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A Victory! Cops

Fargo Police Stop Mass Terrorist Attack

Fargo Police Stop Mass Terrorist Attack

It’s a pretty good bet that unless you live in or around Fargo, North Dakota you didn’t hear about the terrorist attack foiled by police there on July 14 this year. Rookie officer Jake Wallin was killed by Mohamad Barakat. Barakat wounded two police officers and a woman bystander before being killed by another officer, Zach Robinson. The spokesperson for the city known as the Gateway to the West is being mighty obtuse and cagey about Barakat’s motive for having 1800 rounds of ammunition in his car.

For most Americans, our sum total knowledge about Fargo is from the movie Fargo. Sheriff Marge Gunderson might have had a clue about Barakat’s motive, right? Especially given the clues.

Unless you are a clueless Attorney General, that is. Here is what North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in his press conference:

“That such events could transpire in the wake of a fender bender, a fender bender in Fargo, North Dakota,” said Wrigley.

Well, who would guess some rando with an SUV would cause a mass casualty event in Waukesha, Wisconsin at a Christmas Parade? Wake, the heck, up! Where on Earth do they find these nimrods?

That Friday afternoon in Fargo there was a Downtown Street Fair. There was a fender-bender in an area outside of the Street Fair. Barakat was, presumably on his way to the street fair, but was stymied by the minor car accident. We’ll let Fox 9 take the story from here:

When he came upon a fender bender last Friday afternoon, Barakat was armed with multiple weapons, explosives and grenades and had spray painted the back windows of his car.
“Based on the time and the direction he was going he was either likely to be taking a right when he got to main avenue going downtown and taking a left when he got to main avenue and going to the fairgrounds,” Wrigley said.
Video footage reveals he came upon the crash, circling and casing the scene for about 15 minutes before parking his car and opening fire, killing 23-year-old officer Jake Wallin and critically injuring officers Andrew Dotas and officer Tyler Hawes, as well as, civilian Karlee Koswick (who was involved in the initial car accident).
Barakat was eventually shot by officer Zach Robinson and later died at the hospital.

Back it up there, spray painted the back window of his car, wow, but let’s talk about the multiple weapons part. This guy was looking to take out a lot of people:

Once Mohamed Barakat was taken down, the bomb squad was called in for searches of the suspect vehicle and residence. Wrigley says the bomb squad K9 hit on the vehicle and at Barakat’s apartment. Investigators say the following items were found inside the vehicle at the scene of the shooting: 3 containers fill with gas, 2 propane tanks filled with homemade explosives, a homemade grenade, 4 semi-automatic handguns and 3 semi-automatic long rifles. The gun used to shoot the officers and civilian had a binary trigger.

 

A search warrant was obtained for Barakat’s residence and the FBI was on standby to execute the search of his apartment. Wrigley says they discovered two shotguns, a Remington deer rifle, a .223 rifle, handguns, live ammunition, a variety of grenade parts, several trail cameras, several phones and a computer.

 

Forensics experts with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation say Mohamed Barakat has no social media presence and appears to have had very little interaction with people. Wrigley and the U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota both said, they have no evidence at this time that indicates a further threat to the community.

Many, many of the articles I read were hyperventilating over the binary trigger. Heck I might need a binary trigger

:What is a binary trigger? An aftermarket trigger for semi-automatic guns that allows one round to be fired upon the trigger pull and a single round to be fired as the trigger springs back AKA binary shooting or double tap. The binary trigger will enable you to shoot twice as fast with the same amount of work, making for a fun but short day at the range or shooting practice.

 

Many people are concerned that a binary trigger transforms their gun into a fully-automatic firearm. However, by the ATF’s definition of machine guns, this is not the case, and binary triggers are legal in most states (more on that later).

I might be overwrought by the FBI arresting Gradmas who violated the Capitol on January 6, but never seem to have these people on their radar? From PJ Media:

But why did Barakat want to carry out a “mass shooting event”? The Star Tribune says that “the motive for his actions remains unclear.” Mac Schneider, U.S. attorney for the district of North Dakota, said this past Friday that “if there was clear evidence of motive we would share it.” North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley added that “the shooting was not motivated by religious beliefs.”

