Going Medieval

Britishland:

Brits:  “If guns are banned, can we use swords?”
Britcops:  “No.”
Brits:  “How about crossbows, then?”
Britcops:  “We’ll get back to you on that*.”

*The Home Office has launched an eight-week consultation to see if there should be a licensing system to control the use, ownership and supply of crossbows.

Frogland:

The Principality of Monaco plans to follow in the footsteps of its surrounding French neighbours by organising a national day dedicated to the collection of weapons and ammunition that have been found or inherited by individuals.

At the end of 2022, France managed to collect more than 150,000 weapons without inflicting legal or administrative proceedings on the weapons’ former owners.

The head of the Administrative Police Division, Rémy Le Juste, addressed the topic at the Monaco Police’s well wishes for the New Year, saying “this is a major subject which deserves everyone’s attention, given the somewhat troubled international context that we are going through.”

Le Juste admitted that “It still happens that our services intervene with individuals who find themselves owners through inheritance of undeclared weapons dating from the Second World War,” and added: “We encourage, from now on, all people who find themselves, despite themselves, possessing weapons to call on our services: either to have them destroyed or to make them unfit for their use, and this, without these people being subject to criminal charges, subject of course to the agreement of the judicial authorities.”

Only knights, the King’s men and the king’s favorites may own weapons of war.  Peasants:  non.

U.S.:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

More Bastardy From California

I thought this nonsense had been declared illegal:

Several major credit card companies have decided to move forward with a plan to track purchases made at gun retailers in California, CBS News reported Monday.

American Express, Visa, and Mastercard will implement a new merchant code for firearm and ammunition retailers, allowing banks to track “suspicious” purchases to comply with a new California law.

As I’ve said before, whenever government needs a BJ, corporations have absolutely no problem falling to their knees.

Fuckers.

Cash.  Gun shows/estate sales.  Individual purchases.  (I don’t know how any of this would help CA residents, as they appear to be doomed, gun-wise.)


Update:  Seems like Idaho has the right idea, though.

Combo Guns

Among members of the gun fraternity, “combo” / “drilling” guns (multiple-barreled rifle/shotguns) have never been as popular Over Here as they are in Yurp.  Here’s an example of one, the Merkel 961L as seen at Steve Barnett’s Luxury Death Dealers’ Emporium:

This one’s a little different from the norm in that it features two side-by-side 8x57mm JRS (rimmed) rifle barrels over a single 20ga shotgun barrel as opposed to vice-versa, but the concept is the same.  And let it be known that I have absolutely no problem with a pairing of 8mm Mauser with 20ga, no sir not me.

For those who would prefer something a little more manly, here’s a Merkel 96K, with two 12ga barrels over the wonderful 9.3×74R chambering.

Here’s the thing.  Combo guns have always had a devoted following amongst big game hunters of previous generations (much less so nowadays), but I have to tell you that in no way shape or form would today’s hunter be undergunned out there in the bush with either of the above.

Yes, they are heavy, but at around 8lbs unloaded they compare well with, say a modern single-barreled Steyr rifle in .300 WinMag which weighs about the same or even more.

But as examples of the gunmaker’s art, little can compare to the majestic drillings, and certainly not the pedestrian rifles such as the Steyr.

If I were offered one of the above two, it would take me hours to decide between two rifles/one shotgun or two shotguns/one rifle.  (I already have one or two single-barreled rifles, as any ful kno.)

Assuming I were able to go into the African bushveldt again, I’d probably pick the 12ga/9.3x47mm pairing if hunting anything dangerous, but the 8x57mm/20ga for smaller game.

By the way, the price differential ($19,000 for the 961L vs. $9,000 for the 96R) reflects the greater precision work required to register two rifle barrels vs. two shotgun barrels.

I love both, for obvious reasons:  hogsback wooden stocks, exquisite workmanship, manly chamberings… I need to stop now.

Quote Of The Day

In response to the celebratory picture of Vogue cover “girls” over the past [whatever] years:

…some guy SOTI grumped:

“Too much cinnamon, not enough sugar.”

I LOL’d.


*The word “girls” was put in quotes because some of the models (Oprah coff coff ) were last seen as actual girls back in the mid-Sixties.

“Dear Dr. Kim”

“Dear Dr. Kim,

“About six months ago, a new family moved in next door. They are a little younger than us and don’t have kids.  The wife works away a lot, while her husband works from home and has been doing up the house.
“From the moment they met, he and my wife seemed to take a shine to each other.  It didn’t bother me at first that he made her laugh, or that she was always popping over to take food.  But lately, I’ve noticed strong sexual tension between them. He often makes crude jokes, or uses innuendo. 
“Normally, my wife would find this rude or inappropriate. She doesn’t – she just laughs even louder.  They do this in front of me, so they’re not hiding it.
“I think they’ve been texting each other too, although I haven’t been able to confirm this as my wife keeps her phone close at all times, and I don’t know her password. 
“It feels like they’re intimate, or certainly about to become so.
“I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to confront my wife and upset her if I’m wrong.”

— Unsure, Suburbia

Dear Unsure,

My old Dad always said to listen to your gut:  if it says it’s hungry, get something to eat;  if it says it needs to pee, go to the toilet;  if it says not to walk through Central Park at midnight, stay in your hotel room;  and if it says your wife is bonking your new neighbor, she probably is.  And in this case, your gut is absolutely correct — and all the evidence you’ve presented proves it.

  • he makes her laugh (always an aphrodisiac for women)
  • he’s younger than she is (makes her feel attractive)
  • she was always popping over to take food (dead giveaway right there)
  • she doesn’t find his crude jokes and innuendo inappropriate (behavior change)
  • she keeps her phone close at all times (of course she does, because sexting)

She’s fucking him — or very close to doing so.  The real question is:  what are you going to do next?

I’d suggest having a quiet word with Neighbor Boy’s wife, telling her everything you’ve just told me;  let him do the ‘splaining.  And when he confesses, which he might very well do, have her confront your wife.

In the meantime, let your phone’s battery run down to zero, and then ask your wife if you can use her phone to make an important call, in the next room.  If she refuses, there’s your proof right there.

Oh, and talk to a lawyer soon, so you don’t lose the house and/or kids when the SHTF.

Good luck.


By the way:  Deirdre has it precisely wrong.