The Steampunk movement is clearly filled with imaginative folks. One of the items they subject to transformation or just plain creation is, of course, guns.

I will be selecting some of their creations from time to time to display here. Remember these are things of imagination so they require a wee bit leeway on utility or functionality. Think of them as art rather than defense.

Steampunk Flintlock Pistol by Frijoleluna. 

And no, I have no idea why there is a vacuum tube attached to it. That is the art part.

There has been a slashing spree in New York City.  There have been a number of edge weapon attacks in the NYC Subway system recently, including a woman hacked up with a machete.  In response to this, the Mayor of NYC has encouraged residence of New York to buy and carry guns to defend themselves from blade wielding attackers.

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I’m kidding.  Of course he’s not.  The NYC government just decriminalized peeing in the street and turnstile jumping  because… post Giuliani NYC was just too nice?  No, the local media is downplaying the Subway slashing with a “crime happens, nothing to see here” casualness.  Of course more people will be killed, but as long nobody gets killed in an act of self defense, who in NYC really cares?

They are having a monumental pity party over at CSGV. Moms Demand, Everytown and Brady are mum on McCauliffe’s moonwalk on reciprocity.

Back at CSGV, The Guv has gone from hero a month ago to spineless-gutless politician akin to bird droppings who “violated the Constitution.” Yeah, I am also trying to figure that one out. The one comment that called my attention was from Robert Shafer.

Open/Carry by civilians, in public places, is Terrorism.
No, it is no you dimwit. Exercising a constitutional right may scare you enough to forego the need for your daily dose of fiber, but I don’t have to live under what makes you “feel safe” and that includes banning black people at lunch counters or only allow Hispanics to mow your lawn and then leave your Home Owners’ Association.

The only purpose of these weapon displays in public places is intimidation..
Unless is 94 degrees out there and 100% humidity or also because I don’t give a damn what you think. We are not Open Carrying for or against you. 

Armed American civilians want to intimidate and terrorize unarmed American civilians and their families.
OK dude, seriously. How do you even manage to turn on the TV and not drop a load in your living room? They display more guns in an average week that the Tulsa Gun Show.

What kind of person slings an assault weapon across their body and swaggers into a fast food restaurant filled with children and proclaims, “This is my 2nd amendment right!”
Your imaginary friends that never really liked you when you were  child and really hate you now that you are an adult? Vivid imagination is good to a point.

What kind of person slings an assault weapon across their body and swaggers onto and occupies a bird sanctuary that belongs to the citizens of the United States and proclaims, “I want this land for my personal use and profit. The public and the birds can go to rot.”
It peyote, isn’t it? You drive down to the desert and collect the little turd creations for later consumption. If there is another explanation for you seeing things, let me know.

What the hell kind of person is that?
Which one? you have like four different ones already. Inside your brain must be like a train station with all that people coming and going.

And Robert, one more question: what does Open Carry have to do with reinstating concealed permit reciprocity by Governor Mini-Bloomberg? 

Get help…soon.

How politically expensive did it get for the Michael Bloomberg’s Golden Boy to be forced to reverse position?

RICHMOND — Gov. Terry McAuliffe plans to announce Friday that Virginia will restore handgun reciprocity agreements with nearly all states, in a stunning reversal of firearms policy that angered Republicans and gun rights advocates across the nation.

The about-face is part of a deal that McAuliffe (D) struck with Republican leaders one month after Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) severed the right for gun owners in 25 states to have their concealed carry permits recognized in Virginia.

In exchange, Republicans will agree to some concessions, according to McAuliffe’s office and the office of House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford).

McAuliffe to restore handgun reciprocity in deal with Republicans

So far, the only group having kittens are our friends in CSGV. I think Moms, Everytown and Brady are in shock.

I don’t wanna read the comments yet. That will be a whole ‘nother post on its own.

McAuliffe gets three concessions:

1. If an individual’s Virginia concealed-carry permit is revoked, a permit from another state will not be honored in Virginia — a practice known as “state shopping.”
2. State police must be present at all gun shows to administer background checks in private sales of guns on a voluntary basis.
3. Anyone subject to a permanent protective order for a domestic violence offence will be prohibited from carrying a firearm for the two-year life of the order.

