How They Are Taking Our Guns: The Blueprint for Confiscation

I have a confession to make. When it comes to confiscation, I used to be a skeptic. See, in addition to missing some of the latent warning signs, I made the grave mistake of believing a then-Sen. Obama when he promised American voters that he wouldn’t take our guns.
“When you all go home and you’re talking to your buddies and you say, ah ‘He wants to take my gun away.’ You’ve heard it here, I’m on television so everybody knows it. I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe in people’s lawful right to bear arms. I will not take your shotgun away. I will not take your rifle away. I won’t take your handgun away,” said Obama, during a campaign stop in a Lebanon, Virginia in 2008.
Yes, shame on me for trusting a politician. Well, not that I really trusted Obama but I thought, you know, it would be political suicide for him to come after our guns. So, from an electability standpoint, he just won’t do it.  And aside from a few minor provisions during his first term in office, he did stay away from the 2A. But after his re-election in 2012, well, all hell broke loose. Obama turned from gun-friendly to gun-foe almost overnight. The president who explicitly said he wouldn’t take our shotguns, rifles and handguns had a whole new attitude. Many of you probably saw this coming — sad to say, I did not, especially to the extent that he changed.
“We should restore the ban on military-style assault weapons and a 10-round limit for magazines. And that deserves a vote in Congress — because weapons of war have no place on our streets, or in our schools, or threatening our law enforcement officers,” said the president back in February of 2013 while visiting the Minneapolis Police Department Special Operations Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Basically, that’s a complete 180. A flip-flop that would make even Hillary Clinton jealous (she’s been known to “evolve” on issues from time to time). Obama went from, I’m-not-taking-your-rifle to I-want-to-ban-the-most-popular-rifle-being-sold-in-America, i.e. modern sporting rifle, the AR-15 platform. Well, from that point on there was no mincing words, no more subterfuge.  It was clear. It was game on. It was all systems go for the gun-control machine. They were going to come for our guns. And they did. And they still are. And they’re not going to stop. And here’s how they’re going to do it.

The Three Tiers of Gun Confiscation

1. Dry Up the Supply

“Obviously there’s no single solution, which is why I support a wide range of policy proposals to bring sense to our firearms laws,” said Dianne Feinstein in a statement with respect to re-instituting a federal assault-weapons ban (AWB). “I continue to believe that drying up the supply of military-style assault weapons is an important piece of the puzzle—and the data back this up.”
First off, there’s no data to back up Feinstein’s statement. She’s completely full of it. Crime has dropped uniformly since the expiration of the Clinton-Era AWB, leading every honest criminologist to conclude that it had zero effect on crime rates.
What Feinstein was proposing was actually implemented in New York State, under the flawed SAFE Act. What the SAFE Act did was (1) broaden the definition of “assault weapon” to include more commonly owned and widely popular firearms (2) require everyone to register it with the government and (3) prevent any future transfers of those weapons, so that once the owner died the gun would no longer be legal for anyone to possess. That’s what she means by “dry up the supply.”
Make no mistake, it’s not only a ban, but it’s confiscation over the long haul. It’s insidious, and like I said, several states have laws on the books just like it and more our considering them (Wisconsin lawmakers are looking at one right now!). Could something like this be passed at the federal level? It’s unlikely. However, they’re going to try like hell to see that it does.

2. Mandatory Government Buyback

Gun buybacks are a common in the U.S. Many local police departments and municipalities set them up to “take guns off the street.” For the most part, they’re unsuccessful at reducing crime because thugs and gangster aren’t eager to trade in their piece for a $100 Best Buy gift certificate (or whatever it is they’re offering). While that’s obvious to everyone with a brain, politicians insist that they make a difference. Of course, they’re wrong. They don’t. It’s basically a way for people with old, inoperable firearms to exchange their junk for something. That’s it.
Now, none of these buybacks are mandatory. But, as we’ve recently heard from Hillary Clinton, that could change. Clinton wants to take a page from Australia’s gun-control playbook and institute a national, mandatory gun buyback which would force all gun owners to turn in certain firearms. It’s precisely what the government did in the Land Down Under following the Port Arthur shooting in 1996. The Australian government enacted the National Firearms Agreement, which banned semiautomatic rifles, pump-action shotguns as well as other firearms in common use.
Gun owners were faced with two choices: they could turn their guns in and receive a stipend or keep their guns and become outlaws. It appears that a majority opted to follow the NFA (thereby forfeiting their right to self-defense), as the government collected upwards of 640,000 firearms. Again, to the gun-grabbing crowd stateside, this is a great idea.
“When Australia had a mass killing … it was just so shocking the entire country said, ‘Well, we’re going to completely change our gun laws,’ and they did,” said Obama during a recent interview with comedian Marc Maron. And it hasn’t happened since.”
I don’t anticipate this happening anytime soon, but the fact that Hillary Clinton said, the mandatory buyback program, “deserves a look,” should be enough to give one pause.

