Zipline Dive Catapult

Zipline Dive Catapult

https://ift.tt/38fKpUm

Zipline Dive Catapult

Link

They guys from DD Squad rigged up a crazy zipline with a hard stop in the middle, making their athletes catapult into the river below when they hit the sweet spot. Given their acrobatic skills, they had to show off with some crazy flips.

fun

via The Awesomer https://theawesomer.com

January 16, 2020 at 02:45PM

FIRST LOOK: The Performance Center M&P M2.0 Full-Size Pistol

FIRST LOOK: The Performance Center M&P M2.0 Full-Size Pistol

https://ift.tt/2x5SopN

Performance Center M&P M2.0 Ported, The pistol's crisp, 4.5-pound trigger impressed during testing.
Performance Center 'smiths created a high-end full-size 9mm with the new Ported M&P M2.0.
Designed to fulfill both competition and carry needs, the Ported M&P M.20 delivers.

Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center takes some of the company’s most popular production guns and enhances them to produce a line of semi-custom firearms. Sometimes these guns possess additional features and refinements. But they all receive an extra degree of attention not lavished on standard production guns. S&W Performance Center ‘smiths spend extra time mating internals and polishing parts to perfection for smooth and flawless function.

M&P9L Pro Series Core

RELATED STORY

Gun Test: Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9L Pro Series Core

Performance Center M&P M2.0 Details

Our publisher, Athlon Outdoors, brought in a number of firearms companies to spend time with writers this past October. The Rendezvous was held inn Driggs, Idaho, and Smith & Wesson was one of the companies to attend. Among the new products was a Performance Center Ported M&P9 M2.0 pistol. Matt Spafford, S&W’s Media Manager, took some time to detail me on the new gun.

This particular gun features a 5-inch stainless steel and ported barrel and is chambered for 9mm. Because the barrel and slide extend past the end of the M&P9 frame, S&W engineers designed an extended rigid stainless-steel chassis, embedded into the frame’s polymer, to reduce flex and torque. Spafford noted that this gun was the first of the Performance Center offerings to incorporate the new M&P M2.0 upgrades, which include the scale-style cocking serrations, enhanced grip texture, and improved sear geometry, giving the gun a crisper trigger.

Spafford noted the PC craftsmen spend a great deal of time judiciously polishing the sear’s engagement surface. First generation guns possessed a trigger pull around 6.5 pounds, and the 2.0 guns run about 5.5 pounds. Performance Center ‘smiths crafted a trigger pull that broke crisply at 4.5 pounds with a firm and audible reset. Quite frankly, the sample I fired in Idaho had one of the nicest triggers I’ve ever pulled on a striker-fired gun.

Versatile, Full-Size M&P

Building a gun that can fulfill the needs for competition and self-defense can be daunting, but the PC Ported M&P9 M2.0 seems to easily accomplish that mission. Its sights are easily picked up with the front sight, possessing a green fiber-optic rod, while the fully adjustable rear sight has two red fiber-optic rods on either side of the rear notch. Even on a cloudy day the florescent pipettes burned brilliantly, making quick sight acquisition easy.

In keeping with the dual theme of competition and self-defense, the Performance Center ports the barrel and slide in an effort to help minimize muzzle disruption. The Performance Center cuts dual ports on the barrel at the 11 and 1 o’clock positions about 5/8-inch back from the muzzle. In addition to the slide vent ports there are also a number of other slide lightening cuts made to reduce its weight for proper slide velocity. Recoil and muzzle flip of the Ported M&P9 is anything but snappy. In fact, it is a very soft-shooting gun! The combination of the long sight radius, fiber-optic sights, crisp trigger and firm reset made it possible to fire astonishingly fast and accurate double taps. The Performance Center makes guns with competition in mind, designed to shoot fast and stay on target, according to Spafford.

The PC Ported M&P9 M2.0 also possesses a railed dust cover, so a weapon light and or laser can be mounted for low-light defense. It also has an ambidextrous slide lock located on the right side of the frame. S&W ships the pistol with two 17-round magazines as well as a Performance Center cleaning kit. Backed by S&W’s lifetime service policy, the PC Ported M&P9 M2.0 should provide its user with a first-rate competition and defense gun.