I really don’t see much of a loss but I don’t live in Virginia. How low is the bar so they can revoke your permit? As for the castrated Universal Background Check at gun shows, I have no problem either. The last one? I thought that is pretty much standard everywhere, but if not, do let us know.

“An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.”
Simon Cameron.

I caught this little gem in last week’s SHOT Show news.

Some guy was reading Dana Losch’s book, Hands of My Gun, when he was violently attacked (let’s not mince words here) by an anti-gun individual.  The book was taken from him and ripped up.

This exemplifies why so many anti-gun people are so anti-gun.  They project their inadequacies onto others.  They can’t control themselves.  Rather than admit to their personal failings, they take the high ground and say “every had anger issues and so we should limit access to guns.”  They try and transmute their personal fault into a position of concern for the safety for their fellow man.

To take a slight detour into political and moral philosophy: You see this same phenomenon in the support of democratic socialism and people like Bernie Sanders.  So many Sanders supporters are young people with lots of college debt and low paying jobs.  They envy the rich.  They want government handouts.  But they know that to say so is greedy.  So they advocate for redistribution on behalf of “the poor and marginalized” as a way of masking their own avarice as the virtue of concern for the welfare of others.  The only poor they really care about is themselves, but they to feel like they are being altruistic when they do it.

But I digress.  Back to the original point… this is why every time a state expands CCW, the anti-gunners say “the streets will run red with blood.”  Because if they (the antis) had guns, they probably would.  The rest of us have a firmer grasp on our emotions than that.  I may see some guy in an airport reading a book by Michael Moore and I know I won’t rip it out of his hands and destroy it.  I may secretly desire that one day he suffer from the worst symptoms of syphilis, but I will keep that feeling bottled up inside.

The bumper sticker adage is true: an armed society is a polite society.  Or as the great Theodore Roosevelt said “speak softly, and carry a big stick.”

LAS VEGAS  — The famous Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles have been made in frigid Moscow since their inception 69 years ago. Soon, they’ll be made in sunny Florida, too.Kalashnikov USA has been approved by the city of Pompano Beach to assemble guns there

Source: Kalashnikov to open AK-47 factory in Florida | Q13 FOX News

Welcome to the Gunshine State! You can hear the screams of horror emanating from Broward County.  Pompano Beach is right smack in the middle of Congressional District 20 held by US Rep. Alcee Hastings (Dem, Rated F) which got it redistricted from Debbie Wasserman Schulz. (Dem, Rated F, Not all Up There). Somebody drove a stake down the middle of Liberal Broward County’s heart.

Hat Tip to Eric W. who wonders if they will be offering tours…

Here is the original writing of the article:

Only motor vehicles account for a larger percentage of accidental deaths, according to Harris County Institute of Forensic Science statistics. Of the 1,074 minors who died in Harris County from 2011 to 2014, about 1 in 8 was killed by a gun, according to the data.

Source: Guns now No. 2 cause of accidental child death in county – Houston Chronicle

That comes about 134 accidental deaths by firearms in Harris County in 4 years or 33 deaths per year. Thankfully Texas has this search engine from the Department of State Health Services much like the CDC engine. It does not show the info for 2014, but I went ahead and checked for 2011 through 2014 all causes of death for ages zero to 24. Please click to enlarge.

So either 2014 had a bumper crop on accidental shootings in 2014 for people from Zero to 24 in Harris County (127 accidental deaths by firearms) or something is not kosher in the original article. Now, CDC reports the number of deaths by Accidental Discharge of Firearms (zero to 24) in the United States for 2013 was 176. That would mean Harris County had 72% of all the accidental deaths by firearms for minors and not so minors in the country.

I don’t think so.

Now, it would be kind to say “well crap, somebody made a mistake in the article. Stuff like that happens.” but when they do not dare to give you firm numbers but go with statistical niceties like “One in Eight” and the only number that they show is probably the only one that people will remember (1,074) and associate with accidental firearm deaths, I do tend to detect the fragrant whiff of editorial BS and possible fraud in the name of gun control politics.

Always Check Raw Data.

PS: And in case you haven’t noticed, Drownings was the second cause and poison was third. Again we are including minors up to 24 years of age.