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3/28/08
I got a phone call the other day.  The guy on the other end identified himself, “Hello this is ****** from Winchester USA, how are you today?.”  I replied “Win Who”?

 
Of course I had to explain it to him after all not everyone appreciates my sarcasm.  As I explained to him we who carry and rely on weapons loaded with Winchester ammo are less than thrilled with the turtles pace at which his company is striving to supply us.

I expressed to him in no uncertain terms just how ridiculous it is that one of the oldest and largest ammunition manufacturer (ATK is the largest and Remington the oldest) is now on the verge of becoming a footnote.

I related the numerous stories of departments nationwide actually rationing ammunition.  NOPD during Mardi Gras fielded their officers with a loaded magazine in their duty weapon and one loaded in the belt.  The other mags were EMPTY.

For the first time in recorder history departments nationwide reported often receiving “no bids” when the required ammunition was Winchester Ranger – its impossible to bid when you cant guarantee the price or even guess at when it will be available.

Department after department are having no choice but to switch their duty ammo to avoid going without.

After I realized I was damn near yelling and foaming at the mouth a bit, I paused.

After a long silence the voice of Winchester apologized and began to explain.  “You do realize that Winchester has commitments to the Military……………..”  He never got to finish that one cause I erupted again.

“So do you mean to tell me that you’ve converted the line that makes RA380T or RA40T to produce 5.56?”  Almost chuckling he told me no.   I then asked if Winchester had taken the folks that run and monitor those lines and moved them over to the 5.56 lines.  Again the answer was no.

So let me understand this, I blurted out.  Winchester hasn’t taken down any lines, hasn’t lost folks to other efforts, but yet cant supply what they always did for years?

What ensued was a speech about redesign and efforts to supply the LEO market with the best quality and advanced round available.

“Have you seen the article about the new design in Handgun magazine?”  Yep and all that did was fire up more frustration after all here is this truley awesome round that is apparently available to gun rag writers (maybe I should request numerous case for an article Im writing?)

So when can I expect the new and improved RA45T?  Again long silence and then “I’m not prepared or able to discuss production schedules.”  I asked how I apply for Production Scheduler at Winchester!

Im still calling my multiple distributors every week checking to see if the largest Law Enforcement distributors in the US have received anything at all.  Im still hearing growing backorder numbers – would you believe there is a backorder at one distributor of 50,000 cases of RA45T!

I hope they get their heads pulled out soon, those guys at WinWho………………….

 

Those of us who carry the Winchester Ranger T series rounds have long been scratching our heads wondering WTF they were thinking when they adopted the insane production schedule.  The same schedule that has resulted in an unprecidented backorder/shortage.
We've asked and asked.  Not once been given a decent answer, until now.  Tucked away on the Winchester website (posted this month (November) is a "Press Release" that provides some answer:

Winchester Enhances Ranger T Series Ammunition for Law Enforcement

Seems that our friends at Winchester are not behind because of the war, the cost of material, demand outpacing tooling, and all of the other reasons we've heard over the last year.  Seems that on a "rolling schedule" Winchester is making "design enhancements".  Thanks Guys - Im sure we all appreciate the efforts!

FYI the "rolling schedule" has the RA45T and RA45TP rolling off the line in................ Ready for this?  J U N E!!

Oh well at least Federal is shipping the HST series DAILY!


I don’t carry a gun…

Schwarzenegger joins left wingers in California legislature by signing two major anti-gun bills into law.

Fair Oaks, CA -- Monday, October 15, 2007. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger might as well change his last name to Kennedy because he is acting just like radical, anti-gun, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, his uncle-in-law.

Schwarzenegger has signed two major anti-gun, anti-hunter bills into law this week leaving no doubt as to where he stands on the gun issue. AB 1471 (Feuer-D) the so-called micro-stamping bill and AB 821 (Nava-D) banning the use of any ammunition containing lead in the regions of the state where the California condor ranges.