 

Maybe not, but there is an extremely odd detail in the Star Tribune report: “Wrigley said a federal ‘guardian report’ was made some years back” about Barakat, “but it was not about a threat of violence. Schneider described a Guardian report as a way for the public to ‘engage local law enforcement.’”

 

That’s not exactly a full or honest description of what a Guardian report really is. As Twitter user ThunderB, who has been following this case closely and has an abundance of useful information on his or her Twitter page, points out, the Guardian system is officially

 

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terrorist Threat and Suspicious Incident Tracking System.” In this context, a “suspicious incident” is clearly terror-related: “Shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks, three FBI field offices began using an application called the Terrorist Activity Reporting System to track and monitor terrorist threats and suspicious incidents.”

 

What was in the Guardian report about Mohamad Barakat? Why isn’t the report being revealed now? Would it reveal that officials have been lying about his not being on their radar, and demonstrate their failure to stop yet another jihadi as they intensify their hunt for “right-wing extremists,” that is, their efforts to stigmatize and criminalize legitimate political dissent?

A cop murdering, potential terrorist is dead. Good. I am peeved that the FBI, once again, let us down. The media doesn’t want to talk about this averted attack from a Syrian Nationalist, or the dead Muslim cop killer. The guy from the Religion of Peace who as searching the internet for information on mass casualty events as far back as 2018. Nothing to see here.

I do want to talk about the brave law enforcement officers who arrived on the scene:

 

Officer Zach Robinson who deaded the terrorist, was field training Zach Wallin who died. Wallin, who was cremated in his police uniform, served with the Minnesota Army National Guard and deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Robinson was a college graduate with a wife and child.

God bless our law enforcement officers and fie on those at the top who talk but don’t do or, worse, ignore the danger.

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10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now

Rimfire guns are popular with shooting enthusiasts. When it comes to .22-caliber rifles, many are fans of the higher velocity and additional applications the .22 WMR has over the .22 LR. Here are 10 .22 Mag bolt-action rifles to consider for your next purchase.

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now

The .22 Magnum is a great hunting cartridge, outperforming the .22 Long Rifle on small game and varmints by a considerable margin.

The late 1970s rise of hyper-velocity .22 Long Rifle loads and the later advent of various .17s threw a bit of shade on the .22 Magnum’s status as the muscle rimfire. But the fact remains that the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, introduced in 1960, is never a bad choice. A .22 Mag. rifle is capable of handling projectiles from 30 to 50 grains in weight and at velocities from 1,600 fps to nearly 2,300 fps. In a good scoped bolt-action specimen, you will have to step up to a centerfire .22 Hornet to beat it by much.

The .22 Magnum is, primarily, a hunting cartridge. As such, it outranges and outperforms the .22 Long Rifle on small game and varmints by a considerable margin. It is not really an optimum coyote load, but I have seen it do a respectable job on called-in coyotes out to 50 to 60 yards or so. And it tends to be an accurate cartridge. Over the years I have shot examples of modestly priced .22 Mag., and with loads they liked they would stay at an inch—often under—at 100 yards.

And speaking of hunting, in many areas rimfire hunters are close to civilization, and as such, suppressors are becoming ever more popular. Not only is it safer for the shooter’s hearing, suppressed gunshots are less likely to annoy landowners, livestock and neighbors. So today many .22 Mag. rifles are threaded for suppressors, and that is a great thing.

Let us look at some of the newest entries in the bolt action category. They are presented from least expensive to most expensive.

1. Rossi Rimfire

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now

Rossi is best known for its lever actions, but the company also manufactures bolt guns, including a .22 Mag. The rifle comes with a stylish polymer stock, and the 21-inch matte black barrel is free-floated for accuracy. It is a nice, light 5.6 pounds, perfect for the hiking hunter, and a crossbolt safety is in the forward portion of the trigger guard. The rifle feeds from a five-round detachable box magazine. RossiUSA.com, $221


2. Citadel Trakr-22M

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now
The Citadel Trakr-22M features an adjustable synthetic stock and a threaded 21-inch barrel.

