris once argued, is the way that we treat wrongdoers as fully human, by acknowledging them as morally responsible agents. The moral drama of retribution should therefore be at the center of our analysis.

Politics does play a role here. Capital punishment is, for no particularly good reason, inoperative in New York State. Several candidates for governor have already called for its return in response to the shooting; others might join them. Gendron can also be charged under federal hate-crime and homicide laws carrying a possible penalty of death, just as Emmanuel AME church shooter Dylann Roof was. But doing so would require the Biden administration to undo its death penalty moratorium. If Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice is really serious about combatting hate crimes, then it will proceed accordingly.

Outrage is a subject of much public debate these days: whose outrage is appropriate, whose is not, and when outrage ought to play a role in decision-making. In the case of horrific crimes like Saturday’s shooting, however, outrage is a natural moral emotion that points us to a just end. Only a hard heart can look upon the brutal deaths of ten people and not feel it. Putting Payton Gendron to death is simply the state’s enactment of the horror and revulsion that so many feel. Failing to do so would be a rejection of public moral sense and decency.

Charles Fain Lehman is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal.

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Well I thought it was funny!

A Typical Rookie Mistake

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Gear & Stuff

The Evolution of Trench Knife by SOFREP

Knives have been with us for as long as when the first caveman had that eureka moment and thought of sharpening stones and animal bones to kill wild animals. From then on, countless designs and ideas sprung up designed for different purposes. They were no longer just used for killing animals but also for close-combat purposes, whenever needed— like during WWI.

Combatting in the trenches was undoubtfully difficult. The attack, counterattack, and defense were all made on foxholes dug into the ground. What’s more, opposing trenches were usually close to one another. Fighting in the trenches of WWI involved a lot of storming the enemy’s positions brutally close combat. Weapons like long bayonets fixed to rifles proved unwieldy in the narrow trench lines.

What would be the best weapon for close combat in a confined area? Knuckle bar? Knife? How about both? That’s what Henry Disston & Sons, a civilian company making tools and saws, thought when they designed the M1917 trench knife. Inspired by the French Nail knives, it has a long, triangular blade and a knuckle guard on its handle. Henry Disston & Sons were not traditional knife-makers, so the M1917 turned out to be rather flimsy, and since the blade was triangular, it could only stab but not cut.

World War I trench knife, model 1917 “knuckle-duster.”

Shortly after, these deficiencies were addressed with the improved M1918 trench knife. This version has a brass knuckle-duster grip and a double-edged blade. It could be used both for stabbing and slashing.

They still wanted to improve M1918’s durability, ease of use, security of grip, and ease of carrying, so the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) officers and the Engineering Division of U.S. Ordnance brought Mark I Trench Knife to life. It still has the 6.75-inch double-edged steel blade, a cast-bronze knuckle-duster grip that could break a nose and prevent the knife from being taken from the user’s hand, an oversized steel scabbard, and a nasty addition: skull-cracking nut on the pommel.

US Marine knuckle duster trench knife, WW1 (found in Tamaki River) maker- Landers, Frary and Clark, Connecticut, USA, 1918 triangular section double-edged blade; solid brass hilt with knuckle guard (with four finger hole apertures). Auckland Museum / Wikimedia Commons

During World War II, Mark I was used by army rangers, marine raiders, and airborne troops.

Mark I trench knife. © Eytancal / Wikimedia Commons

There was also the Hughes Trench Knife that was invented and patented by a captain in the United States National Army, Rupert Hughes. His idea was a spring-loaded, foldable knife blade attached to a handle and can be secured at the back of the hand by a leather strap, so the wearer could still grasp and hold other things. A button on the handle can be pressed to release the knife into an open and locked position. It was tested and was unfortunately found to be of no value by the board of testers.

The WWI Trench knife was a fearsome weapon of war. There is debate today over whether or not the Hague Convention bans such weapons.

The wording of the text does not specifically ban combat knives, but outlaws weapons intended to cause “unnecessary suffering,” which is pretty broad.  A combat knife with a sawtooth edge would qualify since it leaves a jagged open wound that would be hard to close(at least under battlefield conditions).  This might apply as well to triangular-shaped blades which leave a puncture wound rather than an incision-type cut that would also be hard to stitch up and close.