For more information, visit smith-wesson.com.

Performance Center M&P M2.0 Specs

  • Caliber: 9mm
  • Overall Capacity: 17+1
  • Barrel: Stainless Steel, 5-inch, Ported
  • Action: Semi-Auto, Striker Fired
  • Overall Length: 8.5 inches
  • Overall Weight: 30 ounces
  • Front Sight: Fiber-Optic, Green
  • Rear Sight: Fully Adjustable, Fiber-Optic, Red
  • Slide: Stainless Steel, 5-inch, Blackened With Armornite
  • MSRP: N/A

The post FIRST LOOK: The Performance Center M&P M2.0 Full-Size Pistol appeared first on Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun News and Gun Reviews.

guns

via Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun News and Gun Reviews https://ift.tt/2i7bVLS

January 15, 2020 at 10:24AM

An Inside Look at How AR-15 Barrels Are Made: DC Machine

An Inside Look at How AR-15 Barrels Are Made: DC Machine

https://ift.tt/2w0D91v

DC Machine barrels
An Inside Look at How AR-15 Barrels Are Made: DC Machine

U.S.A.-(Ammoland.com)- DC Machine is the biggest machining company you may never have heard of. However, you are likely familiar with Palmetto State Armory, located in Columbia, South Carolina. PSA is one of the fastest-growing gun companies in the history of ever. While the operate a handful of retail stores, they sell lots and lots of guns and shooting gear across the country online and through other retail outlets. As it so happens, Palmetto State Armory and DC Machine are sister companies. I recently had the opportunity to tour the DC Machine operation and get a first-hand look at how quality barrels are made.

barrel stock
DC Machine Barrel Stock

Before we get started, I should mention that we’re not talking some small operation here. While I don’t want to get too specific about company secrets, I will say that the company produces way more than “hundreds” of barrels per day. A lot more. Does that give you a picture? I was stunned by the volume pouring out of this Summerville, South Carolina manufacturing plant.

Without further delay, let’s embark on a pictorial tour of how DC Machine produces the barrels you and I see in the market.

barrel stock
DC Machine operation

The raw materials for barrel manufacture show up at the back door as steel bar stock like this. You’ll see different lengths of these as it doesn’t make sense to cut unnecessary material when making a shorter barrel.

different finish on barrel stock
The raw materials for barrel manufacture show up at the back door as steel bar stock like this.

You’ll notice that some raw material stock bars are different colors. This is on purpose. DC Machine has their suppliers coat the raw material with different color finishes to denote the specific type of steel of each bar. It doesn’t matter to you as the finish is machined away during the process, but it helps the production line ensure that the right steel is used on the right barrel.

barrel drilling
Step one in the process is to drill out the bore.

Step one in the process is to drill out the bore. There’s no rifling at this stage, just a smooth hole of the correct diameter for the final caliber. From this point on, the reference point for machining operations is the bore itself. All exterior material is machined away using the “hole” as a guide.

DC Machine uses a top-secret button rifling process to wring maximum consistency and accuracy out of the barrels. I was able to watch a few being made and was stunned by the smoothness and speed of the operation. Sorry, we can’t show it here. Trade secret!

raw barrel truing
Again using the bore as the guide, the barrel blanks are “trued up” by trimming away all excess material that is not perfectly aligned with the bore.

Again using the bore as the guide, the barrel blanks are “trued up” by trimming away all excess material that is not perfectly aligned with the bore. The result is a perfect cylinder with the bore in the absolute center. This helps with machining the final barrel contours later in the process.

barrel making
The result is a perfect cylinder with the bore in the absolute center.

Next up more material is removed and the contours of the final barrel begin to take shape.

DC Machine quality control
During the process from first step on, each machine and step is closely monitored by quality control and the results show up in real-time on plant floor monitors.

During the process from first step on, each machine and step is closely monitored by quality control and the results show up in real-time on plant floor monitors. In fact, Quality Engineer Mark Petty gets notifications on his smartphone the second anything in the process starts to drift away from strict tolerances.

chamber and breech milling
At this stage, the breech end of the barrels are threaded for attachment of the barrel extension and chambers are cut.

