I think that one of the major problems is that the powers that be of our great nation. Have used the old divide and rule system. Hopefully soon a large group of Americans can come together a bit more.
So that a lot of our problems can be addressed. Instead of being prolonged for political advantage.
The AK-308, developed by the Kalashnikov Concern, draws features from the AK-12 and is chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO. (Photo: Kalashnikov)
The new Kalashnikov 300-series is a big bore beaut. Chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO and .308 Winchester, the Kalashnikov Concern calls it the AK-308.
While it’s not the first rifle of its kind, it is a fresh and modern take on the tried-and-true design. The Kalashnikov Concern is showcasing the prototype at the International Military-Technical Forum “Army-2018” this week with hopes for military adoption.
“The weapon is based on the AK103 submachine gun for the cartridge 7.62×51 mm with elements and components of the AK-12 automatic machine,” said the Kalashnikov Concern in a statement. “At the moment, preparations are under way for preliminary testing of weapons.”
One major change to the design is an improved locking dust cover, a feature taken from the AK-12. The updated dust cover features a locking lever that anchors the cover in place. This is critical for keeping dust-cover-mounted optics stable and accurate.
Because .308 and 7.62 NATO provide more energy at longer ranges, guns chambered for them are often used by marksmen in the military. They are also popular hunting cartridges on the commercial side. For these reasons the scope mounting system must be very stable.
Apart from that the design is a collection of features we’ve seen on AK-pattern rifles before. It has a polymer quad-rail handguard, folding stock and AR-style furniture. It has an enhanced selector and ejection port cover and feeds from 20-round standard capacity magazines.
With its top-mounted rail and railed handguards, the rifle accepts just about any standard rifle accessory as well as military accessories like a bayonet, grenade launcher, and infrared equipment.
It’s no featherweight at a hair under 9.5 pounds unloaded, but it’s not far off from similar automatic rifles chambered for similar cartridges. Recoil looks manageable, too.
It has a 16.3-inch barrel and extended birdcage flash hider. The rifle measures 34 inches long with the stock collapsed, 37 inches fully extended and 27 inches with the stock folded.
It may be some time before a commercial variant hits U.S. shores but it’s nice to see the development of the AK continue.
Russia has been working on an AK improvement plan for some years now. The Kalashnikov Concern and other firms produced more advanced designs, such as the prototype AK-12, but none of these guns saw adoption.
Currently Russia is looking to adopt the final version of the AK-12 and its counterpart, the AK-15, to replace older rifles in service.
John Apter warns the public ‘are already suffering’ and ‘are going to suffer more’ ( PFEW )
The British public are being “failed” because huge demand and stretched resources mean police are not responding to crimes they would have dealt with in the past, the new head of the Police Federation has warned.
John Apter, who has been a police officer for 26 years, told The Independent that policing in some areas was “broken” and said that government cuts had created a “crisis”.
“We are moving into an area where some crimes will not be investigated, whereas two to five years ago they were,” he said.
“We can’t do everything – there are going to be situations where we simply can’t deliver the policing we want to deliver.
“In those cases we are failing the public but that’s not the fault of police officers on the ground, and in some cases it’s not the chief constable’s fault. You can only slice the financial cake so many ways and you have to prioritise … the public are already suffering and they are going to suffer more and more.”
Last year the Metropolitan Police announced the creation of a new “crime assessment policy”, which gave officers new guidelines on when to stop investigations.
Details suggested that incidents involving a loss of under £50 would not be investigated, as well as offences where there is not a “realistic chance officers will be able to solve it”.
Shoplifting, car crime and criminal damage were among the “lower level” offences being downgraded amid a rise in violent crime, sex offences and 999 calls.
Scotland Yard said the measures were needed to “balance the books” as the force works to make £325m savings by 2022.
Cressida Dick: ‘Naive’ to think cuts to police haven’t had impact on rising crime
In response to questions by The Independent, several other forces said they had implemented measures aiming to make better use of their “finite resources”.
Thames Valley Police has changed its policies on dealing with shoplifting and drivers who flee petrol stations without paying for fuel “to reduce demand on the frontline”.
The force is giving business owners packs allowing them to collect their own evidence and CCTV footage for police, so officers can investigate without travelling to the scene.
“New structures have been designed to provide more flexibility to ensure Thames Valley Police better prioritises, and effectively and efficiently targets resources to the areas of greatest need,” a spokesperson said.
West Yorkshire Police chief constable Dee Collins said her force had to “completely change the way we work”.
“We have to make incredibly difficult decisions, as we seek to balance significantly reduced resources against very high levels of demand” that is often not crime-related, she added.
“I would really like to dispatch more officers to more victims on more occasions than we do but given the current situation and demands for our services, sadly we have to be realistic and pragmatic.”
