My Smart Gun Question - It Got a Reply. Or Two.

Not long ago I posted a question on here if people were willing to carry a smart gun in exchange for shall issue carry permits. This question really only applies to folks living in states that are May Issue and make it incrediblely difficult to acquire a permit. I would never expect any sane individual in a Shall Issue state to go for this sort of thing. Well, I opted to ask that question to the folks over at The Truth About Guns. TTAG is a blog I read almost daily. They have a very large following and are one of the top gun blogs out there. Their readers represent various groups of people ranging from the absolutists and hardcore gunnies to the moderate. It would not surprise me if they even had a few anti's that read them as well.

 

TTAG's post

You can see in the post my question (the editors appear to have shortened my email a bit which is fine as it's easier to read) was answered by many members of the community. I cannot believe how many people have commented in the first hour the post has been up; over 70 comments! Everyone commenting pretty much all said the same thing; NO or F*** NO! LOL. To be fair though, I think most people didn't bother to read the full thing. I probably wouldn't have either and just posted NO. I'm not saying I expected anything different from the readership but it's kind of amazing and a little exciting to see something of mine take off and get responded to. So far, many people have indicated one very specific reason (amongst others) as to why NO to smart guns; the potential ability of the/a government to "turn off" the guns. This concept is interesting and is worth being worried about as the state could very easily prevent folks from using their firearm in a time of need; such as a natural disaster. Additionally, many of the comments are in regards to giving up part of our rights; the "give an inch..." argument came up quite a bit. Also, the ability to track the gun via GPS was a major concern in addition to the firearm not being reliable and these laws being unconstitutional. The concerns about the state forcing a requirement to be able to track the gun and having any ability to disable the weapon remotely are, for me, automatic turn-offs. I would NEVER agree to the legislation if any level of our government had those abilities regarding my smart gun. 

Why Even Suggest This?

I don't disagree with anything they've said. I completely understand their concerns and I agree with them but my idea was simply one possible way to coerce these states normally unwilling to budge into Shall Issue permits. Then take the state to court over the legislation to remove the smart gun requirement due to it being unconstitutional (for any reason is fine with me). The state would then be forced to remove the smart gun requirement potentially leaving the Shall Issue permit intact. This process could be very dangerous for our rights but we could end up gaining ground if it won't happen by itself. Part of me thinks that Shall Issue permits are the future despite these elected politician's and their inability to recognize our rights.

The process likely wouldn't happen this way but at least I'm trying.

Note: I will check back over the next few days to see what others have said. So far the comments have reached over 110. Very nice.

Ruger American Rimfire - My Review **I made a oops**

**In the below I note that I have the 18 inch barrel model, however, after actually measuring I ACTUALLY do have the 22 inch barrel model. I thought the one I got was the 18 inch model. The LGS was incorrect. I feel dumb. lol**

It's finally time to talk about the Ruger American Rimfire. Basically, it's a good gun for a good price but there are some things you need to watch out for. I got the standard model with the 18 inch barrel from an LGS. I mounted a 3-9x40 BSA Sweet .22 scope off of Amazon and used Weaver high rings from Wal-mart. For a budget gun, the Ruger American Rimfire is a good buy.

I like the gun for the most part. It shoots pretty accurately with the right ammo at 100 yards. I can usually get sub 4 inch groups with most mid range ammo and less than 2 inch groups with the higher quality ammo. The best I ever shot was less than .9 inch at 100 yards with Eley Club Xtra (I got lucky) but I usually get around 1.7 to 2.5 inch groups with the Eley. The trigger is possibly the best feature about the gun. It's crisp and adjustable down to around 3.5 lbs. I really like that it uses the same rotary magazine from the Ruger 10/22. If you had one of the BX-25 mags, you could use those as well. Removing the magazine is easy. Simply push on the tab in front of the trigger guard and the empty mag should fall right out. The action seems smooth and the tang safety is easily manipulated. Removing the bolt is also very easy. Open the action then press and hold the button on the left rear of the receiver, then just pull the bolt out of the receiver. The receiver has a dovetail type rimfire scope mount directly milled in but it also has holes drilled and tapped for a scope base. I ended up using the Weaver #12 mounts from Shopruger.com. The gun comes with 2 comb adapters for the stock. By unscrewing the rear sling mount you can remove the plastic insert. If you plan on using a scope you can use the high comb. If you want to shoot with the open sights you can use the standard comb. Speaking of the sights, we NEED to talk about them.