At this stage, the breech end of the barrels are threaded for attachment of the barrel extension and chambers are cut.

laser barrel testing
Once barrels start to take shape, they’re tested by a laser inspection machine like this one to ensure that all tolerances are far, far better than mil-spec

Once barrels start to take shape, they’re tested by a laser inspection machine like this one to ensure that all tolerances are far, far better than mil-spec. Close inspection like this helps the production team know exactly when a certain toolhead in a certain machine needs maintenance or replacement.

barrel manufacturer dc machine
If you look closely at the two barrels on top, you’ll see the one on the left has an unfinished muzzle. On the right you can see the crown of the muzzle has been cut.

If you look closely at the two barrels on top, you’ll see the one on the left has an unfinished muzzle. On the right you can see the crown of the muzzle has been cut. The idea is to make sure that the internal rifling comes to an abrupt and perfectly clean and smooth end. The tiniest burr or imperfection can harm accuracy as this is the last contact a moving bullet has with the barrel.

barrel extensions
DC Machine also makes barrel extensions. Lots and lots of them.

DC Machine also makes barrel extensions. Lots and lots of them.

Once the barrel extensions are attached, the process is almost complete.

Once the barrel extensions are attached, the process is almost complete.

 

The barrels have been monitored, measured, and lasered for quality control throughout the process. At the very end of the line, just before packaging, is a final visual inspection and hand buffing to remove any rough spots on the exteriors from the machining process.

barrel extension manufacturing
Automated computer-controlled machining equipment.

Part of the reason that DC Machine can produce so many quality barrels per day is the investment in automated computer-controlled machining equipment. Most steps in the process have some way of working on multiple parts of the same type concurrently. Those that don’t have automated feed systems, like this, to process parts as quickly as possible.

milling machine upper receivers
This single milling machine is cutting eight upper receivers in one operation.

This single milling machine is cutting eight upper receivers in one operation. By changing out eight parts at once, the operator can produce far more receivers per hour.

upper receiver forgings
upper receiver forgings

DC Machine receives forged aluminum upper receiver blanks. Once in this plant, they’re machined to final completion.

cnc machine ar-15 receivers
The more a single machine can do, the fewer changes from machine to machine.

Note now many toolheads are in the conveyor of this single machine. It extends almost to the floor. The more a single machine can do, the fewer changes from machine to machine. That leads to better consistency and higher production throughput.

laser engraving
Ever wondered how that receiver engraving is done?

Ever wondered how that receiver engraving is done? Right here in the laser engraving department. Using the laser is not only fast and precise, it allows for easy changes to the engraving design from batch to batch.

laser engraved lower receivers
Virginia-15 Lower Receiver

DC Machine and Palmetto State Armory often product “meme engravings” on AR lower receivers. This one benefits the Virginia gun rights movement. You might notice the “Lady Freedom” is wearing night-vision goggles, toting an AR-15, and standing on a tyrant.

indoor rifle testing range
Sales Manager and Quality Engineer Mark Petty has this indoor rifle testing range literally in his office.

Sales Manager and Quality Engineer Mark Petty has this indoor rifle testing range literally in his office. If there are questions, or if he simply wants to field test production quality, he can do it right here,

The modern manufacturing process is stunning. This is exactly how the folks at Palmetto State Armory can produce and sell quality rifles at reasonable prices. One of the most fun parts of the tour was seeing Mark’s bragging collection. He showed me a couple of custom barrels (I won’t mention the names, but they’re expensive) that he won betting on the accuracy of a standard DC Machine barrel versus that of one listing at five times the price. That’s good stuff for you and I.