3. Gun-Grabbing Task Force

Did you know that in California there is a whole task force (33-agent unit) dedicated to confiscating firearms from individuals?
It’s nothing new, either. Following the passage of Senate Bill 950 in 2001, the Golden State created the Armed and Prohibited Persons System. It’s a program that law enforcement uses to cross reference registered gun owners with a list of individuals prohibited from possessing a firearm. In theory, it’s not such a bad idea. The government can actively disarm bad guys and the mentally ill, right?
But, again, in practice it doesn’t always work out that way, especially when the state keeps lowering the bar for what makes one a prohibited person. Consider the case of Michael Merritt from Bakersfield, CA, who watched as agents raided his home and seized his firearms for a marijuana possession charge that dated back to the 1970s.
“It’s just the worst feeling,” Merritt told Eyewitness News back in Feb. of 2013. “It’s a loss of your liberty, of your rights. I almost passed out when they said they wanted all my guns.”
“I thought, he’s here to get my guns for some reason,” Merritt continued. “He says, ‘You have a felony here from 1970.’ I said, ‘A felony? A pot possession charge from 1970.'”
The agents not only took his five registered handguns but his wife’s firearms as well. What’s crazy is that the (a) Merritt had already settled the matter by paying a $100 fine and serving a probation stint four decades ago and (b) the felony charge had been reduced to a misdemeanor.
Weeks later, the government finally caught their mistake and returned Merritt’s property to him.
“I’m glad we got them back, we got lucky,” Merritt said. “Because we never thought we’d see the guns again, ever.”
I have a feeling that this type of task-force confiscation program is going to be expanded in the near future. I bet that’s what the ATF eventually turns into, an agency dedicated to confiscation. At the same time, I have a feeling that anti-gun lawmakers will start crafting laws that turn petty offenses into felonies in an effort to disarm more Americans, e.g. loaning a gun to a neighbor without a background check.

Conclusion

I get it, some of you will accuse me of stirring the pot, stoking the fire, playing to people’s fears. You’ll argue that confiscation is a pipe dream for gun-grabbers and that our GOP-dominated Congress would never allow that to happen. Well, I understand your skepticism. As I mentioned, I used to be a skeptic too. But things change — and sometimes much quicker than one can anticipate. What seems improbable today, may become a reality tomorrow. My point is simply this: confiscation isn’t about to happen, it’s already happening in states like New York, California, Connecticut. Open your eyes, take a look around and see for yourself. They are already taking our guns. The only question is: what are we going to do about it?

Wisconsin Lawmakers Introduce Confiscatory Gun Bill

Not that you need it, but for clarification, a “wastrel” is a good-for-nothing person. Or, in other words, someone who would say the following:
“I can conceive of no legitimate reason that any citizen should need to own or use a semiautomatic assault weapon,” — Rep. Lisa Subeck, co-sponsor of a Wisconsin Assembly bill that would ban many widely popular and commonly owned modern sporting rifles.
That’s correct. Rep. Subeck is a wastrel. As are her cohorts, Reps. Terese Berceau, Melissa Sargent and Chris Taylor, all of whom also supported the confiscatory gun bill that could, if passed, turn many law-abiding gun owners into felons.
A portion of the official Analysis of the bill reads as follows:

This bill bans the transportation, purchase, possession, or transfer of a semiautomatic assault weapon and specifically defines “assault weapon” for the purpose of the ban. Under the bill, whoever transports, purchases, possesses, or transfers a semiautomatic assault weapon is guilty of a felony and may be fined up to $10,000, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of up to six years, or both.