On the other hand, a triangular-shaped blade is superior at punching through several layers of winter clothing where a blade type knife would not.  The most simple way to know which type of blade is approved for warfare is to look at the types issued to service members today by their own governments, which do not include those with brass knuckle grips or serrated blades.  This doesn’t mean that troops can’t buy a weapon like a traditional trench knife to add to their kit, but they might want to get rid of it before getting captured by an enemy.

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Dear Grumpy Advice on Teaching in Today's Classroom

Some very busy Bastards is all that I can say!

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Soldiering The Green Machine

What Did WW2 Soldiers Eat | US Military Food Rations | Documentary | ca. 1943

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All About Guns

2-Gun Match: Enfield Jungle Carbine & Martini-Henry

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All About Guns

Colt’s Special Revolver for Airline Pilots

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Soldiering War

The Inchon Landing during the Korean War (My Dads War by the way)

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War

How degraded is the Russian military from their losses in Ukraine? In terms of personnel and equipment? by Gaard Haakonsen

Very degraded!

According to the Washington think-tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Russians have lost around one year’s supply of aircrafts, two years of tank production, and several years of missile production since they invaded Ukraine.

According to Bellingcat, they’ve lost around 70% of their precision missiles and that’s expensive to replace. With sanctions in place, not only can they not afford to replace their missiles, they cant even get access the parts they need in order to replace their other equipment, such as tanks and aircrafts.

They’ve lost over 15.000 soldiers, and their losses are so bad that Putin is likely to declare war on Ukraine very soon (he’ll likely do it on the 9th of May, which is the day the Russians celebrate their victory over Nazi Germany), so that he can draw manpower from the reserves. Not only that, but the Ukrainians are believed to have killed off around 12 of the 20 generals Russia committed to the invasion. A few days ago, the Russian army’s chief of staff Valery Gerasimov was injured when he visited the frontline in the Kharkiv region. Had he died then it would have been a catastrophic loss for Russia, symbolically speaking.Valery Gerasimov - Wikipedia

Russia has a large stockpile of old soviet era equipment, but nobody knows how well they’ve maintained their old equipment, and I’m not even sure their soldiers would know how to use such weapons. One thing is for sure, those weapons will be far less effective against anything the Ukrainians have.

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All About Guns Gun Info for Rookies

5 Firearm Finishes: What’s the Difference? ​Those superficial surfaces aren’t so superficial after all … here’s why.” by B. GIL HORMAN

Finishes Auto Ordnance

Simply stated, steel is better suited to the explosive nature of shooting than other metal or material. For this reason, rifles of every type are built using steel components including the barrels, receivers and internal parts. However, steel is comprised mostly of iron, and iron is susceptible to rust. That’s why the primary purpose of all rifle finish types, or surface treatments, is to inhibit or prevent environmental oxygen and water from causing gun metal corrosion.

Today there are literally dozens of rifle finish options to choose from ranging from 19th century technology to cutting edge composites. Some are more interesting to look at while others have added physical benefits such as improved scratch resistance or increased heat tolerance. Here is a quick look at five of the popular rifle finishes you’re likely to see on display at your local sporting goods store.

Black Oxide (Bluing)
Strangely enough, the popular black oxide rifle finish we all know and love, commonly called Bluing because if its blue-black color, is a close cousin of the red iron oxide we call rust. Giving gun metal a blued finish is a controlled electrochemical conversion process, or oxidizing chemical reaction, with the iron in the surface of the steel. The resulting thin layer of oxide on top of the steel increases the metal’s corrosion resistance. This type of finish can be applied in various ways for different cosmetic results. Methods include Hot Bluing, Cold Bluing, Rust Bluing, Fume bluing, Niter bluing and Browning which leaves the surface with a plumy brown finish.

The much loved blued finish can have a non-reflective matte appearance or it can be polished to an eye catching shine.

Bluing is one of the oldest and most widely accepted rifle finishes in use today. For some folks, blued steel and hardwood stocks are the only way to go! A blued gun can have a non-reflective matte appearance or it can be polished to a fine shine. When properly cared for, a blued finish will easily last the lifetime of the rifle. But it’s not nearly as tough or corrosion resistant as other rife finishes. It’s relatively easy to scratch and offers minimal protection from rust unless it’s kept dry and coated with moisture displacing oil. If you have some blued guns in storage, make sure to look them over at least a couple of times a year, especially if you live in a part of the country with higher humidity.