About

Tom McHale is the author of the Practical Guides book series that guides new and experienced shooters alike in a fun, approachable, and practical way. His books are available in print and eBook format on Amazon. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

The post An Inside Look at How AR-15 Barrels Are Made: DC Machine appeared first on AmmoLand.com.

guns

via AmmoLand.com https://ift.tt/2okaFKE

January 15, 2020 at 12:05PM

Google v. Oracle: Amici Weigh in on Why the Supreme Court Should Reverse the Federal Circuit’s Rulings

Google v. Oracle: Amici Weigh in on Why the Supreme Court Should Reverse the Federal Circuit’s Rulings

https://ift.tt/3885m3O

Guest post by Professor Pamela Samuelson, Berkeley Law School

In the past week 28 amicus curiae briefs were filed in the Google v. Oracle case, including one written by me and Catherine Crump (of which more below). All but two support reversal of one or both of the Federal Circuit’s copyrightability and fair use rulings.[1]

Especially significant are IBM’s brief with Red Hat arguing against the copyrightability of computer interfaces and Microsoft’s brief criticizing the Federal Circuit’s unduly rigid fair use analysis and indifference to the need for flexible rules that promote interoperability in today’s highly connected world. The briefs are substantively excellent, and significant because these firms are such prominent developers of software.

For those interested in the case who are not computing professionals, I recommend the amicus briefs submitted by 83 computer scientists and by the Developers Alliance which explain the Java API technology and why reuse of Java declarations and interfaces generally is so important to enabling compatibility. Several other briefs, including one for the Center for Democracy and Technology et al., and another for R Street and Public Knowledge, offer numerous examples of compatible software systems that benefit consumers as well as software developers

By my count, more than half of the 28 amicus briefs focus only on the copyrightability issue and another 9 address both the copyrightability and fair use issues. Only 4—the Microsoft, Tushnet, Snow, and Rauschenberg Foundation briefs–address only fair use. This was a something of a surprise given that the fair use decision seems quite vulnerable to challenge. After all, a jury rendered a verdict in favor of Google’s fair use defense, and appellate courts are supposed to defer to jury verdicts. Several amicus briefs take the Federal Circuit to task for substituting its judgment on the merits for the jury’s as to issues about which there was conflicting evidence in the record. Also much criticized are the Federal Circuit’s analysis of the four fair use factors and the manner in which it weighed the factors together.

One very pragmatic reason why some amici would prefer that the Court rule on the copyrightability issue over the fair use issue is that fair use is a fact-intensive, complex, and much debated limitation on copyright. Google may be able to litigate software interface copyright cases for a decade or more, as it has done in this case, but startups and other small and medium-size companies as well as open source developers would prefer the certainty of a no-copyright-in-interfaces rule, as several amicus briefs pointed out. If the Court rules that interfaces are not protectable by copyright law, litigation over reuses of interfaces is much less likely. And if some developer does bring suit, chances are good that the case can be won on a motion to dismiss or for summary judgment

Software developer and industry association amici point to a longstanding consensus on the distinction between interfaces and implementations: interfaces should be free for reuse as long as developers reimplement the interfaces in independently created code. The Federal Circuit’s Oracle decisions have upset settled expectations in the industry, and if the Court upholds them, it would have, as Microsoft asserts, “potentially disastrous consequences for innovation.”

The American Antitrust Institute was among the amici that emphasized the potential for copyright in program interfaces to have anti-competitive effects by entrenching dominant firms and creating barriers for new entrants in the software business. This is particularly of concern in view of network effects which, even without interface copyright monopolies, make it difficult for users and developers to switch to new systems.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association and the Internet Association amicus brief provides a historical review of the evolution of software copyright caselaw. Although a few early decisions construed copyright as providing broad protection to program structures such as interfaces, landmark decisions by the Second and Ninth Circuits recognized that interfaces which constitute the functional requirements for achieving compatibility among programs should not be protectable by copyright law. Other courts followed these rulings. The Oracle decision deviates from this body of caselaw. Some amici regard interfaces as patent, not copyright, subject matter.

The amicus brief Catherine Crump and I co-authored and submitted on behalf of 72 intellectual property scholars positioned the pro-compatibility decisions within the framework of the Supreme Court’s 19th-century rulings in Perris v. Hexamer and Baker v. Selden, which originated the exclusion of methods and systems and their constituent elements from the scope of copyright; dozens of decisions applying these exclusions; their codification in 17 U.S.C. § 102(b); and caselaw applying these exclusions to software interfaces that enable compatibility. Our brief also explains why the District Court’s alternative ruling in favor of Google’s merger defense was consistent with Baker and its progeny and that merger provides a sound basis for finding that program interfaces that enable compatibility, such as the Java SE declarations, are unprotectable by copyright law.