Bedfordshire Police said the increase in “hidden crimes” like cyber offences, modern slavery and sexual exploitation had changed policing dramatically in recent years.
Deputy chief constable Garry Forsyth said the force had started giving appointments to victims of crimes where there is no threat to the wider public.
“We have to make difficult decisions every day about the crimes we can respond to and whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant a full investigation,” he added.
“Obviously we will always prioritise those high-harm crimes which change people’s lives, where there is a threat to the public’s safety, but we are exploring a range of options where there might be alternative resolutions to dealing with incidents to help maximise our officers’ time.”
The teenagers murdered in London in 2018
A Leicestershire Police spokesperson said it was using “limited resources most effectively to deliver public value for money”, adding: “We have to prioritise investigations that cause the highest harm.”
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has been urging police forces to use the “Thrive” model which prioritieses emergency calls according to “threat, harm, risk, investigation possibilities, vulnerability and engagement”.
“Every police service is facing continuous challenges re financial constraints and service delivery, demand and resourcing to public expectations and needs,” said a document published last April. “Each service has adopted its own approach, project and programme thinking regarding future policing delivery.”
North Yorkshire Police said the system is not a “one-size-fits-all-policy” on different crime types and still allows a bespoke response for each incident.
“There is no doubt that we have to manage our resources carefully and cannot attend every incident that’s reported to us,” a spokesperson added.
“Over the past year Thrive has helped us to reallocate around 2,000 hours of police-officer time from incidents that didn’t really need police attendance to incidents where they can make a real difference.”
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary’s annual report found that forces are failing to respond to low-priority crimes because of “significant stress” caused by budget cuts and rising demand, saying that prioritisation assessments can sometimes “be misapplied or poorly managed” and put people at risk.
Inspectors also warned that if a victim’s first experience with police is not positive, they may not report crimes in the future.
Research published exclusively byThe Independent earlier this month showed that confidence in the criminal justice system is declining among victims, with one woman saying her experience left her wondering “what is the point in ringing” the police.
Police forces have been working to improve their technology and procedures, but many cite the impact of “unprecedented” demand driven by factors including increasing 999 calls, rising violent crime and complex sexual offence cases and fraud.
Sajid Javid promised police officers he would fight for more funding shortly after being made home secretary (PA)
The number of police officers in England and Wales has fallen to a record low after plummeting by around 22,000 since 2010, while the past year has seen homicides rise by 12 per cent, knife crime by 16 per cent and robbery by 30 per cent.
The government says there is no conclusive evidence of a link between rising crime and falling police officer numbers, but Mr Apter insisted there was “absolutely” a relationship, adding: “The demand has massively increased while officer numbers have considerably been cut.
“The maths just does not add up and the government are purely responsible.”
Almost half of all criminal investigations are being closed with no suspect identified, and the proportion ending with someone being charged or summonsed to court fell to just 9 per cent in the year to March.
Mr Apter said funding cuts were also increasing the strain on police officers themselves, amid a rise in long-term sickness and a record number taking second jobs to supplement their incomes.
“The reality is that policing in some places is broken, we are most certainly in crisis and that is a direct result of the pressure the government has put on by a reduction in funding,” he added.
“I’m not saying that in the early days of austerity there were not efficiencies to be made, but what we are finding now is that we’ve been cut so much we start to become inefficient.
“We’re not giving the service we want to the public and we’re certainly not looking after our officers as much as we should be.”
Sajid Javid has promised to fight for more resources for policing in a government-wide spending review but admitted he has “no magic wand” to increase funding.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Police have the resources they need to carry out their vital work and we have provided a strong and comprehensive settlement that is increasing total investment in the police system by over £460m in 2018/19, including funding for local policing through council tax precept.
“However, we know the nature of crime is changing. That is why the policing minister spoke to every police force in the country to understand the demands they are facing and why the home secretary, in May, committed to prioritising police funding in next year’s spending review.”
CHARLESTON — Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has affirmed recognition of West Virginia’s concealed carry permits for 10 states.
Currently, there are 23 states that recognize West Virginia concealed handgun licenses and 14 that recognize West Virginia provisional concealed handgun licenses and West Virginia concealed handgun licenses.
“Our office works hard to establish and maintain concealed carry reciprocity or recognition agreements with states across the nation,” Morrisey said in an interview with The West Virginia Record.
Morrisey said the reciprocity and recognition agreements ensure convenience when traveling and peace of mind for license holders who choose to carry and exercise their Second Amendment rights.
Patrick Morrisey AG’s website
“We recently affirmed agreements with Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina and Wyoming,” Morrisey said. “We expect more announcements to be made in coming weeks from the remainder of previously existing concealed carry agreements nationwide.”
