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Protecting her two children, Louisiana woman fatally shoots home intruder by: Dionne Johnson

TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. (KLFY) — A Louisiana mother shot and killed a home intruder before dawn Sunday, authorities said.

According to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Robert Rheams, 51, was armed with a shovel and a lug wrench when he allegedly forced his way into the home of the woman and her two young children.

Chief Jimmy Travis said during the incident, a physical altercation took place between Rheams and the homeowner which led to Rheams being shot and killed.

He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Travis said at the time of the incident, Rheams was out on parole after serving approximately 20 years in prison for armed robbery.

He was also tied to a carjacking that happened hours prior to the home invasion, Travis said.

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WHY DON’T WE JUST BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS? BY WILL DABBS, MD

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This is an assault rifle. It is already massively regulated in America.

 

I understand the motivation. I really do. It seems some deranged psychopath is shooting up a school every week. However, despite that sordid reality there are three major reasons why we really shouldn’t try to ban assault weapons.

First, banning assault weapons would be like outlawing foul language or sunburn. Doing so might make us feel good, but it in no way affects reality. We seem incapable of devising a cogent definition for just what an assault weapon even is. “Just because it looks scary” seems dangerously vague in a legal document.

Such a ban might have made a difference half a century ago. Today, there are 440 million guns in America — rifles, pistols, shotguns, et al. If each of those guns was a typical GLOCK pistol it would be 8 inches long. If you stacked those guns muzzle to butt they would stretch from the surface of the earth to the International Space Station and back 109 times.

According to 1994 definitions, there are roughly 25 million assault weapons in circulation. If each of those was an AR15 stacked end to end they would stretch from New York City to Los Angeles and back 2.3 times. Non-gun guys have no idea the true scope of guns in America. They haven’t a clue. No amount of legislating will ever touch firearms in this country. Outlaw assault weapons tomorrow and the bad guys will have assault weapons when the sun burns out. The gun control ship sailed a couple of hundred million guns ago with the election of President Obama. There’s no putting that back in the box now.

 

This is what the Left would call an assault weapon. In reality, it is simply a
semiautomatic sporting gun owned by tens of millions of law-abiding Americans.

 

Second, mass shootings are the physical manifestation of the post-modern moral darkness that seems to be engulfing our nation and the world. Such horrors rightfully touch a visceral chord in any parent. I honestly cannot imagine the pain of something like that. However, there is the issue of scale.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun control group, there were 1,363 people killed in mass shootings in America from 2009 through 2020. That’s 123 deaths per year on average in a nation of 328 million people. During the same time we lost 478,000 people PER YEAR to smoking. We lose 40,000 non-smokers (think little kids with asthma) to secondhand smoke per annum. So, it’s really not about the body count. It’s not about saving children. It’s about virtue signaling. Non-gun people believe themselves more virtuous than gun people.

When something horrible happens you always want something to vilify, someone to hate. We humans are hardwired to want a villain. For gun control types they see that awful stuff and hate the NRA. The NRA isn’t some faceless corporate entity. It’s just several million of their fellow Americans who disagree with them.

Lastly, and this is the big one, an assault weapons ban will actually make things worse. In medicine we call it First Do No Harm. No matter what you do, ensure your actions do not exacerbate the problem.

We are losing 123 Americans a year to mass shootings. There are 25 million assault weapons in America. Without confiscation an assault weapons ban is lyrically ineffective. If those guns are suddenly made illegal who exactly is going to enforce that law? You really can’t make a fresh new law if you don’t have a plan to enforce it. Laws without enforcement make a mockery of the system.

 

 

I have any number of good buddies in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A huge percentage of assault weapon owners simply will not comply with a ban. Are we going to send my ATF pals to go knock their doors down? Are we willing to incinerate their families to ensure that Beto O’Rourke’s grandiose confiscation scheme is enforced (“Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47…”)?