Yes. You read that correctly. Citizens who own these “assault weapons” would have really two choices were th

SILENCERS

5.56mm Rifle

7.62mm Rifle

Large Bore Rifle

Pistols

Rimfire

Advanced Armament Corporation complete MPW rifles

MPW
MPW 9" URX III Rail	Caliber: 300 AAC BLACKOUT Length: 16” and 12.5” Advanced Armament Corporation complete MPW rifles are available in 16” and 12.5” barrels chambered for 300 AAC BLACKOUT. (*All NFA rules apply) A 30 caliber rifle the size of an AR15 5.56mm caliber rifle - without a reduction in magazine capacity. The AAC MPW in 300 AAC Blackout uses ordinary 223/5.56mm  magazines for a full 30 round capacity, and is available in 12.5, and 16 inch barrels.* Components are of premium quality. The 1:7 twist barrel is nitrided to provide extreme corrosion resistance and high hardness for a long life - outperforming chrome-lined barrels for longevity without the potential impediments to accuracy. The muzzle is threaded 5/8-24 and includes an AAC 51-tooth BLACKOUT™ flash suppressor with the complete upper. A Knight’s Armament free-floating URX III helps maintain accuracy while providing for the mounting of accessories. The bolt carrier group’s nickel boron (Ni-B) UCT EXO coating has a very high hardness and lower friction than either chrome or nickel teflon. There is also a base layer of high-phosphorous electroless nickel that ensures the extreme corrosion protection that is absent from other Nickel Boron carriers that use a single, thinner layer. The bolt itself is Carpenter 158® phosphated shot-peened steel to ensure precise dimensions with no concerns for hydrogen embrittlement in the critical lug area. A special green o-ring that is tested to not bind even at -40 degrees F is standard. The extractor spring is made from premium ultra-strong wire and is a low fatigue design to ensure the longest possible life. The extractor pin made from 300 ksi S2 tool steel - not the much lower strength S7 more commonly used.  Finally, a properly-staked carrier-key with Permatex® gasket-seal compound ensures no gas leakage. The trigger is a Geissele for great feel and reliability, and the stock and pistol grip by MagPul Industries. One magazine is included. Optics, mounts, and silencer are not included. The recommended optional sound suppressor is the AAC 762-SDN-6™, which provides an average of 39.3 dB reduction with subsonic ammunition. MSRP: $1,599.95
5.56 Upper, 16" Barrel 300 BLK Upper, 16" Barrel 300 BLK Upper, 12.5" Barrel 300 BLK Upper, 9" Barrel

Love the Remington 870

Every year when waterfowl begin their annual trip south, hunters across America oil up their 870s. Countless cops have tricked out 870s, literally riding shotgun. And when something goes bump in the night, those who are serious about defending home and hearth reach for the 870. It is arguably the most common shotgun in America. There are millions of them in this country alone. How many millions? I doubt even Remington knows, for sure–but 10,000,000 is the safe estimate.

Even the box it comes in is pedestrian. This is a no-frills firearm.

So what’s all the fuss? The pump action shotgun has proven itself more versatile and less finicky than the fickle automatics, so hunters trust the design.
Because of the wide assortment of aftermarket options, the 870 is easy to fine-tune and customize, which makes it appeal to tactical shooters.
And for home defense, the pump shotgun is a great deterrent weapon capable of firing a variety of loads.
But most of that list applies to all pump shotguns. Yet the old 870, a design that’s close to 65 years old, is still the standard by which all other pump shotguns are judged.

So what’s the secret?

I’ve been asking this for a long time. I haven’t drunk the proverbial 870 Kool-Aid. I’ve come to this review with a completely open mind. I’ve owned a couple of 870s, but it has never been my go-to gun. They come in, I mess with them a bit, and then I end up selling them to make room for something else. But here’s the rub–several people whose opinions I trust implicitly have 870s as the corner-stone of their tactical armories. And they think I should, too.

The walnut is clear and not highly figured. The wood gives the 870P a classic look.

