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Category: All About Guns
By Lee Williams
Recent revelations that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was maintaining and possibly even digitizing a list of more than 1 billion firearm transactions stretching back for decades galvanized Martin Hyde into action.
Born an Englishman but a U.S. citizen since 2006, Hyde knew the danger such lists pose. He’d seen how they had been misused in England, Australia and elsewhere.
“When a government has a list of the people who own guns, it almost always leads to confiscation,” Hyde said. “When I saw this, I knew the ATF had to go – it has to be abolished or broken up. Besides, no one makes a better case for abolishing the ATF than the ATF.”
A successful businessman in Sarasota, Hyde is challenging U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in Florida’s District-16 Republican primary. Buchanan did not respond to messages seeking comment for this story.
The news of the ATF’s most recent misdeeds added another layer to Hyde’s unique messaging, but the odds are against the former professional British soccer player. Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, has held public office since 2006, and has outspent every opponent who has crossed his path.
But for Hyde, the decision to primary the powerful incumbent was never about money, since he knew he would be outspent. It was about the Second Amendment, especially Buchanan’s vote on HR-8, the so-called Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, which would nullify all state laws that allow private firearm sales.
“When I saw he was one of only eight Republicans to vote for HR-8, I knew I had to do something,” Hyde said. “I grew up in London without the right to keep and bear arms. Englishmen were never unarmed; we were disarmed by the government. Americans don’t understand what that’s like, thankfully. Our Second Amendment prohibits the government from disarming the people, and it needs to be protected – enshrined, if you will – and Vern’s vote on HR-8 could have taken a big chunk out of it.”
With an immigrant’s zeal, Hyde celebrates his newfound Second Amendment rights. He purchased an AR pistol and a SIG SAUER P320, and is a frequent shooter at several ranges. He picked up the fundamentals faster than most. Since he had never shot before, he had no bad habits. It was this enjoyment of his constitutional rights that led to his decision about the ATF.
“Why do we have a federal agency at contretemps with our rights? It makes no sense. When I am elected, I will do everything humanly possible to abolish the ATF,” Hyde said. “Look at their history: Ruby Ridge, Waco, Fast and Furious and now this list of a billion gun sales. In the business world, anyone with such a propensity to fail wouldn’t last six months.
“The ATF’s administrative duties could be scrapped or divided among other federal agencies. Do we really need armed federal agents on the lookout for unlicensed cigarette sellers or moonshiners? We don’t. I am sure I won’t be the only congressman who wants to scrap the ATF. However, before I can do anything, I need to get past Vern.”
Hyde’s take on the ATF is right, of course. Its leaders have always cared more about currying favor with politicians – especially the White House – and garnering good press than they do the constitutional rights of American citizens or even the sanctity of human life.
As a result, the Biden-Harris administration tried to weaponize the ATF by installing an ardent anti-gun activist, David Chipman, as director, until the gun-rights community balked and pressured the Senate to reject the toxic little man.
Hyde describes his campaign as “guerilla style.” His YouTube videos are powerful, plucky and at times hilarious. There’s a picture of him on the side of his campaign bus holding a “Let’s go Brandon” sign.
To run for office, he says in one of his videos, “You have to have a thick skin or you have to be thick. It’s not for everybody, but I’m having the best time of my life. The only thing that’s going to stop it is August 23, when we actually win, and when we send Buchanan back to his car dealership.”
Regardless of whether Hyde wins against the powerful incumbent, his campaign will continue to raise important Second Amendment issues that need to be addressed, such as his call to abolish the ATF. That itself is a public service. Buchanan, on the other hand, has always ran from his voting record, especially if guns are involved.
A bill moving through the Georgia Senate would eliminate licenses to carry guns in public—whether they’re concealed or not.
Right now, people in Georgia are required to have a license in order to carry a loaded handgun outside their homes, businesses or cars. But that could change with the new constitutional carry bill.
“This, to me as an instructor, is scary,” said longtime gun class instructor Tyler Wildman, Founder and CEO of Tactical Concealed Carry. Wildman says the bill would be a double-edged sword.
“The argument is that we don’t need really need the government’s permission to exercise a constitutional right, so therefore we don’t need a license to allow us to do it. I get it – I do like the fact that Florida does have a license requirement so that a person can have at least some minimal training,” he explained.
Across the border, people in Florida must take a class and many steps to get their carry permit.
“I’ve trained over 10,000 people and I can assure you: people desperately need real training,” Wildman said.
Right now, Florida and Georgia honor each other’s licenses. But if the bill were to pass, Wildman says things could get dicey.
“Most states like Florida would not allow somebody who was not licensed to carry in their state,” he said.
No matter what happens in the legislature, Wildman will always advocate for gun training.
Now, the bill is headed to the Senate Rules Committee. Then it’ll go to the Senate Floor for a full vote. A co-sponsor of the bill says people would still have to go through background checks to buy a gun. It would still be illegal for convicted felons to carry such weapons.
Patriot Ordnance Factory (POF) USA broke into an all-new market this year at SHOT Show 2022 with the Phoenix 9mm pistol. Some bill it as a PCC (pistol caliber carbine) or a subgun; however both of those labels are for pistol-caliber firearms but since it’s only a semi-auto and it has no stock, I’d argue it lands solidly in the pistol realm.