With its collapsible black synthetic stock, this tactical-looking .22 Mag. import is available through Legacy Sports International. Its threaded 21-inch barrel will squeeze out every bit of velocity from the .22 Mag. cartridge, and it features a 5-round detachable box magazine and a push-button safety as well as a cocking indicator that protrudes from the rear of the bolt when cocked. There are no iron sights, but Weaver scope bases come installed. Weight is 6.3 pounds. $249


3. Savage 93 Minimalist

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now
The Savage 93 Minimalist is a handy rifle at just 5.5 pounds with its partially skeletonized stock, and the 18-inch barrel is threaded.

The name may imply bare bones, but this little .22 Mag. rifle features a distinctive partially skeletonized wood laminate stock. Further, the 18-inch barrel is threaded for a suppressor, and it includes Savage’s user-adjustable AccuTrigger. The minimalist aspect really comes into play when you talk about weight, and the 93 Minimalist’s 5.5-pound weight should make it a dream to carry. It feeds from a 10-round detachable box magazine, and it comes with Weaver bases for scope mounting. It is available in green or brown versions. $359, SavageArms.com


4. CZ 457 American Synthetic Suppressor-Ready

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now
The 457 American Synthetic Suppressor’s American-style stock boasts twin swivel studs up front for mounting a bipod and sling simultaneously.

The 457 is an expansive line from a company that really knows how to make a rimfire. The 457 American Synthetic Suppressor has all the features a hunter could want—starting with an all-weather American-style synthetic stock with twin sling swivels up front so you can mount a bipod and a sling simultaneously. The 20.5-inch cold-hammer-forged barrel is threaded 1/2×28, and the rifle features a fully adjustable trigger. In an update over older CZ models, the safety now pushes forward to Fire. The 60-degree bolt throw ensures it will clear today’s big-ocular scopes. No iron sights, but it has a grooved 11mm dovetail for scope mounting. Weight is 5.4 pounds. $519, cz-usa.com


5. Savage B22 Magnum BNS-SR

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now
Savage B22 Magnum BNS-SR has an ergonomic stock with a higher comb for scope use and a vertical pistol grip. Its 18-inch barrel is suppressor-ready.

This new model features a good-looking, ergonomic stock with a higher comb for scope use and a vertical pistol grip for proper hand placement when shooting prone or from a rest. Its 18-inch carbon steel barrel is button-rifled and threaded for a suppressor. And Savage does not skimp on accuracy just because it is a rimfire. The BNS-SR uses the same thread-in, zero-tolerance headspacing for its barrel as centerfire rifles do, and the gun comes with Savage’s user-adjustable AccuTrigger. Weight is a Goldilocks-right 6.6 pounds—easy to carry and solid from shooting positions. Feeding is from a 10-round rotary magazine, and the gun comes with two-piece Weaver scope bases. $529, SavageArms.com

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now
The Ruger American rimfire is available in a version with Go Wild Camo Brush synthetic stock and Burnt Bronze Cerakote finish. The 18-inch barrel comes with a brake and is threaded 1/2×28.

The Americans have been well-received by hunters and shooters because of their features and typically excellent accuracy. For the .22 Mag. fan looking for something a little different, the version with a Go Wild Camo Brush synthetic stock and Burnt Bronze Cerakote (model 8373) is a good-looking, hard hunting rifle. It comes with interchangeable modules that change length of pull and comb height, and these are easily changeable. The 18-inch barrel comes with a brake and is threaded 1/2×28 if you want to change to a suppressor. The barreled action is Ruger’s Power Bedding, with an integral block to locate the receiver and free-float the barrel, and the Marksman trigger is adjustable. It comes with a Picatinny rail attached to the receiver for easy scope mounting, and the 60-degree bolt throw will clear even big-ocular scopes. Feeds from a nine-round rotary magazine, and weight is a handy 5.9 pounds. $559, ruger.com


7. CZ 457 Lux

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now
The 457 Lux has a European hogback-style stock in Turkish walnut, and its long 24.8-inch barrel provide a great sighting radius for the gun’s adjustable irons.

