Reader Forum

Thomson’s October Omnibus The people at Viceblox make a great item and I have since bought both their 1911 and AR-15 Lock & Hold tools. However, the owner quoted on page 21 of the October 2021 issue could be more knowledgeable about where items are manufactured. Tools from Snap-on in their second line products are mostly Chinese, including their toolboxes. Their clothing is made in Bangladesh and is very cheap. The T-shirts used to be made in the U. S. but I guess it got too expensive for their overpriced tools.

Yes, my 14 cabinets of Snap-on tools are very good quality and I paid a bunch but I got rid of the rolling project boxes that were made in China. Any Milwaukee tools made less than 10 years old are made in China, even though they’re still priced the same. Black & Decker is now made by the cheapest contractors all over the world. They were good tools in the 1960s. Concerning Miller, I do a lot of welding and use Lincoln Electric. Miller will give you a cheaper price but the quality has not been there for years.

Companies buy Miller on a price point, not on a quality point. Now, firearms. Browning has a location in Utah but it is just a large standard Glock to Mariner status. If you need the cups they are cheap enough, much less expensive than hunting down a factory Glock Mariner. If you cannot find Glock-made maritime striker cups, Ghost Inc. (GhostInc.com, sells a copy of the original and another, improved model they call the Turbo Maritime Cups. I have installed a set of each and they seem to work fine.

These cups allow debris and water to pass through the firing warehouse. They never made guns in the United States except maybe some rimfire pistols and rifles. The older Browning Superposed shotguns and Hi-Power pistols are made by FN in Belgium and sometimes assembled in Portugal for tax reasons. Since the mid 1970s all of their rifles and shotguns are made by Miroku in Japan. The Japanese government does not allow the manufacture of pistols so the .22s are made in Morgan, Utah.

Their clothing, gun cases, and shooting bags that I have seen are made in Mexico. Winchester is now owned by Browning and has been for years. Their rifles and shotguns are manufactured in the same places that Browning rifles and shotguns are manufactured. The Winchester Ammunition is a separate company. Finally, guitars by Fender are made in the USA, but also Mexico, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and China.

Something to consider while celebrating "Made in the USA." Glen Calvert’s "P.08 Luger Inspection and Repair" was great. I have one marked 1917 and it did not work when I got it. I did fix it but the job would have been a lot simpler with this article. With regard to discussion in the Reader Forum concerning Parker pin channel. I have never suffered a Glock malfunction related to spring cups but then I have never took a Glock underwater or on a wet operation.

While not needed for the vast majority of owners, this maritime modification can convert any Glock to Mariner statues without needing Glock’s restricted items. As I was modifying the Glock Mariner with the new Ghost Inc. Turbo Maritime configuration I also added a set of XS Sights Big Dot sights. Mounting these sights is straightforward. The new pink front post offers a contrast to the common red, green, or yellow front sight. Just thought I’d mention it as you’ll see it in the pictures.

AG firing pins, you should be able to make one from apiece of drill rod on a lathe in about ten minutes plus heat treating. Finally, I really don’t want to see another AR-15 article. If people don’t have this gun figured out by now, it is hopeless. John Douglas Thomson, AIA Torrance, CA NSSF Gun Ownership Report There’s an interesting shift concerning Americans’ attitudes toward guns and gun control. Pew Research Center, a Washington, D.

C. think tank that tracks attitudes on social issues, public opinion and demographic trends updated their research on guns. Gun ownership is rising and the appetite for gun control is waning at the same time. Background checks for gun sales topped 21 million in 2020, shattering previous records. 2021 saw over 12.4 million background checks, on pace for what could be the second strongest year on record. Those figures are punctuated by skyrocketing numbers of first-time gun buyers.

NSSF retailer surveys last year indicated that as much as

40 percent of gun sales went to those purchasing their first firearm, or 8.4 million in 2020. Another survey released by NSSF delved into gun sales in 2021, and as much as 33.2 percent, or 3.2 million people, bought a gun for the very first time in the first six months of 2021. Even Pew Research Center recognized the trends. Pew’s gun surveys show firearm ownership is remaining steady with 40 percent of American households reporting a firearm in the home, including 30 percent who report personally owning a firearm.

Still, there’s reason to be cautious of these anonymous surveys. The firearm industry believes these figures might be under-reported. Many gun owners self-select out of these anonymous surveys for concerns of privacy or being targeted for harassment or even crime. Firearm ownership is an intensely personal right and firearms owners have valid concerns that speaking openly of firearm ownership could expose them to ostracizing protests like being doxxed.

Newspapers have published names and addresses of concealed carry permit holders and politicians continually call for national gun registries. It is understandable that gun owners are reluctant to self-report the guns locked in their safes. NSSF reports there are at least 434 million firearms in circulation and over 20 million Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) such as AR-15 style rifles. These are the most-popular centerfire rifle in America today.