Oracle will obviously have a different take on these issues when it files its brief due February 12. Amici in support of its position must submit their briefs within the following week.

Google will have an opportunity to file a reply brief in mid-March. Oral argument before the Court may be scheduled in late March.

= = = = =

[1] Although the American Intellectual Property Law Association is one of the briefs in support of neither party, the substance of its arguments on both the copyrightability and fair use arguments are quite close to the positions of Google and pro-interoperability amici.  The other “neutral” amici were the Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol Foundations which expressed concern about a possible interpretation of fair use that would undermine artistic freedom to engage in creative reuses by artists.

legal_stuff

via Patent Law Blog (Patently-O) https://patentlyo.com

January 14, 2020 at 06:26PM

A Homemade Belt-Fed Full-Auto Shotgun? Yes, Please!

A Homemade Belt-Fed Full-Auto Shotgun? Yes, Please!

https://ift.tt/2w4bAV4

In this pair of short-but-sweet videos, we see the delightful product of an inventive mind: A fully-automatic belt-fed 12 gauge shotgun! Oh my.

We have seen homemade guns before. You have probably even seen homemade machineguns before. But have you ever seen a homemade machinegun which fires 12 gauge shotgun shells — and which is belt-fed, thus not requiring a magazine?

Well, now’s your chance.

It’s pretty wonderful to me, but it jams a number of times in the video — which is only 32 seconds long. So I’d say it is in need of refinement… but it sure does look like fun.

Here’s another video of what appears to be the same belt-fed shotgun machinegun (I really enjoy saying that) — if not, it’s very similar — and again, it jams pretty often. But oh, the BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM when it does run is well worth the watch!

The post A Homemade Belt-Fed Full-Auto Shotgun? Yes, Please! appeared first on AllOutdoor.com.

guns

via All Outdoor https://ift.tt/2yaNKUu

January 14, 2020 at 05:02PM

There Isn’t A Single American Car On This 2020 List Of Vehicles People Keep For At Least 15 Years

There Isn’t A Single American Car On This 2020 List Of Vehicles People Keep For At Least 15 Years

https://ift.tt/30mYXyN

Once again our friends at iSeeCars, have crunched some data to find out which cars are likely to be kept for 15 years or more. This year’s list doesn’t look terribly different than the one from last year and is basically dominated by only two brands.

Once again the Toyota Highlander tops the list but gone is the Prius that had the number two spot in 2019. From there it’s a fairly predictable list of other Toyotas, Hondas, and the Subaru Forester. Though it is a bit surprising to not see anything domestic like the Expedition or Suburban as those rigs have popped up on previous lists for higher mileage cars.

On the longest kept SUV list the Mitsubishi Outlander makes a surprise appearance in the number eight spot. Can you imagine keeping a 2005 Outlander for all this time? Look at this thing –

I suspect that perhaps some folks just now getting around to paying off their loan to Mitsubishi motors given how often some Mitsu dealers are a bit notorious for rolling over negative equity into really long loans.

However, I do take a bit of an issue with the iSeeCars list of sports cars, as there are an awful lot of sporty sedans on this, and while many of them may be great performance cars, the sedan body pretty much disqualifies them as a “sports car.”

For more data including the pickup trucks that owners keep the longest see the full study at iSeeCars.com

geeky,Tech,Database

via Lifehacker https://lifehacker.com

January 14, 2020 at 05:22PM

How Ice Cream Cones Are Made

How Ice Cream Cones Are Made

https://ift.tt/2QTnfxy

How Ice Cream Cones Are Made

Link

Making waffle cones at home is pretty darned easy to do. But when you need to churn out millions of these tasty treats every month, you need some serious industrial equipment. In this classic video from How It’s Made, they show us just how factories mass-produce waffle, sugar, and cake cones.

fun

via The Awesomer https://theawesomer.com

January 14, 2020 at 12:30PM

How to Cancel Your Disney+ Subscription

How to Cancel Your Disney+ Subscription

https://ift.tt/30mBhKU

cancel-disney-subscription

Have you had your fill of Disney+? Then it might be time to cancel your subscription. In this article, we show you how to cancel Disney+, and explain what that means.