The wooden furniture has a warm feel to it that I prefer over plastic, but it will require maintenance.

So I’m giving it a shot. I’m starting with this classic design and I’m going to see what I can do to it to make the 870 the perfect shotgun. This will be a rather involved process, and I plan on overhauling almost every piece of the gun. But my effort is also going to require new training. Even though most pump guns work in a similar fashion, each gun has a nuanced skill set required to make them run efficiently.

The receiver of the 870P is marked Police Magnum.

The basics

The 870 is the most common pump shotgun in America. I’ve gone one step further and opted for the Police Magnum. This is an 870 with a few robust improvements. Most companies offer something like the good, better, best model. This is more like robust, more robust, and ridiculous. I prefer the ridiculous end of the robust spectrum.
It is essentially an 870, though the receiver has been milled from a solid piece of steel. In the standard form, the gun comes with walnut furniture. This one has also been parkerized. These three simple improvements hide the standard dual action bars and a bolt which locks up with the barrel. It is a robust deign, for sure.
As far as options go, the 870 is almost as easily customized as a 1911 or an AR-15. From pistol grips, to sights, to furniture…lights, lasers, etc. Remington offers a wide variety of stock options, and the used market is full of custom jobs. But the basic controls of the 870 will stay the same.
One distinct feature of the 870 that I’m having trouble acclimating to is the placement of the safety. Where Mossberg has their safeties on the tang, where you can easily reach them with your thumb, Remington keeps theirs behind the trigger. The safety is easy to reach with your trigger finger. To make the gun safe (at least for those of us who are right handed), you move the trigger finger away from the trigger and roll the thumb over to the other side.

The finger sweeps across the safety and disengages it effortlessly.

The safety is easy to engage with the thumb.

The other main difference in the controls is the placement of the action bar lock. To chamber that first shell, you have to wrap your hand forward on the frame. The Mossberg’s action lock is closer to where the 870’s safety sits. I’ve grown accustomed to hitting it with my thumb when I want to get the action in motion.

The action bar lock is forward of the trigger guard.

If you intend to hit the action bar lock with your right thumb, you have to reach for it.

Neither of these are deal breakers. As I’ve spent a lot of time behind a Mossberg, I’ll just have to retrain my brain. But there’s a lingering question, I think, that makes this argument worth having. Is one set-up better than the other?
I like a tang safety. There’s very little chance that I’ll move it one way or the other unintentionally. With the 870’s safety, I can see how I might reach to grip the gun and push the safety off. Then again, that is precisely how it is intended to work. As you reach for the grip, your trigger finger sweeps the safety off. There is not extra step needed to make the gun operational. If your thumb is working the safety, you will need to wrap it back around before you pull the trigger.
So I’m going to call the 870’s safety a clear favorite. As for the possibility that I might disengage the safety accidentally, that is on me. And it goes back to training. If I can keep my finger off the trigger, I should be able to keep the same finger off the safety.
But I’ll be damned if I don’t really miss that Mossberg action bar lock. I have been working this 870 pretty hard for about a month now, and I still can’t get used to giving it the old reach-around. My thumb goes for its habitual position, and there’s nothing there. The action doesn’t open. The whole machine grinds to a halt.

I’ve loaded this gun a lot in the last month and I’ve yet to catch my thumb in the gate.

But what about the reliability?

There’s no disputing the simple fact that the 870’s legendary reliability is at the heart of its popularity. Again we see the old triad of sportsman, LEOs, and home defenders…. They all want a gun that will work. That’s where the old workhorse 870 comes into its own. You can argue about which shotgun is most reliable, or which one is most durable, or which one is most versatile, but the fact remains that the 870 is sufficient for almost everyone. Durable enough. Reliable enough. Accurate enough.
And should the gun break down, the 870 is easy to repair. The very popularity of the platform means that there is a healthy aftermarket supply of parts. Anything broken can be easily replaced. As this is a gun that has moving parts, and one that suffers from the abusive kick of the 12 gauge shells, there are parts that wear out. Springs, mainly. Extractors. Action bar locks.
Some of the 870 issues I’ve seen are attributable to good-old-fashioned redneck gun-care habits. You know who I’m talking about. I have one relative who will complain that his 870 doesn’t work right. Never mind that the gun is older than I am, or that it has never been kept in a safe with controlled humidity. I doubt it has ever been cleaned. The rust you see on the surface of a gun should point to a much bigger problem on the inside. And the old 870 will rust. So do we call this user error?
As for the gun itself, I’ve rarely seen an 870 come from the factory with a noticeable flaw. If one element is sticky or stiff, a bit of polishing usually solves the issue. Tolerances on the guns are loose enough to allow for some modification. We’re talking shotguns, and not the hand-built Italian sporting models.

