The European Parliament re-started its maneuvers to impose stricter gun control with what we fear the most: Confiscation without compensation.

Unfortunately the video is in Spanish, but for those of you who can understand it, here you go.

The questions that the woman ask are two: Do we know how many of the Category B under Council Directive 91/477/EEC are out there and what about compensation.

Category B – Firearms subject to authorization

1. Semi-automatic or repeating short firearms.

2. Single-shot short firearms with centre-fire percussion.

3. Single-shot short firearms with rimfire percussion whose overall length is less than 28 cm.

4. Semi-automatic long firearms whose magazine and chamber can together hold more than three rounds.

5. Semi-automatic long firearms whose magazine and chamber cannot together hold more than three rounds, where the loading device is removable or where it is not certain that the weapon cannot be converted, with ordinary tools, into a weapon whose magazine and chamber can together hold more than three rounds.

6. Repeating and semi-automatic long firearms with smooth-bore barrels not exceeding 60 cm in length.

7. Semi-automatic firearms for civilian use which resemble weapons with automatic mechanisms.

The man replies that they do not have an accurate account as of yet due to each countries record keeping issues but that they are working on it. And on the subject of compensation the amount will be a big fat zero.

It is obvious that they wouldn’t be talking about compensation if they were not planning on a continent-wide confiscation order. European Gun Right organizations are pissed off as they were assured that no confiscation would be happening, only some extra controls to make sure guns would not end in the hands of the bad guys… a song we are very much familiar with but they were not.

That there was an raid in Brussels itself where four cops were wounded and a Jihadist asshole linked to the Paris attack was killed might have closed the brains of the politicos and decided to play into the hands of those who do not like regular folks to reply with gunfire attacks on them.

The only issue the European Parliament has in its hands is Finland who has made very clear they will not disarm. Maybe they will be the fly in the ointment and stop this nonsense or maybe not and decided to go against the Crazy Ones. I heard somewhere that there are two major principles in European warfare: 1) Never invade Russia in the Winter and 2) You just don’t fuck with the Finns.

This is going to be a very interesting year in Europe.
(Think Chinese curse.)

To quote my buddy Enrico M. who gets the Hat Tip for this news item:

“Please make sure I am home.”

It is good to see that they are advising at least some of the many points that the NRA offers. Some great information on storage can also be found here.

There is simply no excuse for an unsecured gun around children.

I just saw this online and brought back many childhood memories. In case you are not familiar, you light up the end of the coil and it would produce a smoke that will keep mosquito away. I am not fond of the smell, but it works and I rather have a bad olfactory night than Yellow Fever. But the other use we had for it as children was as timing device for fireworks….the explosive-only kind.

I don’t remember now, but we even had the rate of burn for that think and would break pieces according our needs. We would attach the fuse of a martillito (M-80) with tape and then seek a target. The coils were so widely used nobody gave a second thought to the smell and nobody was the wiser. We would be blocks away from the target waiting to hear the boom! and laugh our asses off.

My crowning achievement with this timed device was at school when I tied three M-80s to a length of coil and left it in the boys bathroom timed so it would go off when we were all in our respective classrooms. If I recall correctly, the time was more or less 30 minutes and it was one of the longest 30 minutes I lived back then. The three explosions went off almost at once and people poured out of the classrooms to see what was that all about, me included.

What was not expecting was to see somebody coming out of the bathroom. It was another kid from school who I guess he needed to go and the teacher gave him permission. The poor bastard’s eyes were wide, he looked dazed… and was still holding his member in his hand which led me to assume he was taking a leak when the three devices went off in the heavily tiled enclosure. Other than a heavy ring in his ears, he was unhurt.

The Brothers at the school had a mayor meltdown, locked everybody in the classrooms and the teachers were told to search each and every bag and pat down every kid till evidence was found. But none was to be found. I had suffered an experience before which I will not share in this pages and I had nothing on me that could incriminate me.

Yes, I was an evil prick when I was in High School. There are reasons for it and again, they won’t be shared.

WARANING: don’t use the coil as a timing device. I just shared a story and does not mean it is legal to do the same nowadyas nor I am encouraging it.

I like it when life gives me hints in IMAX-sized clues. This past weekend I pulled out an old Home first Aid kit looking for burn gel (found it) and noticed it was getting low on a couple of items and another couple were gone. Not a big deal since I have redundant kits, but that is not the idea: If you have it, keep it supplied.