For the hunter who appreciates the finer things in life, the 457 Lux is served up with a European hogback-style stock in Turkish walnut. The design is just right for use with the adjustable iron sights that come on the rifle, and the receiver also sports a grooved 11mm dovetail for scope mounting. Its long, 24.8-inch cold-hammer-forged barrel provides an excellent sighting radius for the irons. Weight is a just-right 6.1 pounds, and like other 457s it now features a safety that pushes forward to Fire like Americans expect. The 60-degree bolt throw ensures it will clear today’s big-ocular scopes. $605, cz-usa.com


8. Browning T-Bolt Target

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now

The Browning T-Bolt Target is a classy rifle with a satin-finished Grade 1 black walnut stock, and its.16.5-inch bull barrel is threaded.

If it is traditional elegance you are looking for, plus the rapid-fire capability of a straight-pull bolt action, this .22 Magnum addition to the straight-pull T-Bolt stable features a 16.5-inch bull barrel with target crown that is threaded for a suppressor. The stock is satin finished Grade 1 black walnut. Overall length is 34.75 inches and the weight is 6 pounds, 2 ounces. The detachable box magazine holds 10 rounds, and it is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. $720, browning.com 9. Bergara B-14R Carbon

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now

The Bergara B-14R Carbon has a threaded carbon fiber 18-inch barrel, and the HMR stock is adjustable for cheekpiece height and length of pull.

This respected Spanish company is now offering its full-size trainer in .22 Magnum. The barrel is 18-inch carbon fiber with a No. 6 taper and threaded muzzle/thread protector. It features the company’s HMR stock with a full-length mini-chassis, adjustable cheekpiece and length of pull. It is compatible with Remington M700 scope mounts, has a 38-inch overall length (with spacers) and an 8.1-pound weight. The rifle features a 10-round AICS-style magazine: There is also a steel-barrel version for about $100 less. $1,245, bergara.com


10. Anschutz Model 1761 AV Threaded Classic

10 Great .22 Mag Bolt-Action Rifles Right Now

The Anschutz Model 1761 AV Threaded Classic is suppressor-ready and comes with Anschutz’s excellent two-stage trigger and a classic wood stock.

Anschutz is one of the most respected brands in the world when it comes to competition rifles, but the company makes sporting guns, too, including models in .22 Mag. The 1761 AV Threaded has an 18-inch barrel with a heavy contour and is, like it says, threaded—1/2×28 in this case. The stock is wood, styled classic, and one of the big selling points for some people will be its two-stage trigger. Anschutz triggers are among the finest on the planet, and it contributes a lot to accuracy. The rifle feeds from a five-round magazine. Weight is 6.1 pounds. $1,850, AnschutzNorthAmerica.com

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War

RUSSIAN KA-52 ALLIGATOR ATTACK HELICOPTER: AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?

Much has been made in the Western media and shared across the social platforms of the potentially thousands of Russian tanks and other armored vehicles that have been destroyed in Ukraine since the Kremlin launched its unprovoked invasion in February 2022. However, less attention has been paid to the nearly three dozen Ka-52 “Alligator” reconnaissance and attack helicopters that have been shot down in the fighting.

Russian Air Force Kamov Ka-50
The Russian Air Force Kamov Ka-50 shown above is a single-seat version of the Ka-52 helicopter. Image: © Dmitriy Pichugin/GNU Free Documentation License 1.2

It was on May 24 that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) claimed its soldiers successfully downed one of these rotary aircraft. Though unconfirmed, it would be a significant setback for the Kremlin, which only produced about 170 of the Russian helicopters, with each costing roughly $16 million. The AFU didn’t specify which unit had downed the Ka-52.

In early April, the Ukrainian 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade “Edelweiss” had claimed on Facebook to have destroyed a Ka-52 helicopter with a Piorun portable air-defense system. That particular incident reportedly occurred near the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut.