Morrisey said preserving this recognition is a victory for gun owners.
Each year Morrisey’s office discusses with each state to ensure continued recognition of West Virginia’s concealed handgun licenses and to explore the potential to expand to other states.
“This time of year we like to highlight that states along popular summer travel routes, including South Carolina and Florida, recognize West Virginia concealed handgun licenses,” Morrisey said. “This makes travel easier for those who wish to cross state lines while still utilizing their right to concealed carry.”
In the states that recognize West Virginia concealed handgun licenses, Alaska, Arizona, Kansas and Vermont do not require concealed handgun licenses to carry concealed, but local restrictions may vary.
Wisconsin only recognizes licenses issued after June 2012 and Maine allows individuals to carry without a concealed handgun license.
Recognition in Alaska, Arizona, Louisiana, Nebraska and Nevada is also limited to concealed carry licenses that are issued to individuals over the age of 21.
“West Virginia license holders traveling to other states who wish to carry a concealed weapon are still encouraged to contact those states to confirm their recognition status and any local restrictions,” Morrisey said. “It is the responsibility of all West Virginia concealed firearm license holders to know and understand the applicable firearm laws of the states within which they plan to visit.”
Morrisey said anyone wishing to obtain a concealed handgun license can do so by contacting their local sheriff’s office.
Yea another Victory for our side! Grumpy
Rare Breed and Spike’s Spartan AR is a Functioning Work of Art
byMAX SLOWIK
The Spartan series includes rifles, pistols, stripped receivers and builder kits. (Photo: Rare Breed)
Rare Breed Firearms and Spike’s Tactical have teamed up to deliver the new Spartan series of AR-15-pattern rifles and receiver sets. The series features Spartan imagery and custom Cerakote finishes that makes each part a true work of art.
The series is available exclusively through Spike’s Tactical and it’s just the beginning. The eye-catching design took over a year to develop. It’s compatible with all standard lower components and all standard upper receivers.
Each finished receiver is hand-painted to give it a cast bronze look. (Photo: Rare Breed)
“We’re excited to roll out this new three-dimensional Spartan lower receiver,” said Spike’s Tactical general manager Cole Leleux. “This design, and others to come, will turn any AR-15 into a one-of-a-kind weapon, which overthrows the status quo.”
“This is only the beginning and a first of many designs for gun owners to use to make an AR-15 all their own,” said Rare Breed president Lawrence DeMonico. “Designing and bringing this to life was extremely challenging, but we’re proud of the final result and we know that our customers will truly enjoy this new design.”
The team is offering several rifles and pistols in addition to stripped and complete receivers. They also have a finished builder set including a matching upper and lower receiver and handguard.
Pricing starts modestly for the mostly standard lower without the custom finish at $115. Complete guns with the custom receivers and finishes run between $2,175 and $2,825. These are premium rifles and pistols through and through with some of the best components on the market. The three-piece builder sets are approachable at $964, and the embellished lower is priced at $349.
Complete guns are available with all the bells and whistles. (Photo: Rare Breed)
Complete guns feature machined and laser-engraved 7075-T6 alloy receivers. The handguards are 6061-T6 with a free-floating design, quick-detach sling mounts and M-Lok slots for accessories.
Spike’s offers Rare Breed NFA-regulated short barreled rifles (SBRs) as well as California-compliant rifles, too. They have something for Spartans everywhere.
These aren’t the first artfully designed receivers on the market, but the stylized components, especially the hand-painted bronze, absolutely stand out from the crowd. If you’re thinking about building a rifle or pistol that looks as good on the wall as it does at the range, check out the Rare Breed Spartan series at Spike’s Tactical.
** If I bought one of these “Rifles” back when I lived at home. I could just now here my Dad’s comments about how I should cut back on whatever I was drinking at the time.
Frankly I think that this tidal wave of AR-15 Types is hopefully receding.
Now Dear Reader, do not get me wrong about this. If buying one of these Rifles is going to make you a happy Camper. Or it helps you sleep better at night. Then Go and God Bless is all I can say.
But I still fail to see after many years. What all the huzzahs are all about.
I also think that I say this in all honesty. Since I owned a Colt AR-15 for a short while until trading it for something else. God alone knows what that was.
Plus I carried one for quite a while. When I was in Mr.Reagan’s Army in the 1980’s. But even still, I never was very impressed with this rifle.
Quite frankly between you & I. I would of grabbed the first AK-47 available . If the Big Flag had gone up, which Thank God never did in Europe.
I will now stop so that I can get ready for the Pitchfork & Torches Crowd shows up at the Old Homestead.
Anybody seen where I put my loaded M1 Garand clips around here ? Grumpy ***