The other hit was a couple of videos of people with serious wounds being treated on the scene immediately. One was a man with a knife being shot by cops and getting treated right there by the police while waiting for paramedics. In both videos, it was not a big ass paramedic bag that appeared all of the sudden but a pocket Mylar packet with the basics for traumatic injuries. Something similar to this one I have:

When I got around to have a EDC-FAK (Every Day Carry First Aid Kit) I overdid it. No matter how you slice it, that sucker is going to grow to the point where you won’t carry it or have nearby. The I realized that my mistake was on trying to cover all what could happen and be ready for it, which you need to do but do not need carry with you all the time. Not making sense? You might be right, let me explain: I split the contents into two categories: “Oh shit!” and “Damn It”.

“Oh Shit!” is the bad stuff, arterial blood pumping, victim screaming in serious pain and 911 on the phone. “Damn it.” is the small cuts and burns that come with every day life. I split my items and separated them into two different containers. Those in the Damn It are the most used (unless you are in a war zone) such as band aids, over the counter pain killers, split removers, etc.

These are small boxes under $10 that have the basics and can be refilled with little cost. You can have one at work in your desk, specially if you are “that guy/gal” that gets asked every time if you have a couple of aspirins or somebody comes to you with a bleeding finger. Its other function is to keep people away from your “Oh Shit” kit which is a trauma kit.

The contents may vary according to your needs and more importantly, to your training.  It is your responsibility to make sure to renew the items with an expiration date with fresh ones and to keep this kit where is out of the way from prying eyes or you will have people come and make a mess of your carefully stacked bag looking for a band-aid.

The problem with the Trauma Kit is obviously the size. Carrying it back from your car to your office gets tiresome and you risk people getting into it. But leaving it in the car may not address that immediate need for trauma care that can suddenly appear. So the solution may be the  Trauma Pack by QuikClot mentioned first in this post. At 7.8 x 1.5 x 6.5 inches and 4.5 ounces, it can be carried comfortably or have hidden in your desk only to come out when you really need it.

The one thing I would add to the trauma pack is a 5 inch dowel in case you need to come up with a tourniquet. In ancient times, I would have told you to use a pen, but nobody but we Old Farts use pens anymore and Smart Phones are great to take notes and do a myriad of things, but the suck at tightening a field-improvised tourniquet . Under $20, get two or three trauma packs. Keep one in the center console of your car, one at work and one around the house as minimum. Do the same for the Damn it kits and you should be covered for about 90% of all incidents.

Get training, that is important. Unfortunately most first aid training nowadays consist on compressing the chest of a heart attack person while following the beat of a disco song or yell really loud “keep pressure on that wound!” If you have friends that are paramedics/EMTs, ask them to train you in the basics to keep somebody alive until help arrives and mores specifically to keep that person alive during the Golden Hour because you cannot bet on Paramedics to arrive in five minutes and the day you do need to use you stuff and your training, the ambulance will be at least 30 minutes away.

Continuing the saga started by J. Kb.

But gun instructors are concerned about lack of training-for those who choose to open carry. Proctor says he is confident citizens will be responsible if they decide to open carry. “Most folks that are going to be willing to do that, are going to do that, they are going to be trained.”

Detmer is not so sure, because of what he says he sees in his classes of inexperienced gun users. He doesn’t believe people will get training if it is not required.”They will not. I guarantee you I am 100 percent sure. I know that without state requirements, people will not spent time and money on training. It will not happen.”

Source: Gun instructors fear new gun law shoots down public safety | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KTUL

Dan Detmer runs  Firearms on Target and it is also slightly miffed that he no longer has a government-mandated captive clientele. Nothing “warms” my heart as much as seeing a “fellow” Gun Owner standing on an ant hill of faux self-importance and giving ammunition to the Opposition .  Dear Dan, shut up and embrace the Free market, a Free Market that includes the advertising of your business, what a concept!

It is hard to transition to a new business model where you actually have to go out and find clients. Being attached to the fat cow of a government mandate is easy cash income with low overhead. But I know you can overcome it with a simple set of ideas if you are willing to accept some cuts. Here are some ideas:

• Stop talking crap about your possible clients.
• Advertise in Gun Shops. Offer deals like Ladies Range Day Half Off.
• Offer Free Basic Training for women who need immediate protection.
• Family bundles of up to five people, 30% off.
• Groupon! Yes, they are back allowing training in some markets.
• Sponsor competition shooters, have them wear NASCAR Shirt with your logo & sell your training.
• Stop talking crap about your possible clients.

And this is me, the worst salesman in the world with barely half a cup of coffee inside me. Imagine what you could do with some serious self-determination and the willingness of removing your lips from bureaucratic nipples.