Ka-52 at Torzhok Air Base
A Ka-52 hovers at Torzhok Air Base in Russia. Visible are the helicopter’s multiple hard points for attaching munitions. Image: © Alex Beltyukov/CC BY-SA 3.0

There are reports that upwards of one-third of the 100 or so Russian Ka-52s that were in service at the start of the war have been destroyed.

The first Russian Ka-52 lost in Ukraine was confirmed destroyed in the opening weeks of the invasion when it was hit by a surface-to-air missile (SAM). Another had reportedly been damaged on the first day of the invasion on February 24, 2022, but it was able to land on its own. It remains unclear if it was returned to service.

The Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), described the Ka-52 as being generally comparable to the U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apache.

Origins of the Ka-52 Attack Helicopter

Though aviation innovator Nikolai Ilyich Kamov died in November 1973, nearly a decade before the Soviet military adopted the Ka-52, his impact is seen with the rotary aircraft. The Soviet aerospace engineer was a pioneer of helicopter design, and he founded the Kamov Design Bureau.

[Note: Today, the Kamov Design Bureau is part of Russian Helicopters, a holding company owned by Rostec State Corporation. Rostec is a defense corporation owned by Russia.]

Ka-52 alligator
The Kamov Ka-52 Alligator is sometimes described as a flying tank. Some Western analysts suggest the helicopter is roughly analogous to the AH-64 Apache. Image: Vlsergey/CC BY-SA 3.0

A characteristic of nearly all his designs, beginning with the Ka-8 Irkutyanin developed immediately after the Second World War, was the use of superimposed co-axial rotors to give a greater amount of lift to the vehicle. This was perfected with the Kamov Ka-15 (NATO reporting name “Hen”), a two-seat utility helicopter. It first flew in April 1952, and it went on to become the world’s first mass-produced coaxial rotary aircraft.

This eventually led to the development of the Kamov Ka-50 “Black Shark” (NATO reporting name “Hokum A) in the 1980s. Progress was slow, however, with operational testing being conducted from early 1985 through the middle of 1986. The advantage of its coaxial contra-rotating rotor system was that it removed the need for the entire tail rotor assembly and also improved the helicopter’s aerobatic capabilities. Though it reportedly requires a skilled (perhaps even daring) pilot, the Black Shark could perform loops, rolls, and “the funnel” (circle-strafing).

The Ka-50 was also noted for featuring a NPP Zvezda K-37-800 ejection seat to provide greater pilot survivability. The system actually blows away the rotor blades before an ejection seat deploys. How successful this is in practice isn’t entirely clear.

Ka-52 instrument panel
The above photo shows the instruments in the Ka-52 helicopter. Image: © Leukhin Fedor/CC BY-SA 2.0

The single-seat attack helicopter only finally entered service with the Russian Army in 1995, although fewer than two dozen are believed to have been built. Even as the development of the Ka-50 continued, the Kamov design team opted to produce a helicopter that could be utilized to conduct battlefield reconnaissance, provide target designation, support and coordinate group attack helicopter operations.

That effort led to the development of a two-seat variant of the Black Shark, where the second crew member could operate the optronics/radar reconnaissance suite. Kamov’s designers also opted to employ a side-by-side seating arrangement, which was meant to improve cooperation between the pilot and co-pilot.

The Ka-52 “Alligator” in the Crosshairs

This twin-seat variant was subsequently designated the Ka-52 “Alligator” (NATO reporting name “Hokum B”). Today, the twin-seat, all-weather attack aircraft is considered among Russia’s best attack helicopters. It can be armed with anti-tank and air-to-air guided missiles, while it is also fitted with a 30 mm main gun.

Ka-52 demonstration
A Ka-52 at the International Military & Technical Forum Army in 2018. Image: © Vitaly V. Kuzmin/CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

According to Russian state media, the Ka-52 can provide target acquisition and designation while it is furnished with signature control devices, electronic warfare, and active anti-jamming systems. The rotary aircraft was also designated to destroy tanks, armored and non-armored vehicles, manpower, rotorcraft, and other enemy aircraft on the frontline and in the tactical depth, in any weather conditions, and at any time.

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