With the full knowledge that AB 1471 was completely flawed, as reported by a study conducted by his own administration, and knowing that virtually all semiautomatic handgun manufacturers have declared that they cannot comply with the provisions of this bill and would therefore abandon all new sales into California, including to law enforcement, Governor Schwarzenegger signed this bill into law.

In his own signing message he admits that the technology is flawed. He chose to sign this bill with the knowledge that it would, in effect, be a ban on any new semiautomatic handgun sales in California, which will only hurt law-abiding citizens, not criminals.

In another amazing action, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 821 into law siding with the most anti-hunting, anti-gun environmental extremists in the country, banning the use of ammunition containing lead in the portion of the state known as the California condor range. This constitutes approximately one tenth of the huntable portion of California. The interesting thing is that the Governor opposed this bill all the way through the legislative process and his administration indicated that this issue should be dealt with in his Fish and Game Commission based on science instead of in the legislature based on politics.

Ultimately, science and facts lost out to politics and could not overcome the influence of the Audubon Society (a front for many radical environmentalists), who by the way brilliantly hires Schwarzenegger political consultant Marty Wilson as a “consultant” apparently to whisper into the Governor’s ear…

Arnold Kennedy…oh, excuse us Schwarzenegger, is planning a run for U.S. Senate when Dianne Feinstein’s seat is up. It is a good bet that he will go down to defeat in that primary because pro-gun Californians don’t forget. And, Gun Owners of California will be leading the charge to make sure pro-gun voters don’t forget


War soaks up bullets; police feel shortage SHIPMENTS DELAYED, PRICES INCREASING
By Rodney Foo
Mercury News

Police departments in the South Bay and around the country are encountering a nagging side effect from the U.S. military's long overseas missions: It's getting more difficult to obtain bullets.
The shortage, also being fueled by an unprecedented rise in the price of raw materials, is not so severe that local law enforcement agencies risk running out of bullets. But departments in Santa Clara County have agreed to share ammo if any of them runs low.

From California to Florida, police range masters say they are seeing ammunition shipments that once took only 45 days to arrive now take four to six months.

"It has become a nightmare," said Sgt. Don Moore, San Jose police range master.
To cope with the delays, police have been increasing their ammunition orders, replenishing storerooms to the limit. In January, the San Jose budget office disclosed to city council members that police were seeking an extra $44,000 to buy ammunition. In the fiscal year 2005-06, police spent $199,000 for bullets.

In the past six months, the department has used about 600,000 rounds in training and in marksmanship qualification tests; police rarely fire their guns in the field.
The ammunition shortages stem from a new reality in the post-Sept. 11, 2001, era: The U.S. military is firing its weapons at a breakneck pace.

Big changes

When Alliant Techsystems - the parent company of Federal, the nation's largest small-caliber ammunition manufacturer - was contracted to operate the Department of Defense's Lake City, Mo., Army ammunition plant more than five years ago, it was churning out 350 million rounds annually.

How things have changed: From March 2005 to March 2006, about 1.3 billion rounds were made at the plant, said Alliant Tech spokesman Bryce Hallowell.
And according to February budget documents, the Army proposed to contract for an additional 300 million rounds from commercial manufacturers.

The military's need for more ammo, especially .223 Remington and 9mm cartridges, puts it in direct competition with police departments. San Jose's special weapons and tactics teams use the high velocity, flat trajectory .223 rounds in their carbines. Most San Jose officers use 9mm-caliber semiautomatic guns with clips that carry 15 to 17 rounds.

But when it comes to ammunition orders, Uncle Sam is first in line, industry officials say. "If something comes down, the military ammunition is always going to get first call," said Eddie Stevenson, a spokesman for Remington, the Madison, N.C.-based gun and ammo manufacturer.

Peter Arment, a defense industry analyst for Rhode Island-based JSA Research Inc., said the military has "absorbed a lot of the capacity in the industry, and the industry has been trying to bring more capacity on line but not on as rapid a pace that is needed."

Combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan account for some of the increase. But the rise also stems from the Army's post-Sept. 11 emphasis on improving marksmanship. Arment estimates that 90 percent of the Army's ammo is fired during training.

With a tight domestic market, Moore said some ammunition distributors are purchasing foreign-made ammo and passing the increased cost - additional shipping and import fees - on to customers.

Prices increasing

During the past 2 1/2 years, as demand for copper and brass have surged in China and India, prices for the metals, which are used to make bullet jackets and casings, have almost quadrupled. The main component of most bullets is lead, and its price has doubled. The cost of tungsten, a component of armor-piercing bullets, has tripled.

No matter what, all that's certain is the cost of small-caliber ammo will rise as the worldwide demand for raw materials rises.
"All we've been told is the price will go up," San Diego police range master Ralph Garcia said. "We don't know how much."

Manufacturers say there is no shortage of ammo on the domestic market but acknowledge that military demand has made some calibers harder to find.
"The war is having some effect in a few calibers we do manufacture - not all calibers," said Ann Pipkin, a spokeswoman for Olin Corp., which produces Winchester Ammunition.

Pipkin cited the .223 Remington, used in M-16s, the Army's primary infantry rifle, as one of the calibers affected. The Tulsa, Okla., police department has also experienced delays in ammo shipments. Orders that took 30 to 45 days to fill now take about three to four months, said officer Jason Willingham, a department spokesman.

"It is a concern as of right now, but it has not affected operations," Willingham said. Miami Police Department spokeswoman officer Martha Carbana reported similar delays in getting ammo shipments. "It's not an immediate problem for us, but there is a delay where normally that wait didn't exist," Carbana said.

Over at the Milpitas Shooting Range Target Masters West, owner Bill Heskett said he's experienced about five delays in ammunition shipments the last three years, but he said, "It's no big deal." "Sometimes it's specific manufacturers," he said. "I know the war in Iraq has sucked up a lot of ammo."
Heskett used to keep a two-week inventory, but now he tries to keep a month's supply on hand to tide him over when deliveries are uncertain.

Need to stay sharp

The impact on San Jose officers has been negligible, officials say. However, target ammo is a staple for all officers - including the chief - who have to pass mandated marksmanship tests every six months. So they need to stay sharp by practicing. But no matter how difficult it has been to obtain ammo, none of the departments contacted begrudged the Army from getting first in line for bullets. "I want our military guys to have all the ammo they need," Moore said. "They're in a fight every day of their lives."





Most of us carry our weapons (lets not mince words they are weapons) regularly.  We take the classes and spend hours on the range.  We take for granted the right to defend ourselves, some of us even believe the law and training will be with us if the worst happens.  I too fell into this category.   I no longer do.

I will still carry, still attend classes, still send rounds downrange, but I will NEVER believe that the law and the truth will set me free.

Every week I watch shows like 20/20 and 48 Hours where repeatedly I find myself damn near screaming at the moronic of juries/judges who see fit to disregard common sense and often clear evidence (or lack thereof) and sentence folks to prison.  I've been outraged but found myself quickly calming down because I know that I will likely never find myself accused of killing my wife or the like.  However, I just finished watching an episode that promises to effect not only myself for quite some time but all those who own weapons for defense.

I'm talking about, mad as hell about, as my son would say "disturbed" about Harold Fish.

Mr. Fish a retired teacher from my home state of Arizona is now spending time in prison for following almost to the letter the training we all have received.
I have found article after article regarding this case and cannot for the life of me see that Harold Fish did anything wrong.  I am of the opinion that if this is allowed to stand WE ALL are in for it should the SHTF.

Time to get involved - all of us.  Common sense and a belief in Truth, Justice and the American Way is becoming just a phrase from Superman.