123 deaths a year are undeniably horrible. Forcibly disarming otherwise law-abiding Americans would create literally millions of new criminals out of thin air and would be Waco on steroids from coast to bleeding coast. There is so much hatred and paranoia online nowadays that if even a tiny percentage of gun guys pushed back it would be a bloodbath.

There are 77.4 million gun owners in America — about one third of the adult population. For comparison purposes, there are nearly three times as many gun owners in America as there are soldiers on the entire planet. That’s every person in all the uniformed armed services in the world.

Guns in America have nothing to do with hunting. Nothing. Guns in private hands, especially the scary sort, have everything to do with a monopoly on power. The reason America has done such amazing things in the past 246 years is our unprecedented levels of personal freedom. Gun ownership is a critical part of that freedom. Real freedom is messy, ugly, bloody, and gross, but that’s the reason we have been the most powerful force for liberty the world has ever seen. You really can’t have one without the other.

Look at our recent crop of professional politicians. All they need is an excuse to forcibly impose their will on the American people. That will never, ever happen here, because 77 million of us own guns. Absent the will of the governed an armed populace is ungovernable. That’s the reason the founders designed it the way they did 246 years ago. And that’s why you really don’t want to try to ban assault weapons in America today.

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The Battle of France: Guns of Allied & Axis Troops by TOM LAEMLEIN

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Images courtesy of Armor Plate Press.

Beginning on May 10, 1940, German forces struck against Western Europe, invading Holland, Belgium and France. By June 5, Holland and Belgium had fallen, and what remained of the British Expeditionary Force had been evacuated to England. Paris fell on June 14. By June 22, the Battle of France was over. With a stroke of a pen, France signed an armistice with Germany and hostilities were over on the continent. Western Europe was under Nazi control, and Hitler danced his little jig at Versailles.

The photos presented here show many of the small arms of the Battle of France. Certainly to be of interest to firearms enthusiasts and history buffs, the images represent the infantry weapons of the earth-shaking Blitzkrieg that thrust World War II into full gear in the West. But these are also illustrations of a cautionary tale: No one believed or expected that the numerically and technologically inferior German forces could overwhelm the Allies and control the continent in little more than five weeks.

Over time, the legends of the Blitzkrieg would have us believe that German forces represented an overwhelming strength of numbers and technological might. The reality is shockingly different. France alone could deploy more than three times the number of armored vehicles than Germany’s panzer force. Just 10 percent of the Wehrmacht was even motorized at all, with many German units relying on horses (and this remained true even until the end of the war).

Only half of Germany’s divisions were truly combat ready, and almost all German units were not as well equipped as their French or British opponents. During the 1940 battles, almost half of all German Army troops were at least 40 years old, comprised of men mature enough to have served in the Great War.

While French officials maintained tepid confidence behind their Maginot Line, German planners found innovative ways to go over, around and through the obsolescent forts and the outdated “Maginot Mentality.” With Germany’s new quick-strike, combined arms principles of the Lightning War, there would be no repeat of the plodding trench warfare of World War I. Casualties were minimized by comparison, but then again so was French independence.

German infantry arms were superior to those of the French and Belgian forces, and were slightly better than those of the British. In 1940, the Battle of France saw the first significant use of some of the finest light machine guns of the war: Germany’s MG34 (as well as many captured Czech ZB vz. 26), the British Bren gun, and the lesser-known French Modèle 24/29 (Chatellerault).

The Germans had also introduced a growing number of submachine guns into their armed forces, and the then ultra-modern MP40 made a huge impression on the SMG-starved British. While the Panzers and Stuka dive bombers captured the headlines, astute observers saw the dawn of a new era of infantry firepower during the Battle of France.

By the summer of 1940, England stood alone, and the British armaments industry struggled to resupply its army with up-to-date infantry weapons. English eyes turned to America, soon to become the Arsenal of Democracy.

Here’s a look at a few little-known images from the Battle of France, detailing the men who fought and the guns they used:

Blitzkrieg Team

Two of the most influential infantry weapons of the Blitzkrieg: the German MG34 light machine gun and the MP40 submachine gun. These innovative firearms would occupy the thoughts (and nightmares) of Allied arms designers in the long months ahead.

