Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special

The Original Charter Arms Bulldog

Dear Friends,

So, where do you start when talking about an excellent firearm, especially a fantastic firearm that is as efficient for its purpose as one can get? How about we first talk about the company the makes it and go from there.

Charter Arms is a firearms company that started in 1964. It was founded by gun designer Douglas McClenahan, who had previously worked for Colt, High Standard, and Sturm Ruger. His mission was to produce a quality handgun that was both reliable and affordable.

His first pistol was a .38 special, five-shot revolver called "The Undercover." And at just 16 ounces, the new gun was the smallest, lightest steel-framed revolver in the world with the fewest moving parts. A unique hammer block safety system gave gun owners what still is unparalleled protection against an unintentional discharge.

The Undercover's high quality, lightweight, and reasonable price impressed law enforcement professionals and civilian gun owners alike. It became the basis of Charter Arms' success. Its design was the platform on which Charter Arms produces its line of affordable and reliable firearms.

The Bulldog was a top-selling gun during the 1970s and 1980s in the United States. By the mid-1980s, more than half a million had been produced, and nearly 37,000 were being manufactured every year. But Charter Arms had to stop producing the Bulldog a few times since 1992.

That was the year that Charter Arms, the original Charter Arms, went bankrupt. And as with any business that tries to right itself and gets back on its feet because of financial problems, the Bulldog has been produced by four different companies since it was released.

The first descendant company of Charter Arms was called Charco. That company also filed bankruptcy, and the models produced during that time were said to be of less quality than when they were under the original Charter Arms. Then Charco became known as Charter 2000. And yes, that company also failed because of financial troubles.

But while Charter 2000 did fail, it should be noted that it did improve the Bulldog's design by engineering a one-piece barrel, front sight, ejector-shroud assembly. Then in June of 2007, a Bulldog with new features began to be produced by another company named Charter Arms operated by the Ecker Family.

Douglas McClenahan and his lifelong friend David Ecker became 50/50 partners in Charter Arms in 1967. And so today, the Ecker Family makes certain that Charter Arms revolvers are again produced with unquestionable American craftsmanship, quality, and affordability in a line that includes models made of stainless steel, with and without hammer spurs, and even with lasers, to name a few options. While the "Classic Bulldog" can be had with wood grips, I believe these days must come with rubber grips.

Charter Arms is today marketed by MKS Supply. As firearms marketers, MKS Supply is known for the quality of firearms they market, the services they provide, and the value they provide to the manufacturer. MKS Supply insists on marketing high-quality, reliable firearms as Charter Arms are, in fact, that. And yes, from what I've read about MKS Supply, they insist on guns that are easy to own and service. But most of all, they are known to insist on value.

By partnering with MKS Supply, Charter Arms has joined forces with a partner who has over two decades of gun marketing and merchandising experience. MKS Supply has established a proven, successful, nationwide distribution network that allows Charter Arms to concentrate on producing quality firearms while they focus on marketing. Yes, this sounds like a win-win situation which means Charter Arms can keep making the guns that we want.

Now, back to the Bulldog! 

The Charter Arms Bulldog is a 5-shot double-action revolver that was introduced in 1973. The Bulldog has been available in a .44 Special and even a .357 Magnum. But for me, I like the .44 Special. It is a boomer, and just the roar we make an assailant think twice.

Like most Charter Arms weapons, the Bulldog is still relatively inexpensive yet is a quality firearm what one would refer to as a "no-frills snub-nosed revolver." It can be easily concealed. Yes, very easily because of its relatively small size. And because it has a grove trench-style rear sight, it has no sharp edges to contend with when carrying the weapon in a holster or in a pocket, and there's nothing to snag on clothing either.

Its trigger pull, in both single and double-action modes, is pretty light. While there are some critics of the Bulldog because it's not a double-stacked Glock with 15 rounds, I believe that the Bulldog is great for self-defense. This is more true, especially when considering that usually no more than 3 shots are fired in a close combat situation. Which of course, most gunfights are just that.