Here's the link to his defense fund site.  I encourage you to do a google search and read up on this case.  It could be you next.   Harold Fish





February 19, 2007
New York Times
Making Martial Law Easier
A disturbing recent phenomenon in Washington is that laws that strike to the heart of American democracy have been passed in the dead of night.
So it was with a provision quietly tucked into the enormous defense budget bill at the Bush administration’s behest that makes it easier for a president to override local control of law enforcement and declare martial law.  The provision, signed into law in October, weakens two obscure but important bulwarks of liberty.  One is the doctrine that bars military forces, including a federalized National Guard, from engaging in law enforcement. 
Called posse comitatus, it was enshrined in law after the Civil War to preserve the line between civil government and the military.  The other is the Insurrection Act of 1807, which provides the major exemptions to posse comitatus. It essentially limits a president’s use of the military in law enforcement to putting down lawlessness, insurrection and rebellion, where a state is violating federal law or depriving people of constitutional rights.
The newly enacted provisions upset this careful balance. They shift the focus from making sure that federal laws are enforced to restoring public order. Beyond cases of actual insurrection, the president may now use military troops as a domestic police force in response to a natural disaster, a disease outbreak, terrorist attack or to any “other condition.” Changes of this magnitude should be made only after a thorough public airing.  But these new presidential powers were slipped into the law without hearings or public debate.
The president made no mention of the changes when he signed the measure, and neither the White House nor Congress consulted in advance with the nation’s governors.
There is a bipartisan bill, introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, and Christopher Bond, Republican of Missouri, and backed unanimously by the nation’s governors, that would repeal the stealthy revisions. Congress should pass it. 
If changes of this kind are proposed in the future, they must get a full and open debate. 





Before you check out this video, a little bit of a back story is in order.  The band is called Stuck Mojo, a hard rocking southern band.  The song is called Open Season and although it reflects the views of many, it has spawned a Jihad of its own.
Deemed as racist, anti Islamic, an affront to Muslims worldwide by a group called CAIR Council of American Islamic Relations who put Stuck Mojo, a rock band on the hit list.
Judge for yourself



My Response to CAIR’s Misrepresentation of "Open Season"
by Rich Ward

As many of you know, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has attacked Stuck Mojo by falsely claming that “Open Season” advocates violence against all Muslims. This is patently false. Any rational, unbiased person who reads the lyrics to the song (copied below) can clearly see that the song purely advocates a defensive posture against violent, global Jihadists.

You can read the full story at Little Green Footballs here: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=23903_CAIR_Slams_Boxer_Stuck_Mojo

The registration at LGF has been closed for some time. With that in mind would someone here on this board, who is also a member of LGF, please pass along my appreciation for the support that the LGF community has shown us.

We never considered for a second that this video would generate such newsworthy attention. The simple fact is that we are currently in a global war against an ideology whose principle objective to transform the world into an Islamic state. Those who resist are to be converted or killed. And, while we have no interest in pursuing a “holy war,” we refuse to take no action in response if such a war is brought to our doorstep. Are all Muslims Jihadists? Of course not. Are virtually all Jihadists Muslims, absolutely. You can make of this what you will.

The message of “Open Season,” and Stuck Mojo in general, is very clear:

“We reject your war of fear and we are prepared to engage you defensively and decisively if your Jihad threatens our neighborhoods and communities.”

This should not be controversial. Yet CAIR and others seem to think that it is. What person would not defend themselves and their family against an enemy who violently threatens their life, liberty or pursuit of happiness?
 We believe in and stand by the message of “Open Season” and find it shocking and disappointing that anyone in the Muslim community would find this video offensive; even more so for those in a leadership position within that community. Their condemnation of the anti-Jihadist message of “Open Season” is a clear indication of where their true loyalties reside.

Thanks to everyone who has supported Stuck Mojo during this time. Your comments and feedback from around the world has shown us that we are not alone in recognizing the reality of the world we now live in. And extra special thanks to those who have shown their support with their wallets and purchased a copy of the CD despite the album being made available free for download. After years of being a lone voice in the left-leaning music business, it has been great to see that the people will directly support a band whose message hits home.

Apparently Jihad works both ways.  Soon a remix of the video was posted and is making its way into the hands and conciousness of America.  Not for the meek - based in truth - its open season.....................