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First, the four rules of firearms safety.
RULE 1: TREAT ALL GUNS AS IF THEY ARE ALWAYS LOADEDRULE 2: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
RULE 3: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET AND YOU HAVE DECIDED TO FIRE
RULE 4: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT IS BEYOND IT
Molôn Labé has become the slogan of countless pro-gun people, but what does it mean and why is it so popular?
In 480 B.C. the forces of the Persian Empire under King Xerxes, numbering according to Herodotus two million men, others number them around six hundred thousand, crossed the Hellespont and marched to invade and enslave Greece. In a doomed delaying action, a much smaller force of three hundred Spartans marched to the pass of Thermopylae. There the pass between the mountains and sea were so narrow that the Persian forces would at least have thier mobility limited enough that the smaller force could face them.It was hoped an elite force willing to die for thier homes and country could keep back, for a few days, the invading Persians. The three hundred Spartans and a few of thier Thespian allies held off the invaders for seven days. Then, their weapons smashed and broken from the constant battle, they fought 'with bare hands and teeth' - as told by Herodotus - before being overwhelmed by the horde of Persians.
The Spartans and their few Thespian allies died to the last man, but their sacrifice and heroism inspired the Greeks to rally. Later, in that fall and spring, the Greeks defeated the Persians at Salamis and Plataea, winning thier country's freedom and liberty.
Memorials remains today at Thermopylae in honor of the courageous sacrifice of the men who fought that delaying action. Upon one, called the Leonidas Monument, and in honor of that Spartan king/general who fell there, is engraved his response to Xerxes' demand that the Spartans lay down their arms and submit, effectively surrendering Greece to slavery and subjugation. Leonidas' reply came in the two words: "Molôn Labé!"
Translated it means, "Come and get them." Kind of reminds you of the "You can have them when you pry them from my cold dead fingers" slogan of not so long ago. With the disguise of ancient language, Molôn Labé doesn't quite give the same in your face impression, but with the inspriration of history, it should mean all the more to those of us who value the contstitution and it's principles.
Click here to see shirts, mugs, stickers, BBQ Apron, Baseball caps, pillows, and bags emblazoned with "Molôn Labé." Wear what you believe and tell people of the story of Xerxes and Leonidas when they ask just what the heck Molôn Labé means.
Who's yer buddy?
Yeah, my buddy's an AR. Not and AK, M1a, FN, or other "soldier proof" bit of engineering marvel...
I have my reasons. And will post 'em here when I get around to it. I may even engage in debate with ya if yer not too pig headed about it over the merits of my baby vs yours.
Right now I just wanted to see how cool the pic looked!
Click here to visit my online store full of products featuring the image of my AR above. Pretty slick.
Why I trust my life to my AR...
Well, let's start with the gun's flexability. The AR15 is not just a rifle, it is a weapon platform! The thing is capable of being changed form .223 rem. to .50 Beowolf or any of over a dozen other calibers in less than a minute. There are numerous mounts, options, accessories, and add ons for everything from grenade launchers to flashlights. And it has a track record with the US military for over the past 30 years which ain't too bad...But aside from all that - my personal reason's boil down to what I do with my personal rifles and my experiences with them. I'm a police reservist and state certified firearms instructor and actively carry my AR as a patrol rifle. (Worked full time for about 12 years before I had to leave by chosen career to go make enough money to feed my family!) As a reservist I may be called up to do a building search, felony car stop, or respond to a barrcaded hostage taker at any given time. The AR functions very well in all these situations, being lightweight in case I have to hold it on target for hours before any action or reaction. Or if I have to carry it through a building looking for badguys - you don't move quickly doing this unless someone's actively shooting - you move slowly, checking each shadow and nook with rifle at the ready. Tiring! I have a weapon light mounted to mine which makes target identification possible - an absolute must. (If you don't know why read the standard firearm rules at the bottom of the page. If you still don't, e-mail me at yorec30@hotmail.com and I'll arrainge for some instruction or go to the site forums and we can learn together in public.)
And as a firearms instructor I've taught and attended hundreds of hours of tactical rifle trainning in which AR (and numerous other rifle types) were the main focus. During that time I've had opertunity to have my AR malfunction and seen many others "mess up." Some of these classes took place in some pretty miserable conditions. The AR is just as reliable as anything out there when maintianed properly.
But what does it do that the M1a, AK, or FN I mentioned above and properly outfitted, you ask. Well the weight difference is staggering for one - those other rifles (some AKs being the exception) weigh pounds more. "Pounds" become very difficult to control and hold steady after an hour or so. Might need to go all day - gimme as light a load as possible. Accuracy is another reason - my AR has shot MOA groups (1" @ 100 yds) when dressed in a scope and I rested on a bench. Sure the M1a and FN can do that, but my only problem with them is thier weight, longer lengths, and penetration issues in certain shooting scenarios. The AK on the other hand won't get sub MOA groups with a detachable scope. Can't take precise shots at long distance with it and be assured the gun will perform well enough. I short, the AK can't shoot better than I can. My AR's ability to keep a group small is greater than my ability to shoot that small of a group though - there fore I only have to shoot to my ability level. I don't have to try to get closer because my equipment's not up to the task...
Caliber is another reason. The .223 is not going to penetrate the way .308 and 7.62x39 rounds will. This is important in building search scenarios. If you have to shoot - where your bullet goes (outside into who knows where in the public domain) is very important, just ask your lawyer. I'd like to minimize the distance an errant round may go. On the other hand - it may be important for rounds to penetrate car materials on a felony car stop. The .308 and 7.62x39 are vastly superior in that department to the .223. But there are .223 bullets available which will penetrate enough to be acceptable, but not better than the .30s.
The AR is the perfect mix of what I need in a CQB rifle...
I said I prefer the AR as a whole, not that it is better than those other guns in EVERY way. They have thier place, but my AR's place is with me when I go to "work."
So disagree with me - argue, point out falacies, give your facts. I added the forums just for such debates - use 'em. But remember, I'm doing this for fun - hope you are too. Wouldn't wanna hurt yer feelings any!
A new aquisition...
I bought a Remington 11-87 a few weeks ago and have been going throught he enjoyable experience of finding out what I can shoot through it...And 11-87, unlike pump shotguns can be a little finicky because of the gas operated semi-automatic reloading system they use. (bleed off a little of the preasure developed in the barrel to cycle the action - not enough presure to cycle, no next shot cause you've still got an empyt shell in the chamber...) Being a cheepskate at heart, I've been attempting to find the least expensive shell that would cycle the action reliably. And after about a hundred dollars of cheapo ammo I've come to the conclusion that level is about 1/2 oz loads over at least 3.75 drams... Or in other words, the more expensive premium/heavy load stuff available out there... Talking about spending a dollar to save a dime, lol!
I've very happy with the gun - it is handy, reliable (with ammo sufficient to cycle the action) and points rather well for a combat style gun. I'd not hesitate to put it in the patrol car next time I fullfill a shift as a reserve... And in truth, that's why I bought it anyway. :D
What of the Sigma?
I've heard all the internet hoopla about what junk the S&W Sigma is. Guess what? I don't believe it for a second. I've carred a SW40F for nearly 10 years and put almost 14000 rounds through it without a hitch. I've also researched some of the more believable internet claims in my capacity of Firearms Instructor for my department. (which issued Sigmas) Guess what? No reliable evidence that this is a bad gun ever came up. Quite the opposite, I found the Sigma to be one of the best buys for the money out there...
No, I'm not saying it it the 'best' there is, but it does not deserve the rep it was branded with. Those who actively go about trying to bash the Sigma are wrong - no debate about it. Just plain wrong.