Left Behind

German soldier’s photo of captured Vickers machine guns in France 1940. Thousands of British infantry arms were abandoned to the Germans after the “Miracle of Dunkirk” evacuation. In German service, the Vickers was designated the 7.7 mm sMG 230(e).

Preparing To Face The Panzers

British troops train with the .55-cal. Boys anti-tank rifle Mark I. The Boys was reasonably effective against tanks of the era (21 mm of armor penetrated at 300 meters), but was unpopular due to its excessive recoil and tremendous weight (36 lbs. unloaded).

Marching To War Again.

Glum French troops march to frontline positions in the spring of 1940. These men are armed with the archaic Lebel Model 1886 rifle, chambered in 8×50 mm R Lebel.

Held Over From The Great War

French troops with the 8 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914. The strip-fed Hotchkiss had been France’s primary heavy machine gun in World War I, and it served the same role in 1940.

Colonial Troops In The Defense Of France.

Moroccan troops clean their arms during 1940. To the right are a pair of Mle 1924/29 light machine guns (7.5 mm), and to the left, a Berthier Model 1907/15 rifle (8 mm Lebel).

The Battle Of The Alps

Italy attacked France on June 10, 1940, and two weeks of fighting in the French Alps ensued. These French mountain troopers are equipped with the Berthier Carbine Mle 1892 M16. Another holdover from World War I, the Berthier Carbine was chambered in 8 mm Lebel, and proved to be a solid and reliable little rifle that served French troops until the early 1960s.

The Spoils Of War

A German soldier’s photo of a French small arms collection point in 1940, featuring a pair of Mle 1924/29 light machine guns and a wide assortment of French rifles. All of the captured arms from Holland, Belgium, France and England went into the Wehrmacht’s arsenal.

Marching Into France

For German troops in 1940, their efforts were rewarded with a stunning victory and a complete reversal of the humiliating Treaty of Versailles in 1918. In a little more than four years, this advance into France would be turned into a headlong retreat.

Germany’s Base Of Infantry Firepower

By the spring of 1940, the ground-breaking MG34 was the finest general-purpose machine gun in the world. Light (26.7 lbs), fast-firing (900 rounds per minute), and highly effective, the MG34 brought firepower and mobility to the German infantry’s contribution to the “Lightning War.” The gunner’s assistant carries ammunition and the Kar98k rifle.

Little-Known French Submachine Gun

The M.A.S. Modele 38, chambered for the French 7.65 mm Long pistol round. It was light (about 6.5 lbs.), well made of machined steel, and easy to use. Unfortunately for the French, few had been made prior to the 1940 invasion. The Germans thought enough of the gun to keep it in limited production during the war to equip collaborative French police units and for their own occupation troops.

Man-Portable Anti-Tank Technology

In 1940, the anti-tank rifle was best weapon the infantryman had in the battle against the tank. The German 7.92 mm Panzerbuchse PzB 39 fired a 7.92 mm bullet (with a tungsten core) necked down from a 13 mm cartridge.

Offering 30 mm of armor penetration at 100 meters, the PzB 39 was ineffective against many Allied tanks of the era. Within 18 months of the Battle of France, the PzB 39 had essentially disappeared from frontline service.

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Shooting the French Berthier Carbine 8mm Lebel

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Marlin model 336 in 30/30

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I Have This Old Gun: FN Model 1949

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A Ruger Vaquero in caliber 45 Colt with a 4 5/8 inch barrel in polished stainless

No photo description available.

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Gilboa DBR Snake | Double Barrel AR | – FULL REVIEW

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Throwback Thursday: Frank Hamer, Texas Ranger Versus Bonnie & Clyde Was Frank Hamer a hero or a villain? Don’t ask Hollywood–read this for the truth! by W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

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It was one of the most epic manhunts in American history, and it required arguably the greatest lawman of the 20th Century to finally bring it to a successful conclusion—Frank Hamer.