Accuracy

Again, we reach a place where it is difficult to find a clear winner. Most 12 gauge shotguns of equal length with the same choke will perform in a very similar fashion. But there are notable differences. Sights are the most obvious. This 870 has some crude sights. They are about as crude as you can get on any gun that actually goes to the trouble of adding sights. The front is a simple dot. The rear is just a wide grooved channel.
Yet it doesn’t really change how the gun shoots, and if you have any skill with a scattergun you will be able to put lead or steel where you want it. Check out these results.

The spread from buckshot at 7 yards. Devastating.

Buckshot from 25 yards. A wide spread.

High brass steel shot from 7 yards.

High brass steel shot from 25 yards.

Bird shot from 7 yards.

Low brass from 25 yards.

Two slugs from 25 yards.

The end is just the beginning

For me, the 870P is a perfectly serviceable firearm. I blame my ambivalence on accidental brand loyalty. If I have a choice between a Coke and a Pepsi, I’m going to drink the Coke. I have no idea when I decided that. The same is true for the 870. But I’ve made a commitment to this gun. In the shape it is in right now, I can begin retraining my brain. And I’ll make the other changes one piece at a time, so the gun isn’t ever out of circulation for too long. And I’ll be back with updates.
So how about it? I know most of you reading this may very well own an 870. What am I missing? What makes this the standard by which all others must be judged? Is it the price? With the millions that are out there, fair trades are easy to find. Prices vary wildly depending on the options and model and caliber. The 870P in this configuration is often listed in the high $400–to low $600 range. But what about the other reliable options? Why not the old Winchester, or the Ithaca, or the Mossberg or Benelli? What is it that makes the 870 stand out as the first choice for so many of you?

The extractor is easy to access and service.

The ejection happens on the right side and is clean and forceful.

The fit is about what you’d expect from a mass produced gun.

The butt-pad is thick.

While more intricate sights are available, this is functional simplicity.

The brass bead catches available light.

The front bead.

The build is solid and the component parts are robust.

No Rem-Chokes for this one. Improved cylinder choke only.

The walnut forend.

The safety pushes from the left to the right.

9 balls of OO Buck from the shells used above.

Troy Takes on the AK-47

The AK has a dedicated cult following here in The States. Despite its reputation as the-rifle-that-won’t-quit, the Kalashnikov is still a hard sell for many who cut their metaphoric teeth on the very American AR-15. There are numerous reasons—too many to list. Some hate the lack of a bolt hold open. Others can’t wrap their heads around the mag release. Still others don’t trust the 7.62 x 39. And some folks are just too patriotic. The biggest complaint: the lack of rail for easily mounting optics.
But each of those issues has after-market fixes (except for the patriotism—I’m not sure that needs fixing). The Russian rifles come in numerous calibers, and can be retrofitted with a variety of American-user-friendly options. That’s where this review is headed, obviously, but we have to make a clear distinction here, at the outset. Troy doesn’t make plastic junk to help Call-of-Duty wannabes make their AKs look cool. These aren’t novelty parts. Troy makes hard-use gear.

When an American gun maker takes on Russia’s shortcomings

The very real threat of terrorism would suggest that everyone, and I mean everyone, should know how to run an AK—and also how to shut one down. With that in mind, I became a student of the platform. And I’ve grown to respect it. But the basic design has its flaws.

This MFT hand guard is functional, but it is too compact for my taste.