As for the transfer bar, when the gun is fired, the hammer does not actually strike the firing pin. The transfer bar is raised as the trigger is pulled, placing it into a position between the firing pin and the hammer itself. The hammer strikes the transfer bar, which in turn strikes the firing pin, which discharges the weapon.

So if the trigger is not being pulled when the hammer falls, the transfer bar will not be in position, and the weapon will not discharge. And friends, that's why you can load all 5 rounds and not have to worry about leaving the hammer on an empty chamber as they used to have to do with Colt Peacemakers in the Old West. 

In the Old West, the hammer of a revolver of the time would be kept on an empty chamber so that it wouldn't fire accidentally when bumped or dropped. Wyatt Earp learned about that very thing. He actually experienced a dropped-gun accidental discharge, and it was reported in the January 12th, 1876 edition of the Wichita Beacon, which read: 

"Last Sunday night, while policeman Earp was sitting with two or three others in the back room of the Custom House Saloon, his revolver slipped from its holster and falling to the floor, the hammer which was resting on the cap is supposed to have struck the chair, causing a discharge of one of the barrels (sic). The ball passed through his coat, struck the north wall, then glanced off and passed out through the ceiling. It was a narrow escape, and the occurrence got up a lively stampede from the room. One of the demoralized was under the impression that someone had fired through the window from the outside."

With the transfer bar safety on the Charter Arms Bulldog, one never has to worry about carrying a live round under the hammer of your revolver. And by the way, Charter Arms was the first to come up with the transfer bar safety.

As for the accuracy of the Bulldog, I find that it is very accurate for a snub nose. I can hit center mass on a silhouette target at 30 feet with it. And frankly, I've been known to hit a beer can with it at 40 feet. So, all in all, I'm sure at the 3 feet to 7 feet that most defensive shooting is done, it will be very accurate to get the job done.

All Bulldog models have a cylinder of 5 shots. And because most ammunition for the Bulldog has a muzzle velocity between 705 and 1000 feet per second, it is a man stopper with almost any .44 Special ammunition. But for self-defense, I read where some like to use the Blazer 200-grain Gold Dot as a load choice for the Bulldog. The 200-grain load is potent and has strong penetration, and yet the recoil can easily be handled. 

Five models of the Bulldog have been produced with overall lengths of 7.2 inches and 6.7 inches with barrel lengths of either 2.5 inches or 2.2 inches.

So why choose a Charter Firearm Bulldog for self-defense?

Well, they are some of the smallest and lightest snub nose pistols around. But they are a one-piece frame. So that does make them stronger than screw-on side plate designs. Fewer critical moving parts for simplicity of design make for a trouble-free operation which we all want -- especially in an emergency situation.

There is also the positive of all the barrels at Charter Arms line of pistols are machined with eight groves instead of six for higher velocity, flatter trajectory, and better accuracy. All barrels shroud the ejector rod.

Of course, the completely blocked hammer safety system cannot fire unless the trigger is held in the full rear position. That makes it the safest revolver design in the world. In fact, Charter invented the hammer block transfer bar safety system used by almost every revolver manufacturer out there.

For me, I like the wide trigger and hammer spur. And of course, I really like the fact that Charter Arms are 100% American made, using 100% American parts, and the company is 100% American owned.

Since most threats take place at a range of 10 feet or less, you need an effective response. Charter firearms offer rugged, reliable, and affordable personal protection. And frankly, I can attest to its reliability and its durability.

There is no wonder why the .44 Bulldog is considered Charter Arms' trademark weapon. The Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special is known for its rugged reliability and stopping power. It is versatile in that it can be used for personal or home protection, camping and fishing, hiking, or atop a horse in the backcountry looking for cattle.

Now about my Bulldog! 

Yes, I own one. In fact, I've owned a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special since 1979. Yes, almost 40 years now. It looks a lot like the one in the picture above with wooden grips. OK, so I'm really Old School. Oh well, you have to be who you are!