For several years during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Clyde Barrow and his girlfriend Bonnie Parker and their gang terrorized small towns across the Midwest and Southwest. Robbing numerous banks, grocery stores and rural gas stations, they ranged from New Mexico to Indiana and from Minnesota to Louisiana, murdering nine men in the process, six of whom were law enforcement officers.

The bold Barrow Gang seemed to have little trouble evading capture. Following a robbery, they thought nothing of driving 1,000 miles or more at high speeds across multiple state lines, preferring large cars such as the Ford four-door sedan with a powerful V-8 engine under the hood as getaway vehicles. Not surprisingly, they obtained those cars by stealing them.

When confronted by police, who were usually armed only with six-shot .38-caliber service revolvers, Bonnie and Clyde responded with overwhelming firepower: automatic and semi-automatic rifles, shotguns filled with buckshot and .45-caliber semiautomatic handguns. Clyde’s weapon of choice was the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), which fired devastating rounds of .30-06 ammunition. Barrow obtained the BARs and high-powered handguns by breaking into National Guard armories.

Ironically, Frank Hamer was no longer a Texas Ranger when he was asked to track down Bonnie and Clyde. Retired after a long and illustrious career with the Rangers in which he had risen to the rank of captain, Hamer was credited with bringing many outlaws to justice in the Lone Star State. He was also known for having killed numerous men in the line of duty—some sources say as many as 53. For his pursuit of Bonnie and Clyde, Hamer would be paid $180 per month and hold the title of Special Investigator.

He began his investigation in early February 1934 by learning as much as he could about the Barrow Gang. “It was necessary for me to make a close study of Barrow’s habits,” Hamer said. “An officer must know the mental habits of the outlaw, how he thinks, and how he will act in different situations.”

Hamer soon learned that Bonnie and Clyde’s life on the run was anything but glamorous, despite all their stolen money. The couple had become so notorious that they often had to lay low by sleeping in their car and bathing in creeks, eating whatever they could find. In addition, the pair argued incessantly, with Clyde occasionally beating Bonnie.

Captain Hamer eventually discovered that the gang ran a somewhat circular route from Dallas, Texas, to Joplin, Missouri, to Shreveport, Louisiana, then back to Dallas. He also learned that a career criminal by the name of Henry Methvin was now occasionally a member of the gang. Hamer reasoned that if he could somehow locate Methvin, Methvin might lead him to Bonnie and Clyde.

The break in the case came when Henry Methvin’s father, Ivy Methvin, came to the realization that it was only a matter of time until his son was captured or killed as a result of running with the Barrow Gang. Ready to make a deal, he let it be known to local law enforcement that he would finger Bonnie and Clyde if his son Henry was given immunity from prosecution. It didn’t take long for Hamer get the word and agree to the arrangement.

The Barrow Gang visited the Ivy Methvin home every few weeks to rest and recuperate for a few days, so officers told Ivy to let them know when Bonnie and Clyde were next due. Hamer finally got that long-awaited phone call on the evening of May 22, 1934; he and five other veteran lawmen immediately sprang into action.

The officers set up an ambush in some pines and brush along a rural road near Gibsland, Louisiana, along the route Bonnie and Clyde were expected to take. Ivy Methvin had been instructed to park his truck along the berm on the far side of the road in front of the hidden officers and remove one of the truck’s wheels. It was hoped that when Bonnie and Clyde approached the truck they would recognize it and stop to see if Ivy needed assistance. It was then that Captain Frank Hamer and his posse would effect the arrest. The plan was to take Bonnie and Clyde alive, if possible.

The ruse worked to perfection…almost. At about 9:15 a.m. on that fateful May morning, as Bonnie and Clyde’s car approached Ivy Methvin’s parked truck, a large, slow-moving logging truck was suddenly seen approaching from the opposite direction. Would the log truck inadvertently pull between the gangsters’ car and the hidden officers, blocking their view and field of fire?