I’ve been waiting for this kit for a long time. I’ve been slowly working my way through the aftermarket options for forends, looking for something that will allow me to keep my hand off of the gas tube and barrel. I tend to hold farther out than the stubby forends on most AKs will allow. So when I saw the long tubes on the AKs in the Troy booth at SHOT last year, I was ready.
There was only one problem—the Troy forends wouldn’t clear certain Arsernal AK barrels, because of the threads for their muzzle devices. I talked with Troy several times about the changes being made, and at last a set arrived tailored to the Arsenal.

The benefits

Length is first for me. This long tube allows for a lot more real estate than I’ve ever had on an AK. With this much length, you can wrap way out above the barrel (which is an ideal hold for a rifle with sights this high). If length is not important, Troy makes a short version of the rail, too.

Vent holes allow for air circulation, and for the attachment of rail sections.

If you want more texture, add Squid Grip plugs.

Even the short version has exceptional texture. The tube is cut so that you can grip any surface on the outside of the tube and find a solid hand-hold. If you want more texture, you can stick the rubber squid-suckers into the vent holes. Sections of rail can be added, too, so hand stops and vertical grips are also options.
One thing I’ve found with other forends is a distinct lack of stability. The wooden forends are solid, but don’t offer much beyond modest insulation. Some of the plastic forends are easy to fit, but shoot loose, or come loose when the plastic heats up and expands. The aluminum forends are less prone to this, but most are so thick (and placed in close proximity to the gas tube and barrel, that they heat up quickly and hold that heat longer.

The rear of the forend mates with the receiver.

The stability of this milled connection is what makes this a viable platform.

The way the Troy forend attaches keeps it from shooting loose. And the open space inside the tube allows for the air to pass freely, which helps cool off the gun and the forend.

How to install it

Taking the old forend off may be incredibly easy. If not, it may require tools, elbow grease, and carefully selected expletives. Once the two halves are off, dry fit the forend. Remove the brake or flash hider and angle in the barrel. The sight post is the real obstacle.

Strip it down.

Rock the forend over the front sight. You will likely need to take off the muzzle device.

Cut outs fit existing parts with tolerances just forgiving enough for basic manufacturing variations.

Bolts inside the forend need to be snugged down. This locks it in place.

The bolts are not easy to reach.

Again, improvise as needed. A flexible extender makes the job easy.

Install the new top rail. This replaces the gas tube and fits in place easily.

If it doesn’t slide in place, you may need to find a way to hammer it home. I used a brass punch and a Tru-Glo sight riser locked onto the rail.

I hammered on the riser instead of the rails. Worked perfectly.

Then ratchet down the front end.

In the end, the rail becomes a solid platform on which to mount optics.

The benefit is clear. My old rail was plastic, which is much less stable than the aluminum.

The end result is a solid fit that compliments the aesthetic of the gun.

Criticisms

When I finally got the retrofitted gun to the range, I had one issue. The open section below the sight post allows you to get close to that hot barrel. I didn’t have my cleaning rod in, which would have offered another small barrier. Just be careful when you wrap that hand around the end of the forend.

There should be a plate to cover this open cut-out, which is required to get the tube over the sight.

That would keep my hand form coming in contact with the bottom of the barrel.

The fix? I’d like to see Troy build a small section of tube that simply bolts into place—something that would bring the whole circumference of the tube all the way to the end. If that were available, I’d Loc-tite that plate in place and never take the forend off of this gun. Ever. I like it that much.
As is, I’m going to have to practice a bit before I’m comfortable reaching way out there on that end. And I’ll be wearing gloves.

In the (fore)end

There’s a lot to recommend about this set-up. Even with the open bottom, the forend offers so much more than the typical tactical AK furniture, and infinitely more than the wood. It may not look so much like an AK when you’re finished, but that’s typically not an issue for those of us who want their guns to be as functional as possible.
The long Troy forend sells for $139.95. The top rail is $149.

Add a vertical grip, too.

The Troy grip is modular.

It can even be used for storage.

And the screw can be replaced with a quick release version.

The rail sections are easy to install, but you have to have room for the hardware inside the tube.

The rail isn’t flush fitting, but doesn’t protrude much.

The forend tube has a small section of rail.

That section is lower than the section on the gas tube.

The fit, considering how sloppy some AK tolerances are known to be, is really impressive.

And the whole thing comes together to give the AK a much more modern look.