However, it’s a very cool 9mm pistol and I’m sure its tons of fun to shoot. With the addition of a pistol brace to the Picatinny rail on the rear of the Phoenix it may be giving the industry PCCs some serious competition.
Unlike most of the similar 9mm PCC/ pistols on the market, the Phoenix has a monolithic upper receiver; meaning the forearm and upper receiver are all one piece. It functions via direct blowback operation and the bolt mechanism has a self-contained spring and tungsten weight to smooth out the operation.
The look and feel are somewhat of a blend between an AR and an MP5. In true POF USA style, the Phoenix has ambi-controls for most operations, including safety and magazine release.
The Phoenix utilizes proprietary magazines that hold either 10, 20, or 35 rounds. When shipped it comes with a 35 round mag, a QD single point sling mount for the rear Picatinny rail, and a sling. The magazine well on the lower receiver is generously flared to aid in quick reloads.
The Phoenix trigger is an actual AR trigger so swapping in your favorite style or brand won’t be an issue, but POF does have some pretty nice triggers.
To cock or lock the bolt to the rear, the Phoenix has an MP5 style non-reciprocating folding lever on the forward left side of the handguard. As I said, it’s an interesting cross.
The barrel on the Phoenix is eight inches in length and it has a nice dual port compensator to help control recoil. The pistol weighs a hefty 4.6 pounds so it should be easy to control when firing. The overall length is 17 ½ inches so you have plenty of room to hang on and mount accessories.
The handguard features M-LOK attachment points and the Phoenix comes with a handstop installed on the bottom to let you know if your fingers are getting too close to the compensator.
The POF USA Phoenix has an MSRP of $1,699 and should be available soon at your local dealers.
Check HERE to learn more about the POF Phoenix.
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SHS- 72: Smith Wesson 25 5
I bet that this really ROCKED somebodies World! Grumpy
The Tennessee Firearms Association announced its opposition to a pending bill under General Assembly consideration that lowers the handgun carry age from 21 to 18.
State Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison) filed HB1735 last month. House Majority Leader William Lamberth is a co-sponsor. Senator Mike Bell (R-Riceville) filed the companion bill, SB2291, on Wednesday.
A statement provided by Tennessee Firearms Association Executive Director John Harris to The Tennessee Star said:
Tennessee Firearms Association has considered House Bill 1735 (Senate Bill 2291) and does not support the bill as filed. Current Tennessee law allows only those individuals who are 18-20 years old and who have military service to obtain an enhanced handgun permit while denying other 18-20 year olds who lack military service the capacity to obtain an enhanced handgun permit. This legislation would eliminate the clear equal protection problem of existing Tennessee law and would treat all 18-20 year old citizens the same with respect to the capacity to obtain a handgun permit.
However, the proposed legislation itself incorporates additional language which seeks to impose criminal prohibitions concerning the places where 18-20 year olds who have an enhanced permit but do who do not military service can possess a handgun which prohibitions do not apply to 18-20 year olds who have military service. Since the United States Supreme Court declared in Heller that the rights protected by the Second Amendment constitute a fundamental human right, it is inappropriate to treat some 18-20 year olds differently from others as this legislation proposes and as current law already does. It is this feature of this legislation which Tennessee Firearms Association believes should not be added to Tennessee law.
Under current law, individuals who are at least 18 years old in Tennessee and in many other states are able to purchase, own and possess handguns. Even ATF’s own website makes clear that 18-20 years olds can legally purchase handguns under federal law so long as they do not make such purchase from a federally licensed dealer. Tennessee Firearms Association supports the efforts in 2022 to change state law so that anyone who can legally possess a handgun has the capacity without the necessity of a state issued permit or reliance on a statutory defense to carry that firearm for lawful purposes, including personal protection.
The bill caption states:
Firearms and Ammunition – As introduced, lowers the age requirement to obtain an enhanced or concealed handgun carry permit or lawfully carry a handgun in public from 21 to 18 years of age; states that the statutory authorization to transport or store a firearm or firearm ammunition in a motor vehicle under certain circumstances does not apply to a person under 21 years of age in a parking area that is owned, operated, or while in use by any school, unless the person is at least 18 years of age and meets certain military qualifications. – Amends TCA Title 39.
The Star previously reported that HB1735 does not allow for an individual under 21 years and older to store or transport a firearm on a school campus unless that individual is 18 years of age and is:
(A) Is an honorably discharged or retired veteran of the United States armed forces; (B) Is an honorably discharged member of the army national guard, the army reserve, the navy reserve, the marine corps reserve, the air national guard, the air force reserve, or the coast guard reserve, who has successfully completed a basic training program; or (C) Is a member of the United States armed forces on active duty status or is a current member of the army national guard, the army reserve, the navy reserve, the marine corps reserve, the air national guard, the air force reserve, or the coast guard reserve, who has successfully completed a basic training program.
It is currently unclear what effect the Tennessee Firearms Association’s opposition to the legislation will have.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to agulbransen@gmail.com.