There are many reasons why you may be considering canceling your Disney+ subscription. Whether it’s the lack of new content, the price, or a better option becoming available.

Thankfully, cancelling Disney+ is fairly straightforward. And if you want to completely untangle yourself from Disney, we’ll also show you how to cancel your Disney account too.

How to Cancel Disney+

As mentioned, canceling your Disney+ subscription doesn’t take long at all. You can finish the process in less time than it took to sign up for Disney+. Simply follow the steps below if using your browser:

  1. Log into Disney+ on your browser.
  2. In the upper right-hand corner, hover your cursor over your profile image.
  3. From the menu options, scroll down to and press Account.
  4. On the account page, click Billing Details.
  5. Afterward, you’ll see a page summarizing your subscription information. Look for the text that says Cancel Subscription and press it.
  6. You’ll get another alert asking if you’re sure you want to cancel. Press the red Completion Cancellation button.
  7. You’ve now canceled your Disney+ subscription.

how to cancel Disney+ - menu options

If you decide to cancel Disney+ via the app, it will take one extra step. Sadly, you can’t directly cancel your subscription via just the app. It will still follow roughly the same process, but you’ll finish canceling it via your mobile browser.

Just follow these steps to cancel your Disney+ subscription via the app:

  1. Open up the Disney+ app.
  2. In the bottom right-hand corner, press on your profile image.
  3. From the menu options, scroll down to and press Account.
  4. On the account page, click Billing Details. The app will now open your mobile browser.
  5. You’ll need to sign-in if you haven’t already. Once logged in, click Billing Details.
  6. Afterward, you’ll see a page summarizing your subscription information. Look for the text that says Cancel Subscription and press it.
  7. You’ll get another alert asking if you’re sure you want to cancel. Press the red Completion Cancellation button.
  8. You’ve now canceled your Disney+ subscription.

How Canceling Disney+ Impacts Your Billing Cycle

If you’ve just canceled your Disney+ trial, it’s very straightforward.

You’ll receive no charges for Disney+ as long as you cancel the trial before your billing cycle begins. If you want to prevent this from the start, you can preemptively cancel Disney+ at the beginning of your trial. You’ll still get the service for the trial’s full seven days, and you won’t have to worry about any charges.

how to cancel Disney+ - billing details

For anyone already paying for the service, you’re on a monthly cycle. If you decide to cancel Disney+, you can cancel at any time during the billing cycle. You’ll then be able to carry on watching Disney+ until you lose access on the next billing date.

In short, just make sure to cancel Disney+ before the start of the new month to avoid an additional charge. But before you go, make sure to check out the best classic films on Disney+.

How to Delete Your Disney Account

One of the overlooked aspects of testing out Disney+ is the need to create a Disney account. During your initial Disney+ registration, you don’t get many options. You’re only able to influence what emails you receive and whether your payment information gets stored.

how to cancel Disney+ - payment information

If you want to remove all of your stored information, you should unsubscribe from Disney’s emails and potentially delete your Disney account altogether.

To take this optional extra step, simply follow these steps:

  1. Head to Disney’s Communication Choices website.
  2. Scroll down to Manage Your Registration Account
  3. Click on the Disney, ESPN, ABC, Marvel, and Star Wars accounts link.
  4. You’ll be prompted to log in. Use the same username and password to log in that you used for Disney+.
  5. Scroll first to the Email Preferences heading and click Manage Your Email Subscriptions. Another browser tab will open.
  6. Select either Unsubscribe from All or individually uncheck Disney+ and/or The Walt Disney Family of Companies. You can now close this tab.
  7. Return to your previous window and look for the Delete Account heading.
  8. Press Delete Account.
  9. If you have an active Disney+ subscription, you’ll see a warning notice stating you have one. If you see this, you won’t be able to delete your account directly.
  10. You can wait out your Disney+ subscription then return to delete your account. Otherwise, follow-up with Disney Guest Services via their contact option for assistance in deleting your account.
  11. If you don’t have an active subscription then just select Yes, delete this account.