The officers did not allow that to happen. As soon as Bonnie and Clyde’s vehicle was within range the officers opened up with fully-automatic and semi-automatic weapons, pumping a total of 167 bullets and buckshot into Bonnie and Clyde’s car. Bonnie was hit at least 41 times, Clyde 17 or more, the driver’s-side door protecting Clyde somewhat. Both outlaws died instantly. Thus ended the lives of the infamous outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.

Found in their car was the suspected arsenal of weapons: two BARs, nine Colt semi-automatic pistol, and one revolver—all loaded. Three bags and a box held more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition. On the floor was a valise containing 40 BAR magazines, fully loaded with 20 rounds each. In addition there were 15 car license plates, stolen from various states.

As a result of his relentless, expert detective work, Captain Frank Hamer was hailed as a national hero, and rightly so. However, that national image of the lawman was not to last. In 1967, 12 years after Hamer’s death as a result of a heart attack, Warner Brothers studios in Hollywood released the film Bonnie and Clyde. Starring Warren Beatty as Clyde and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie, the film won two Academy Awards.

Unfortunately, the movie was a highly-fictionalized account of the actual true story, portraying Captain Frank Hamer as the villain. Hamer’s wife, Gladys, was so incensed that she sued Warner Brothers for defamation, invasion of privacy and unauthorized use of Frank Hamer’s name. She received $20,000 from the studios as a settlement, a large sum of money at the time.

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What’s The Value of a Factory Letter? By Kurt Allemeier

Hey there, wait a minute Mister Postman. Is there value in that factory letter?

The debate over the value of a “factory letter” is one that seems to pop up from time to time in gun forums. So what is the answer?

What Is a Factory Letter?

Model, condition, finish, grips, engraving, where it was shipped, to whom it was shipped, and serial number range are all considered in determining an old gun’s value. A letter can help answer some of those questions.

In Rock Island Auction Company’s recently completed Premier Auction, factory letters from a number of gun manufacturers like Colt, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and Browning were provided. Buffalo Bill Center of the West has records for a number of long gun makers like Winchester, Marlin, and Ithaca, and many of those factory letters were also provided at auction. Private authenticators like John Kopec also lend their expertise with documentation.

Lot-5-on-backgroundWith a letter describing this Lot Five Colt Single Action Army revolver as a “very significant ‘Custer-Era’ revolver, and believe that it may be the finest representation of a ‘Lot-Five’ revolver we have ever had the privilege to examine,” it realized $763,750 in Rock Island Auction Company’s May 2022 Premier Auction.

What Information Is in a Factory Letter?

Those who don’t see the value likely aren’t concerned about the collectability of a gun or don’t want to get bad news. Those who do get letters see the value of an antique gun as a piece of history and want to know its heritage. How did it leave the factory and where did it go?

The cost of a letter — ranging from $10 to $350 — is often seen as adding value to an already valuable gun.

At the very least, a factory letter or an authentication letter from a respected researcher can provide basic shipping information on where it went, when it left the factory, a basic description of the gun, and any special features like grips and finish. A factory-lettered firearm likely will have the document displayed with it at a gun show.

Why Get a Factory Letter?

Not only does it help the owner in setting a price, but it can also lend confidence to a buyer by offering authenticating documents as to what they are buying.

In 2021, Rock Island Auction Company sold a Colt Single Action Army owned by gunslinger and sportswriter Bat Masterson. Documentation accompanying the revolver included a letter from Colt Manufacturing confirming it was shipped to Masterson with a higher front sight as requested. However, the gunfighter asked for nickel plating and the letter incorrectly states it was shipped with a blued finish. Follow-up documentation confirms the incorrect finish listed on the factory letter. The gun sold for $488,750.

Masterson-letterThis Colt Single Action Army included a factory letter stating it was sent to Wild West gunslinger Bat Masterson but listed the finish as blued. Followup documents showed that to be incorrect. The revolver realized $488,750 in Rock Island Auction Company’s May 2021 Premier Auction.