Pew’s findings about the reasons for gun ownership match what NSSF uncovered: most people are buying guns for personal protection. More than half the firearms sold in any typical year are handguns and that held true during the record-breaking 2020 buying surge. Handguns are primarily used for two purposes, with some minor exceptions. Handguns excel as firearms used for protection in the home or for concealed carry use. The other purpose is recreational target shooting.

These aren’t the types of firearms that are commonly used for hunting. There are exceptions for big and small game handgun hunters, but those are the minority. Handguns certainly would be poor performers if they were used for bird hunting. The numbers of people reporting buying firearms for personal safety and the number of handguns being sold goes hand-in-hand. As Americans are taking ownership of their Second Amendment rights, the appetite for stricter gun control is fading.

One Pew Research Center survey showed 53 percent support stricter gun controls, down from a high of 60 percent, recorded in the wake of tragic murders in Parkland, Florida. Pew also reported that 48 percent of Americans viewed "gun violence" as a very big problem, which also underscores why record numbers of Americans are buying firearms for protection. Pew’s surveys show Americans are split when it comes to the idea that stricter gun control would reduce the tragic mass murder events that have rocked the nation.

That’s understandable when the facts of these instances are examined more closely. The first crime the murderer in Newtown, Connecticut committed was stealing his mother’s firearm before murdering her as she slept and committing his heinous acts. The accused murderer in Parkland had multiple police interactions, including an instance when he allegedly put a gun to mother’s head. That alone would have made him a prohibited individual.

The school and even the FBI was warned he was a threat, and the FBI later admitted it didn’t act on a tip. The murderer in Sutherland Springs, Texas, was prohibited from possessing a firearm through at least three determining factors; he

was dishonorably discharged from the U. S. Air Force; he was convicted of domestic violence in a military martial; and he was involuntarily committed to a mental health facility. Like Parkland, authorities failed to properly act. His criminal and mentally-disqualifying records were never submitted to the FBI. These are glaring examples of where more laws weren’t needed, but enforcement of existing laws were needed.

The failure of law enforcement and military authorities to act when they were required resulted in tragic murders. That’s why the firearm industry has been devoted to promoting Real Solutions. That includes changes made to state and federal laws through the Fix NICS initiative (FixNICS.org) to ensure all disqualifying records are submitted so those who shouldn’t possess firearms don’t get their hands on them. These attitudes are more commonly shared today.

Gun ownership is growing and Americans are increasingly demanding laws that protect their rights and hold criminals responsible. The NSSF has a series of reports that go into further detail. Firearms Retailer Survey by Southwick Associates is based on a survey of retailers identifying bestselling products and who is buying them. The survey allows retailers to compare their business to that of other gun stores across the country.

Among the survey’s findings is that 85.6 percent of retailers surveyed reported overall sales in 2020 exceeded sales from 2019. Sport Shooting Participation in the U. S. by Responsive Management covers regional and national participation figures for a variety of recreational shooting activities in 2020. Among its findings is that the rate of participation in nearly every shooting activity was higher in 2020 than in any other year.

NSSF encourages its members to attend a webinar from Responsive Management presenting findings from their studies. NSGA Shooting Sports Participation Report by the National Sporting Goods Association for NSSF covers a variety of hunting and shooting sports disciplines with demographic breakdowns, frequency and number of days of participation, and statelevel participation figures. Among its findings: hunting with firearms increased from 17.2 million to 18.3 million participants.

First-Time Gun Buyers by Info Maniacs, Inc. covers motivations for the first purchase of a firearm and what type of firearms were purchased. NSSF conducted research in December 2020 with consumers aged 18 or older who purchased their first firearm in 2019 or 2020. Among the findings, the top-ranking factors for first-time gun purchases are home protection and self-defense (both 80.3 percent) and also to get involved in shooting sports activities. Two Basket Cases A customer brought in two basket cases to fix.

One is Sterlingworth double Eagle semi-auto 45 ACP. I need a illustrated parts break down on both. I have no clue if all the parts are there. Any help would be appreciated. Both have sentimental value to him. Raymond Clay Raymond’s Gun Repair Ansley H. Fox first manufactured shotguns in 1896, founding the Fox Gun Company in Maryland. He went on to found the Philadelphia Gun Company in 1904 and introduced the Sterlingworth model in 1910.

Initially priced at $25, the Sterlingworth was a utility-grade field gun and rather plain, although special order options were available. A 16 gauge debuted in 1916 and the Sterlingworth line remained in production until 1942. Pumpkin Mountain Gunshop acquired the stock of Mitzie Bielen’s A. H. Fox factory surplus parts and has them for sale at AHFoxparts. com. Also, try the AH Fox Collectors Association (Fox Collectors. com) which has identification information and history of the company.

Bev Fitchett’s Guns has articles and schematic, Bev Fitchett.us. For the Eagle, FoxCarbine.com has a history of the Eagle as Bill Ordner developed the 45 ACP Eagle Carbine, the progenitor of the Fox Carbine. Also, a search for "Mr. G. J. Fox’s Tac- 1 Police Carbine" has a history article on the design. AG