If you have any reservations, you can restore your account until 14 days after the deletion request. So if you have any regrets after deleting your Disney account, you have a safety net in place.

What Happens After You Cancel Disney+

Now that you know how to cancel Disney+, you’re equipped with the knowledge you need if and when you decide it’s no longer for you. It’s a quick process, and it’s just as easy to restore your subscription. Perhaps when a new season of The Mandalorian drops.

Even if you do cancel your Disney+ subscription, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have fallen out of love with Disney. So, with that in mind, here are the best Disney gifts for Disney fans, whether that’s you or someone else in your social circle.

Read the full article: How to Cancel Your Disney+ Subscription

non critical

via MakeUseOf.com https://ift.tt/1AUAxdL

January 14, 2020 at 12:56PM

More Defense Attorneys Arguing AR-15 Lowers Aren’t Firearms…And They’re Winning

More Defense Attorneys Arguing AR-15 Lowers Aren’t Firearms…And They’re Winning

https://ift.tt/2TvD9Qv

Back in October, we ran a story about a California man who was charged with running an illegal firearms manufacturing operation. He got off scot-free, though, because his attorney noticed that the ATF’s definition of what legally constitutes a firearm does not include AR-15 lowers. At least, not according to the letter of the law.

The judge in the trial ruled that AR-15 lowers don’t fall under the statutory definition of a firearm.

As we wrote at the time . . .

Now it seems word has gotten out in the legal community and the argument is being used more often by defense attorneys in trials. And they’re winning. Here’s a story from the AP on the problem that ATF has on its hands.

By Jake Bleiberg and Stefanie Dazio, AP

A subtle design feature of the AR-15 rifle has raised a technical legal question that is derailing cases against people who are charged with illegally buying and selling the gun’s parts or building the weapon.

At issue is whether a key piece of one of America’s most popular firearms meets the definition of a gun that prosecutors have long relied on.

For decades, the federal government has treated a mechanism called the lower receiver as the essential piece of the semiautomatic rifle, which has been used in some of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings. Prosecutors regularly bring charges based on that specific part.

But some defense attorneys have recently argued that the part alone does not meet the definition in the law. Federal law enforcement officials, who have long been concerned about the discrepancy, are increasingly worried that it could hinder some criminal prosecutions and undermine firearms regulations nationwide.

“Now the cat is out of the bag, so I think you’ll see more of this going on,” said Stephen Halbrook, an attorney who has written books on gun law and history. “Basically, the government has gotten away with this for a long time.”

Cases involving lower receivers represent a small fraction of the thousands of federal gun charges filed each year. But the loophole has allowed some people accused of illegally selling or possessing the parts, including convicted felons, to escape prosecution. The issue also complicates efforts to address so-called ghost guns, which are largely untraceable because they are assembled from parts.

Since 2016, at least five defendants have challenged the government and succeeded in getting some charges dropped, avoiding prison or seeing their cases dismissed entirely. Three judges have rejected the government’s interpretation of the law, despite dire warnings from prosecutors.

Federal regulations define a firearm’s “frame” or “receiver” as the piece considered to be the gun itself. But in an AR-15, the receiver is split into upper and lower parts — and some of the components listed in the definition are contained in the upper half. That has led judges to rule that a lower receiver alone cannot be considered a gun.

The lower receiver sits above the pistol grip, holds the trigger and hammer, and has a slot for the magazine. By itself, it cannot fire a bullet. But by treating the piece as a firearm, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is able to regulate who can obtain it. Because authorities consider the part to be a gun, people prohibited from having firearms have been charged for possessing them.

In 2018, prosecutors said a ruling against the government would “seriously undermine the ATF’s ability to trace and regulate firearms nationwide.” CNN first reported the case and its implications.

