Series of Posts Coming Soon!

With all the Democratic debates on the series of recent shootings, there's a LOT of manufactured information that I'm having to break down into a series of articles. I hope to have these written and posted before too long.

Thank you for your patience.

Silverbullet's Gun Talk Official Logo

I'm excited to unveil the official logo of Silverbullet's Gun Talk! This is, of course, subject to change as the site continues to grow and I come up with something more creative. Looking forward, I still want to move Silverbullet's Gun Talk to a new host, but I've yet to find anything that meets the criteria I would want for long-term use. If I decide to change hosting sites, don't worry! I'll keep my Blogger account open and will have a post with a direct link to my new site when the move happens. Good things to come!

P.S. - Yes, I know that my new logo doesn't fit correctly in the bio section of the page. Not much I can do about at this time. I will eventually make a square logo, but one step at a time.

MSNBC Reporter's Pro-2A Remark

I never thought I'd see the day when an MSNBC reporter actually gives a pro-Second Amendment message on cable TV. But here it is!

"...in Venezuela, gun ownership is not something that is open to everybody. So if the military have the guns, they have the power. and as long as Nicolás Maduro controls the military, he controls the country..."

-Kerry Sanders, MSNBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-ocLQXS294

What Kerry Sanders says here is, of course, absolutely correct. In Venezuela, not only are we seeing system of socialism fail once again, we're also able to see what it's like when a government is given too much power over it's citizens. This is what happens when the government holds its citizens on a leash. The 2nd Amendment hands that leash over to the people - ensuring that a tyrannical government never gains the upper hand in the United States.

It upsets me when "intellectual" politicians fail to see the obvious parallels between Venezuela and their own policies that they push. I pray that the average American citizen takes a long hard look at what is happening in South America and votes against it. 

Horrible Precedent

The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled 4-3 that reinstated a wrongful death lawsuit and overturned the 2005 lower court ruling that shields gun manufacturers from liability if their products are used in crimes. According to the Associated Press, the plaintiffs argue that "the AR-15-style rifle used by shooter XXXXX XXXXX* is too dangerous for the public and Remington glorified the weapon in marketing it to young people." 

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* I refuse to post the names of mass shooters on this blog.

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  Source can be found HERE. Associated Press.

As of today, I cannot find evidence anywhere that Remington "marketed the AR-15 to young individuals." This is a very weak argument and I was even surprised it got a court hearing... much less actually WIN. So far, the only marketing pieces brought forward by the plaintiffs that I've seen from Remington is "consider your man card reissued" and "forces of opposition, bow down." Do I like these slogans? No, not really. I don't usually like the over-the-top, macho style of advertising that many firearm companies use. However, this is a pretty shaky case. I'm sure I've heard similar slogans used for G.I.-Joe action figures.

But could these slogans have caused the horrific Sandy Hook Shooting in 2012? Did Remington "court" the shooter as the plaintiffs said in court? Did any of Remington's slogans trigger this mental condition in the shooter that made him shoot his own mother, steal her guns, and then massacre children?? Unless more evidence comes to light soon, this is an incredibly, INCREDIBLY weak argument. 

While it may sound that I'm being insensitive, I cannot stress enough how much I sympathize with the Newtown parents. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a child to such a sick individual. But I stand by what I've said before. It is of my opinion that these parents need to blame someone. They want to make someone pay for what happened to their family, and since the shooter took his own life, there's only one person (company) to blame - the makers of the weapon used. To those of us on the outside looking in, we see your pain, but fail to understand how the makers of an object (an object that is used in less than 1% of all gun crimes according to FBI statistics) is responsible for the acts of this monster.

This is why the 2005 ruling was so important. It recognized the difference between the product maker, and the perpetrator of an evil action, and now these lines are blurring. 

This ruling could lay the groundwork for an inconceivably bad precedent going forward. Now, if someone is mugged and shot in the streets of Chicago by an illegal firearm owner, the maker of that weapon could potentially be held responsible citing this Connecticut ruling. Every time a good guy with a gun defends themselves or family with a firearm, the manufacturers of that firearm will send their best lawyers. While that may sound nice to some, do you think that will actually happen? Or is it more likely that gun manufacturers close their doors for good, not wanting to take the risk of losing everything. This is the platform that Hillary Clinton ran on, knowing that if something like this passes, it's only a matter of time before all gun companies go out of business. I know what you're thinking, "Wait, this case was about marketing, not the physical crime." Unless more hard evidence can be found, my opinion on the matter remains the same. Based on the evidence that I've seen, Remington should not be held responsible for anything regarding the shooter's actions.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but a case like this scares me as a lawful gun owner. It's difficult to convey the sympathy I hold for these families, but also side with the gun companies in times like this. On it's face, it sounds immoral. But decisions like the court case in Connecticut must not be made with emotion, but instead with facts and hard evidence. This case was decided with emotion. 

The Economical Over/Under - Yildiz SPZ ME/20

After a few stress-filled months and a severe lack of free time/range time, it felt really good to shatter some clay pigeons and knock down a few quail...and have a beautiful new tool for the job, the Yildiz SPZ ME/20. Yildiz is a Turkish shotgun manufacturer that is more widely known in Europe than in the United States. Luckily, the nationwide sporting goods store, Academy, is where you can find an assortment of Yildiz products.

While I'm usually the first to tell you, "you get what you pay for," I can happily say that the SPZ ME line of shotguns is quite a value. The gun weighs a mere 5.8 lbs. and has excellent fit and finish. I'm especially impressed with the detailed engraving on the receiver. Usually when you spend around $600 on a double barrel, you get a blank, blued-steel receiver, but that's not the case here. While the engravings are machined, it's still a nice touch and allows your shotgun to sit on the rack with other, higher-cost firearms without yours standing out as the "lower-cost" item.

When I first took the Yildiz out, I was immediately impressed by how little time it took to "learn" the gun. Unlike rifles, it usually takes quite some time for me to get used to the feel of shotguns. My first round of sporting clays is quite embarrassing if I'm shooting a new gun or using someone else's. That's why I was stunned when I had the chance to fire a few dozen round from the Yildiz one day at the range and hit around 90% the first outing. This almost never happens.

If I had to give one criticism, it would be that the action is very stiff out-of-the-box. It took me several hundred rounds to loosen up, but now it opens up flawlessly. I also want to point out something else - the ejectors are INSANE. First off, I was a little surprised that a gun at this price point even had automatic casing ejectors, but the ones on the SPZ/ME 20 must've been pulled from a switchblade. When you break open the gun after firing, be careful because the casings will often launch about 6-8 feet behind you. Not sure if this is a complaint, but it can make it difficult to retrieve your casings if you need to clean up after yourself. Other than that, I have not yet encountered any issues with the shotgun.

After the discovery of the SPZ ME/20, it didn't take long for three other friends to pick up a Yildiz shotgun. So far, everyone's experience has been the same as mine. It has become everyone's go-to shotgun for quail, dove, and the occasional sporting clays match. It truly is a diamond in the rough.

It's a Brand New Year!

Hello everyone!

I am coming back from my sabbatical very, very soon! My wife and I are in the process of moving so everything has been a little hectic lately.

Next review is almost complete and it will be about a great little shotgun that I received for Christmas last year, a Yildiz SPZ ME/20. Once I get some good images of the gun (not surrounded by moving boxes) I'll be able to get a review up for you guys.

I appreciate your patience and thank you for checking back!