Parkerizing (Phosphate Finish)
Parkerizing, also known as phosphating or bonderizing, is a gun metal treatment that provides a tougher finish than bluing with an increased resistance to corrosion, nicks and scratches. The development of the phosphating process began in the 19th century in England. It was further developed by the Parker family in the United States (which is where the term Parkerized comes from). The process was adopted for the mass production of firearms by the U.S. military during World War II and it has been in use ever since.


Vintage combat rifles like the Remington M1903 and M1903A3 often have distinctive matte black or gray Parkerized finishes.

This finish is applied by dunking steel gun parts into a heated bath of phosphoric acid solution. Simmer for between 5 to 45 minutes and the components are ready to serve. Key ingredients in the solution include zinc or manganese along with various nitrates, chlorates, and copper. The resulting matte finish can have a color range from a medium gray to dark black depending on the chemical solution used. It’s a durable finish which benefits from a good coating of oil for smooth operation.

Metal Plating
Plating is a centuries old process of depositing a thin layer of one kind of metal on top of another. It’s a process that’s widely used in the appliance, electronics and automotive industries as well as gun manufacturing. The goal is a best-of-both-worlds result with the thin top layer, or plate, providing cosmetically desirable or corrosion resistance properties to the steel underneath. Plating can be applied to gun parts in various ways including processes that call for an electrical charge (electroplating) along with chemical or auto-catalytic processes that don’t require electricity (electroless plating).


The receiver of this Henry American Beauty .22 rifle features a polished nickel finish applied over the fine line engraving.

The quality of the plating can vary depending on the preparation of the gun parts, the solutions used, and the skill of the smith applying it. The level of scratch resistance and appearance all comes down to the type of plating metal used. Nickel plated guns have been around for quite some time because nickel is corrosion resistant and it can be polished to a bright shine. Hard chrome is one of the toughest plate choices available and is commonly used to extend the working life of high velocity rifle bores.

For those who want to give their guns an artistic twist, silver and gold plating is the way to go. They offer high corrosion resistance but because they are soft metals they are best reserved for display pieces only. If you want a glittery gun you can also shoot, then take a look at a Titanium nitride finish. When polished, a Titanium-type finish provides the luster of polished gold, silver or bronze with a level of toughness similar to hard chrome.

Stainless Steel
Technically speaking, stainless steel is not a gun finish. Most finishes are comprised of a layer of material applied to the outer surfaces of carbon steel gun parts. Instead, this is a type of steel with corrosion resistance built right into it. Developed in the early 1900s, stainless steels are steel alloys which contain relativity high amounts of a mineral called chromium (at least 10.5 percent by mass) that is added for its anti-corrosive properties. Stainless steel can also be polished to a mirror shine.


The stainless steel alloys used in rifles like this Ruger 77/357 contain a high percentage of rust resistant chromium.

In most cases, a stainless-steel rifle is going to cost more than the same model with a blued finish. But it’s worth the investment for guns used regularly in harsh weather conditions. Although stainless steel is a low maintenance option, it’s not a no maintenance metal. It still needs to be kept dry, clean and properly oiled. It used to be that stainless steel had an easily recognized silver appearance. But today you need to check the label because various modern coatings can be applied to stainless steel to give it a matte black look that matches polymer stocks.

Cerakote (Ceramic Coatings)
Cerakote is the brand name for a popular coating that has taken the industry by storm over the last few years. It’s composed of a polymer-ceramic compound that can be air brushed onto gun parts that are then placed into an industrial kiln for a few hours to cure the coating. The result is a smooth, matte or gloss finish that is available in a wide variety of colors including black, gray, green, red, pink, blue and yellow, to name a few.

Cerakote, and other ceramic coatings, are available in a wide variety of bright or conservative colors like the Flat Dark Earth finish of this Brownells exclusive Howa 1500 barreled action.

Cerakote and similar ceramic coatings have several desirable physical qualities that make them ideal for firearms. The provide a hard, durable finish which is resistant to wear, corrosion, chemicals and impact damage. They improve lubricity, which means there’s less friction between moving parts. But what gives this finish a real edge in the market place is that its applications are not limited to steel. Cerakote can be applied to a variety of materials, including wood, polymer and aluminum. This allows an entire rifle to be treated which comes in handy for matching component colors or treating the gun to a uniform camouflage pattern.