Told Ya So

Somewhere in the heavens, the gods are not simply smiling. They’re rolling in the aisles because, once again, it appears a gun rights group turns out to have been right when politicians and bureaucrats, not to mention wealthy anti-gunners, were wrong.

And, of course, they won’t admit it. They won’t even talk about it. Indeed, they pretend the bad news isn’t even there. But at least the daily newspaper kinda sorta did recently when it lamented the number of murders in the city remains “far higher” than before the 2020-21 pandemic.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms jumped on this revelation. As of Aug. 1, according to the Seattle Times, the city had logged 34 homicides. But by Aug. 20, according to the popular “X” social media site called “Seattle Homicide” — a small-scale version of “HeyJackass.com” which monitors murders in Chicago — there had been 40 slayings in the city. Either number is still well below last year’s record.

According to the Times story: “Homicides in Baltimore, for example, were 40% lower in the first six months of the year compared to the first half of 2019, while homicides in St. Louis and Philadelphia were down 23% and 19%, respectively … But … two-thirds of cities (in a sampling of 29 cities) are still experiencing elevated homicide rates, including Seattle, which had 50% more homicides in the first half of 2024 versus the same period in 2019.”

All of this happened after Washington state and the city adopted restrictive gun control laws, which CCRKBA’s Alan Gottlieb predicted years ago wouldn’t accomplish the intended results. When it was argued that not all of these slayings involved firearms, CCRKBA simply noted this underscores another of their positions: People will still kill other people even if they don’t use firearms.

CCRKBA issued a prepared statement essentially telling Seattle, “We told you so.”

“In 2014, when Washington voters passed gun control Initiative 594, the state reported 172 homicides, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report,” CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb recalled. “In 2023, according to a new report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the state logged 376 murders. You can play all the games with statistics you want, but that still amounts to more than double the number of murders since the state started passing increasingly stricter gun control laws.”

Dead silence from Seattle officials, the local gun prohibition lobby and the establishment media.

Moving Right Along

There are all kinds of numbers out there, and not just statistics. Some of my favorite numbers come from the screen of a chronograph, because those numbers, just like Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C targets, don’t lie.

A chronograph is a great accessory for people who reload their own ammunition. With it, one can determine whether loads perform up to expectations in the velocity department, compared to published data in a manual.

For example, a few weeks ago, while shooting up some old loads I had worked up for a .357 Magnum using 125-grain Hornady XTPs over 14 grains of 2400, I found the average velocity didn’t quite measure up to the 1,300 fps listed on page 923 in Hornady’s 8th edition manual. My loads were down about 35 fps when fired from a 6-inch Colt Python, vintage about 1984-5. Did it bother me? Nope. Anything I shoot with that particular load combination is not going to complain that the bullet wasn’t traveling at the exact advertised speed.

I try to position the chronograph between 24 and 30 inches from the muzzle.

I always chronograph loads for my .41 Magnum to see how they perform out of different handguns I own in that caliber, and the variation has sometimes been surprising, other times not so much. Velocities will vary between identical rounds fired from a 4-inch Model 57 Smith & Wesson and a Ruger Blackhawk with a 6 ½-inch barrel, which should surprise nobody.

There are some inexpensive chronographs available, such as the one I own from Chrony, which runs around a hundred bucks. Of course, they can be considerably more expensive, and your only limitation is the thickness of your wallet.

I’ve had a few interesting experiences while using a chronograph, but my favorites involved people who didn’t know what the little device on top of my tripod was for. When I’ve advised the person asking “It measures the speed of a bullet,” the typical reaction involves either raised eyebrows and wide eyes or a furrowed brow and a facial expression that translates to “Huh?”

Just tell ‘em you saw it in a James Bond movie.

Targets Don’t Deceive

Earlier, I referred to Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C targets, which I’ve used in gun tests for several years. With deer hunting season just over the horizon, I’ll be using them again to guarantee the zero in my rifles. My deer season opens in mid-October.

These self-adhesive targets may not always stick too well to the cardboard I use for backing, but they don’t lie when it comes to showing groups and where they are at 100 yards from the muzzle. I prefer to zero my rifles to shoot 2-3 inches high at 100, so at 200-225, they ought to be in the bullseye.

Now, for handgun shooting, at closer ranges, if my rounds hit tightly in the black when fired from a sandbag rest with a two-hand hole, I’m satisfied. I’ve probably gone through a crate of Shoot-N-C targets over the years because they never fail to teach me something, and quite often, the lesson involves a bit of humility!

These adhesive targets come in all kinds of patterns, from traditional bullseyes to versions with 1-inch squares and diamond bullseyes, and ovals about the size of an average human head.

Knowing where your gun shoots is fundamental to safety and consistent accuracy. Whether you’re using a rifle to fill the freezer or a sidearm for personal protection, it is critical to know your bullet will go where you want it to when the time comes to press the trigger.

Stay safe and shoot straight.

MAILBAG

Dave Workman: You need a .41 Mag with a 6-inch barrel and a holster that sits on the weak side at 11 o’clock on the belt, canted at a 45-degree angle. Since the gun is a Smith N Frame, that means the .44 Smiths will fit the same holster.  Can’t get any better than this.

Also saw your sighting in target fired with the old wonderful ’06 and your hunting handload. I assume the target was shot at 100 yards. You didn’t say.

Your leather skills are far above mine. I have to have someone else make mine, but that is OK.
Attached are a couple of photos. This is a Ruger Blackhawk, inspired by the Skeeter Skelton gun, he never lived long enough to see. What a loss. Of course it is a .44 Spl.

Philip Gregory
Kalispell, Mont.

Dave replies: I already have a .41 Magnum with a 6-inch barrel, but I prefer to carry it on my strong side in a holster with a slight butt-forward cant. I just don’t care for cross-draw belt rigs. As for the target, it was set at roughly 100 yards. Thanks for your nice remark about my leatherwork. I’ve had a lot of practice. Thanks so much also for reading Insider Online.

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