Last month, a federal judge in Ohio dealt the latest blow, dismissing charges against two men accused of making false statements to buy lower receivers.

“Any public citizen would be concerned about this loophole that we exploited,” said attorney Thomas Kurt, who represented defendant Richard Rowold. “As a citizen, I hope the ATF corrects this. As Mr. Rowold’s attorney, I’m grateful the judge followed the law in getting to the correct result.”

The gun industry estimates there are more than 17 million AR-15-style rifles in circulation, and the National Rifle Association once dubbed it “America’s rifle.” AR-15-style weapons were used in attacks in Newtown, Connecticut, Las Vegas and Parkland, Florida.

In the case of Rowold, who is prohibited from buying or possessing firearms because of felony convictions, the government claimed that he used another man as a proxy to purchase 50 lower receivers. The 2018 indictment also charged him with having 15 lower receivers. Kurt declined to comment on why his client had the parts.

The case rested on the ATF’s claim that the components were legally firearms. Judge James Carr called that a “plainly erroneous” reading of the law and said the agency has a duty to fix the problem.

“Misapplying the law for a long time provides no immunity from scrutiny,” Carr wrote in his order to dismiss.

Federal prosecutors in Rowold’s case and several others declined to comment. An ATF spokeswoman would not answer questions posed by The Associated Press but said the agency is “keenly assessing” Carr’s decision.

The problem has attracted attention at the highest levels of law enforcement.

In 2016, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch wrote a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan after a judge dismissed a case in Northern California involving a man with a felony record who was accused of buying an unmarked AR-15 lower receiver from an undercover agent.

Prosecutors argued that the case against Alejandro Jimenez should proceed even if the part “does not perfectly fit” the legal definition. The judge dismissed the charges.

The decision prompted Lynch to write that if the ATF wants an AR-15 lower receiver to be considered a firearm under the law, then it should pursue “regulatory or administrative action.” But there’s no public record of the ATF taking such a step.

“I can’t imagine why no one has taken the initiative to correct this,” said Dan O’Kelly, a former senior ATF agent whose testimony has guided several defense attorneys.

Since Lynch’s letter, such prosecutions have continued to secure prison sentences.

In April, for instance, an Oklahoma man was charged with illegally possessing a firearm after police who pulled him over found loaded high-capacity magazines and the lower receiver of an AR-15-style rifle in his truck.

Jason Scott Pedro, a 37-year-old with a felony record for domestic violence, was sentenced in November to seven years in prison.

There’s no evidence in court records that Pedro’s lawyer challenged whether the lower receiver was rightly considered a gun. The attorney did not respond to requests for comment but has filed a notice of appeal.

“I think the criminal defense bar has kind of let their clients down for letting this go on for all these years,” Halbrook said.

In one case, an ATF expert testified that the same principle could apply to many other firearms. Prosecutors worry that more rulings against the government could allow people prohibited from having guns to purchase weapons piece by piece with no regulation or background check.

Franklin Zimring, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, is skeptical of that claim and said the same behavior could often be prosecuted under state laws.

The AR-15 is a popular model for gun enthusiasts to legally build at home. The rifles are sometimes constructed out of partially machined receivers, often called “80% receivers,” which can be bought and sold without background checks and need not have serial numbers because they are unfinished.

If federal officials want to maintain control in this growing do-it-yourself gun market they need to first establish functional regulation of lower receivers, said Kristen Rand, legislative director at the Washington, D.C.-based Violence Policy Center.

“From a public safety standpoint,” she said, ”this is very important and isn’t just an in-the-weeds legal definitional problem.”

guns

via The Truth About Guns https://ift.tt/1TozHfp

January 13, 2020 at 03:23PM

Spaghetti Western Mandalorian

Spaghetti Western Mandalorian

https://ift.tt/2tW71KU

Spaghetti Western Mandalorian

Link

The Mandalorian certainly owes alot to western films like A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. But what would it have looked like if it actually were a spaghetti western? Kingkida’s stylized trailer does a great job imagining just that, complete with the proper music, typeface, and film grain.

fun

via The Awesomer https://theawesomer.com

January 14, 2020 at 09:30AM