My biggest issue with this gun is likely particular to my gun but you should be wary of the one you are buying. My sights are messed up! The front sight's mounting hole was bored off axis to the right in addition to having been rotated clock-wise to the barrel axis. The screw hole also had severe burring that needed to be filed off but wasn't while at the factory. These burs kept the front sight from resting on the barrel and allowed the front sight to rotate with pressure. The dovetail cut for the rear sight was also cut clock-wise to the bore axis and the horizontal perpendicular cut wasn't cut correctly either. Basically, the factory screwed up in just about every way you could, on an open sight install. Thankfully, the scope mounts appear to have been cut correctly so using the scope hasn't been an issue. I only use the scope so I wasn't worried about sending it back but you NEED to be aware of this issue.

Other things to talk are the length of pull is too short for me and they don't make a comb to increase it (the gun has a 13.75 inch length of pull) so a custom replacement stock will be a thing. Swapping out the stock though isn't necessarily all that easy. The gun uses these 2 V-shaped bedding blocks that mate up with cut outs in the bottom of the receiver. The stock will need to have slots cut out for those blocks. Thankfully, Boys stocks already has an option for this rifle with those cut outs so it shouldn't be a big issue. The original stock isn't bad but the front is a little flimsy and will flex but for the most part, it's free floated. Another thing I don't like is that the barrel isn't replaceable. Maybe in the future it could be replaced but I have no idea. A bull barrel option would be totally awesome. However, you should note something important. When I use Remington Golden Bullet, sometimes I get gas leaking around the bolt and back into my face. When I extract the cartridge case, you can see where the burning powder left a sooty spot on the outer case wall as it vented. This is likely due to the case not expanding properly creating a sufficient seal with the chamber. I don't have this issue with any other ammo. It could be specific to the batch that I bought but I haven't found any other runs of RGB yet to see if the issue continues.

For the most part, the Ruger American Rimfire is a good gun for a good price. The other versions have threaded muzzles for devices, different barrel lengths, different stock options and can come in .22 Magnum and .17 HMR. My biggest suggestion for the gun is either they need to make a version with a bull barrel or make it so we can replace the barrel. I would totally buy another RAR if I could get a 22 inch bull barrel and maybe in .17 HMR. Otherwise I would likely purchase a Savage MKII or highly customized 10/22. If you want to know how the gun does over time, check back periodically as I work my way through my long range project. The RAR is the gun I'm starting with and will be used for other activities as well. I intend to shoot this gun for some time.

Pros -

• The adjustable TRIGGER! I really like it

• Uses 10/22 mags which are available just about everywhere

• Comes with replaceable combs

• Comes in .22 Long Rifle, .22 Magnum and .17 HMR

• Street price is good at sub-$350

• Reasonably accurate

Cons -

• Watch out for QC issues like incorrectly installed sights

•  Barrel not replaceable

•  No bull barrel option (maybe they will have one in the future)

The Maryland HQL - How Long and How Much for your Rights?

I finally finished the process one must complete to buy a handgun in Maryland. The entire process will have taken me about 6 months before I can take possession of any newly purchased handgun. However, before one gets all excited the ACTUAL time is 22 days. I took the class back in October of 2013 but I had waited before putting in the actual application, hence the 6 months bit. But from the day you take a training class to the soonest you would be eligible to pick up a newly purchased handgun after the waiting period ends is around 21 days. Are you interested in the minimum total cost? With NO GUN PURCHASED you are looking at spending a minimum of $124.50 for just the HQL. If you actually buy a gun the minimum total cost not including the cost the handgun is $164.50.

