Sunday, February 7, 2016

Governor Abbott Sends Letter To BLM Director Over Federal Land Grab


Governor Abbott Sends Letter To BLM Director Over Federal Land Grab

Friday, October 16, 2015  •  Austin, Texas  •  Press Release
Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter to Neil Kornze, Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), regarding his agency’s continued efforts to take control of land along the Texas-Oklahoma border—land that has been privately owned and managed for decades.
“Our Constitution — the same Constitution you have taken an oath to uphold — rests on the principle that governments are created to protect private property owners’ rights, not destroy them,” writes Governor Abbott. “This principle is enshrined in the Fifth Amendment of our founding document. The BLM should demonstrate that the federal government still respects private property rights and end this unconscionable land grab.”
Excerpts from Governor Abbott’s Letter:
“As attorney general, I asked for clarification regarding the BLM’s claim of ownership of vast lands held by Texans along the Red River. My fellow Texans and I are still waiting for an answer. The BLM has yet to identify what land the federal government newly claims as its own. The BLM has yet to identify the legal basis for that claim. And the BLM has yet to identify the process by which Texans can protect their land and private property rights.”
 (. . .)
“The landowners along the Red River have lived and labored on this land for generations.  The BLM now inexplicably seeks to take control of thousands of acres of private land for undetermined recreational activities. Throughout the process, the BLM has minimized the landowners’ grave and legitimate concerns, while providing no clarity regarding the authority for taking the land in the first place.”
 (. . .)
“Explaining to landowners that the process is long and complex, that surveys will be done or that landowners will eventually be able to file a “color of title” lawsuit is neither solution nor solace.  Instead, it is an illegal taking. These actions harm Texans now by clouding the title to the land their families have owned for generations. As you well know, the BLM’s actions prevent landowners from borrowing against the land to finance business operations or selling the land to new owners looking to cultivate their own economic freedom. But the implications of your actions are not merely financial. In many cases, your actions threaten to take the very homes above these Texans’ heads.”
To read the full letter, click here.

Restoring the Rule of Law

Governor's Initiatives

“We must seek higher ground that will continue to elevate Texas not just as a leader in this nation, but as a leader in this world.”
                                                                                            - Governor Greg Abbott

Restoring the Rule of Law

The Texas Plan to restore the Rule of Law and return the Constitution to its intended purpose. Read More

Educating Texans

Texas is exceptional, and our education system must be too. Gov. Abbott wants next year’s pre-kindergarten class to graduate from high school in the top ranked school system in the nation. Gov. Abbott will promote a culture of aspiration and achievement in our schools by setting expectations of excellence for our children, our teachers, our principals and our parents, and then giving educators the flexibility to achieve them.

Working Texans

Job creation is the lifeblood of our state, pumping income into the pockets of families and providing opportunity, dignity and purpose to workers. The building block of a strong economy is an environment where entrepreneurs and workers have the freedom to aspire, to innovate, to grow, and to prosper. Gov. Abbott will promote policies that keep Texas number one in the nation for creating jobs.

Fiscal Responsibility

Texas families have to live within their means and so should our state government. Gov. Abbott has proposed reforms to control the growth of government including a tighter spending cap tied to inflation and population growth, expanded line-item veto authority so the Governor can act to rein in spending and protection of our Rainy Day Fund.

We The People

The Constitution is the cornerstone of our democracy, and “We the People” are the foundation of our governing principles. Gov. Abbott will protect the freedoms guaranteed to us by our Creator and enumerated in the Constitution. He will act  to protect Texans’ private information, strengthen Second Amendment rights, guard Texas against federal government overreach and strengthen ethics laws for government officials.

Securing Texas

There is no greater priority than protecting our citizens, families and communities.  Gov. Abbott will do what the federal government has failed to do and secure our border. He will keep out drug cartels and gangs that import crime to our state, protecting your right to be safe in your own home, protecting your children in their schools and enforcing the rule of law.

Healthy Texans

Texas has an economic model that has made us  number one in the nation for job creation, but there are still some in our state who struggle, in part because of health care challenges. Gov. Abbott will work to ensure a healthier tomorrow for more Texas families by expanding access and improving care so even more Texans can have quality healthcare.