This May, RIAC offered a Colt Single Action Army that was reportedly recovered from the Little Bighorn battlefield. A letter from highly-respected Colt researcher John Kopec showed it was one digit away from the serial number of a Colt SAA recovered from the Little Bighorn battlefield in 1992. It also described the gun as a significant “Custer-Era” “Lot-Five” revolver while also noting the blemishes on the 150-year-old wheel gun. The revolver sold for $763,750.

Rock Island Auction sees a number of factory letters each year, especially with Colt Single Action Army revolvers. Not all of them are sent to Bat Masterson, but some collectors are interested in where guns were shipped, especially to the west, before territories like New Mexico, Arizona, and Alaska achieved statehood.

A commenter on the Colt forum wrote that anyone who owns a Single Action Army that was made before World War II should get a factory letter for it. First generation Single Action Army revolvers were made until 1941.

The first step for someone wanting to assess the true gun value is to check the “Blue Book of Gun Values,” which will provide an amount without consideration of its history.

Experts say that documentation can be helpful in assessing gun prices, but that sometimes there is no tangible evidence tying a gun to a historic person, place, or event.

Guns with a military or law enforcement pedigree may be attractive to some buyers, so a factory letter can often provide information on whether it was shipped for military or police use. Experts recommend always confirming a factory letter, saying “Paper is generally easier to forge than steel.”

The NRA Museum website reports that documentation — and especially the type of documentation — can make a difference in valuing a weapon. Masterson’s revolver is an example of that. The finish was recorded incorrectly in the factory letter, but follow-up documents confirm what Masterson requested.

Remember, the letter provides information on where and to whom it was shipped, and what features it had when it went out the door. Those things are of interest to collectors and can contribute to the value of a prized family heirloom or inherited gun.

Lot-27-Winchester-on-BGThis special order Winchester Deluxe Model 1876 lever action rifle was accompanied by a factory letter listing it as being 50-90 Express caliber with an octogon barrel and casehardened finish. It realized $88,125, more than $20,000 more than its estimated high value.

What ISN’T in a Factory Letter?

The history of a gun and who owned it can weigh heavily on its value. Historical significance and the credibility of the information are the biggest factors in historic attribution. Here is an example: A factory letter might show that a revolver was shipped to a certain western outlaw. It doesn’t confirm the current owner’s affidavit that years ago a deputy marshal gave the outlaw’s gun to the owner’s great great grandfather.

Skepticism must rule with historical attribution, but a factory letter can help bring ownership or chain of ownership into focus. On the other hand, it can also protect the potential buyer from ending up with a forgery.

Experts recommend being very detailed in a record request for a factory letter. The more information on what is being sought in a request, the more likely researchers can find something interesting ̶ if it’s there to be found.

Commenters on various forums acknowledge that a factory letter is at least a good starting point for research into a gun’s history.

Self-education is the best thing a collector can do to avoid getting hung with something that might not be what is professed. A serious gun seller might also consider a free gun assessment with Rock Island Auction Company if they are considering gun consignment. Talk to other collectors and learn about the gun type that interests you most.

Lot-1012-Winchester-Delux-1886This special order Winchester Deluxe 1886 takedown lever action rifle comes with a number of special features, but the accompanying factory letter lists the trigger incorrectly. The rifle realized $152,750, well above its high estimated value of $65,000.

The recently-completed premier auction had more than 100 lots that included descriptions specifically stating that some type of authenticating letter or research was included. These are guns without the flash of Ulysses S. Grant’s revolvers (that came with plenty of authenticating documents, too), but just nice, collectible Colts, Winchesters, Marlins, and Smith & Wessons.

A factory letter or an authentication letter may not be necessary for the collector keeping a gun for themselves, but if you are curious about a weapon’s history or are planning on selling your gun, most commenters in the various forums recommend a factory letter. When a collectible firearm changes hands, documentation can provide value, but also offer peace of mind.