As I had stated earlier the class was back in October 2013 but I waited for personal reasons. I finally put in the application 26 March 2014 (a Wednesday) after having completed the fingerprinting requirement (my finger print receipt says 3/25/14). I watched the Maryland State Police license page everyday afterward except on Sunday. By Sunday all the sections had been completed except the MVA Photo, LiveScan and NICS sections (I imagine those last 3 are actually the easiest sections since NICS is instant). The page has a section that breaks down the various Maryland criminal and mental health agencies' databases the MD State Police reference when completing the background check. There are also sections for the fingerprinting part and the "MVA Photo" they need for the hard copy and of course the NICS checks. As each agency reports back, each section is reported as 'Completed.' Once all sections are complete then an "approval officer" completes the process. If all goes well, you'll have an active HQL number in about a week. Mine went active on 31 March (a Monday).

Once you have an active number though you still can't buy a handgun... You actually need the laminated card. That takes about a week to be mailed out to you; I got my card 7 April (a Monday). That means that it took 12 days from the day I put in the application to the day I received the card. But we're not done yet. I could have run out and bought a handgun on 7 April. Had I done that I would STILL have to wait at LEAST 7 days before I could pick up a firearm that I just bought (Maryland has a 7 day waiting period). If I had taken the class on 25 March and if the store allows "8th day pickup" then you are looking at 21 days before you a able to exercise your right to own a handgun.

But what about the cost? The ACTUAL minimum cost to purchase a handgun with all the fees and taking the cheapest class I could find plus the cost of a chamber lock (more on that later) is $164.50. Below is the breakdown:

Cheapest class I could find* - $20.00
Cheapest LiveScan fingerprinting I could find - $54.50
Maryland State Police HQL Application fee - $50.00

Minimum Initial Cost - $124.50

*Please note that the $20 class is offered by one group otherwise the classes offered by other groups are usually around $100 to $120. This brings you to a cost of around $204.50 and upward.

Purchasing a handgun, however, requires a little more money to go to the State Police plus one other requirement State law says is needed: the chamber lock. A chamber lock is a device that is inserted into the chamber of the firearm then the key is inserted into the muzzle and rotated to lock the device in place. This locks up the action so one can't pull the slide back. The State says that you have to have a chamber lock before you leave the store. If you can't get one from a buddy then you have to buy one. The fee that goes to the State Police is for something that I'm not sure about. I've seen where it says Government Background on a receipt from BassPro for $10 but I've heard it was a transfer or registration fee. Additional Costs below:

State Police transfer/registration fee - $10.00
Chamber Lock - $30.00

So, in total, if you want to exercise the 'KEEP' part of your right to "keep and bear arms" (specifically a handgun) as a resident of Maryland you will wait around 3 weeks and you will pay a minimum of $124.50 in addition to the cost of the firearm of your choice plus sales tax, fees and required accessories. The total cost of that new $550 Glock 19 GEN4 you want? Around $747.50 without any extra mags, ammo or other accessories. But remember, not all of the HQL classes are that cheap. Many of the classes available are around $100 to $120 but some of those classes offer more that just the basic class. From what I have heard, some of the more expensive classes have you shoot various handguns giving you experience with those firearms to help you choose which gun you may end up buying.

When you buy the gun you still have to do several pages worth of paperwork in addition to the standard form 4473. Everyone does form 4473 no matter what state you live in; its a federal requirement when you buy from a dealer. But Maryland has about 3 or 4 pages you still have to fill out which, incidentally, those pages are basically the same as form 4473 AND the questionnaire you had to answer when put in the application for the HQL. TRIPLE REDUNDANCY!!! Thankfully once you have the HQL you can buy all the handguns you want (you'll still have fill out all the pages for each purchase). I would strongly suggest you buy as many as you can so as to help offset that initial cost. Additionally the license lasts for 10 years; I'd like to move out of this idiotic State before then but only time will tell.

I just want to say that it boggles my mind to think that people are willing to set dangerous precedence by requiring lengthy delays and monetary costs that the ordinary, everyday citizen has to jump through before exercising what is a fundamental, Constitutionally protected right.

Don't believe owning a handgun is a right? Don't take it from me The Supreme Court says it is (see the 2008 Heller Case).

Update: I may have some of the days wrong. The dates are correct but the math may not stack up just right. Either way, your still looking at about 21 to 24 days before you can actually legally pick up a newly purchased handgun from the store.