Energy and Environment

Texas’ diverse energy sector is critical to our economy and to American energy independence. Gov. Abbott is committed to building the roads and water infrastructure critical to allowing energy producers in Texas to continue to grow and prosper, while creating even more opportunity in Texas. Gov. Abbott will protect this vibrant industry, while protecting Texas’ wealth of natural resources.

Friday, February 5, 2016

LWRC SMG, CSASS and Entry-Level DI


LWRC SMG

This year at SHOT Show pistol-caliber carbines were a big deal with a lot of new and expanded options, but LWRC International is going all-in with a new series of short-barreled rifles called the SMG. The SMG uses proven Heckler & Koch UMP magazines and will be offered in 9mm Luger, .40 S&W and .45 ACP.
LWRCI will source and distribute magazines for their users, so availability will not depend on H&K. Much of the design is compatible with AR parts including the pistol grip and most importantly, the fire control group.
LWRC 04
The SMG was built around H&K’s proven UMP magazines.
LWRC 05
It’s a short-barreled rifle that will be offered chambered for 9mm Luger, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. Shown here next to a 12-inch 7.62 NATO CSASS SBR. The SMG employs a folding stock with an adjustable buttplate.
The SMG uses a proprietary upper that houses the recoil system which allows the SMG to employ a folding stock. The ejection port clears the stock and the rifle can be fired with the stock folded. Thanks to the in-house design all of the controls are ambidextrous or reversible, including an ambidextrous safety selector, magazine catch and bolt catch. The forward charging handle is reversible for left-and right-handed users.
The SMG has a monolithic, modular handguard that lets users mount optics as far forward on the rail without having to worry about any shift in zero. It’s a tall flattop rail and accessories like red dot sights can be mounted directly to the SMG without risers. The handguard sports new grip panels, available for other LWRCI guns, to provide a better grip surface other than rails.
LWRCI expects to have them on the market by July of this summer with a price to be determined in the $2,200 range.

LWRC CSASS

Another new product in the works for 2016 is the LWRC CSASS. Designed to meet and exceed military standards, the CSASS is designed around outlines detailed by the Army’s Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System requirements. The CSASS is a light carbine optimized for today’s hunters and target shooters and of course, military and law enforcement snipers.
The LWRC CSASS is an AR-pattern rifle chambered for 7.62 NATO/.308 Winchester with a sub-MOA guarantee using quality ammunition. It has an impressive 20-position gas piston system that not only can restrict gas flow to deal with suppressor backpressure, it can be fine-tuned for specific loads to maximize accuracy.
LWRC 02
Fully-ambidextrous controls on the CSASS.
LWRC 01
The handguard is modular and can be used to mount accessory rails for lights, grips and pointers. New for this year are flat polymer grip panels to that provide a solid grip.
Other changes to the new design include fully-ambidextrous controls and a standard rear charging handle. Each rifle will ship standard with a Geiselle SSA-E semi-automatic two-stage target trigger.
It’s a super-premium gun that LWRCI expects to have available this June at a price, depending on barrel length, handguard, and finish options of around $4,000.

LWRC DI

LWRCI is also bringing a new direct-impingement rifle to the market this year, the LWRC DI. It’s a less expensive alternative to their piston-driven SPR and IC rifles that uses enhanced components the company developed for the Army’s Product Improvement Program.
“We needed to have an entry-level price point,” said company spokesman Dave Golladay. “It’s still not at the bottom, but it is an affordable price point.”
LWRC 08
The DI is LWRCI’s entry-level rifle—it’s still a pretty deluxe rifle by most AR standards.
There’s no mistaking this as a budget AR, though, not with features like these. The DI has a long, one-piece Monoforge free-floating handguard that mounts directly to the upper receiver. The handguard can’t rotate and can be used as a direct mount for optics, no cantilever mounts necessary.
Other nice touches include spiral fluting along the 16.1-inch barrel, Magpul furniture, polymer grip panels, an angled foregrip and a grip stop. These accessories are modular and can be adjusted to the individual. It is also fully ambidextrous and uses a standard charging handle.
These rifles are available now with an MSRP of $1,599, about $700 less than their IC series. The guns are also lighter at 6.6 pounds compared to LWRCI’s piston-driven models which weigh upwards of 7 pounds or more, depending on the configuration.