For me, my Bulldog has been a companion in the city and in the mountains, camping, out four-wheeling back in the day, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, out finding cattle, and even on road trips into some very unfriendly places. Heck, I even chased a bear off with my Bulldog.

When I bought mine, I was working in the security field, and I had just been asked to do bodyguard work. Yes, what today they call "executive protection" work. Most of the others who I worked with carried small 9mm pistols, and of course, small .38 snub-nose revolvers. Remember, that was 1979.

From what I hear today, those working "executive protection" are armed to the teeth -- all ready to face full-fledged fire-fights like what they see on television. While that might or might not be the case today, back then, we carried -- we only carried a couple of speedloaders or an extra two magazines to back up what we were packing just in case things did get crazy.

But all in all, we were simply not as armed as they are today. The idea back then was not to shoot it out and have a lot of gunplay where the person we're guarding might get hit. Our goal was to get our charge to safety, but that subject is for another day.

As for the company that hired me, they gave me a choice of using a few different service pistols that they had on hand or use one of my own. They offered me a Smith & Wesson Model 10 in .38 Special and a Model 28 in .357 magnum, aka the "Highway Patrolman" model.

While I loved both guns, I tried the Model 28 under a suit, and that big Smith & Wesson stuck out like a sore thumb. As for the S&W Model 10, I gave that great pistol a lot of thought since I've been familiar with it for many years.

I knew the S&W Model 10 Military & Police revolver had been around for a very long time, since 1898, and it is known for its simplicity and reliability. But frankly, I wanted something with more punch than a .38 Special.

As for my personal handgun at the time, I only had my .45 Colt Series 70. Yes, that's my 1911 that has been my never-fail handgun. That is the weapon that I was going to go with. And since I had received extensive training with a 1911 in the Marine Corps, I've always felt extremely confident in its reliability and knowing how to use it.

Friends, allow me to sidetrack for one moment and say that that's a big deal when carrying a weapon of any sort. Whether your choice is a Glock, a PPK, an MP Shield, a Ruger, a Berretta, a 1911 from various makers, a S&W Bodyguard, a Charter Arms Bulldog, or some other pistol, being familiar with your weapon means you will be more confident in knowing how to use it during an emergency. And frankly, familiarity with your choice is of the utmost importance at the moment you need it.

That sort of familiarity only comes with shooting your weapon a lot. If it's a semi-auto, then shooting it a lot will help you know how to transition magazines and load on the fly and resolve jams if that does occur. If shooting a revolver, shooting it a lot will help you learn to load and unload easier, use speedloaders easier, transitioning between an empty chamber and being hot again, and even manage trigger pull. And all of the familiarization comes with training and spending time on the range shooting your weapon of choice.

As for how I got my Bulldog? I was about to opt for using my 1911 when a friend told me about a smaller, easier to conceal revolver used by the U.S. Federal Air Marshals at the time. Yes, that was the Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special.

My friend told me about how he used the Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 special on duty before leaving the agency as a former Federal Air Marshal. He talked about its stopping power and the fact that it was extremely lightweight. So since I was contemplating using my 1911 at that point, something smaller and lighter without sacrificing knock-down power was something that I was interested in.

I soon contacted a friend who owned a gun store, and he allowed me to test-fire a Bulldog in .44 Special for myself. To be fair, another friend wanted me to look into getting a Colt Python for the job, and I found it to be as bulky as the Model 28. And yes, I did look into getting a S&W Model 13 in .375 Magnum.

Now let me just say that I was amazed at how light the Bulldog was compared to a S&W Model 36 Chief's Special snub, a Colt Detective Special snub, or, say, a S&W Model 13 is one of my favorite pistols ever made. I was genuinely surprised that even with the bigger .44 Special rounds loaded in the Bulldog, just how remarkably light it was compared to those great guns that I compared it to. In those days, quite a few bodyguards carried snubs like the S&W Model 36 Chief's Special and Colt's Detective Special.

After checking out its ballistics, its stopping power, and then actually shooting it there at my friend's gun store, I was so impressed with the way it handled that I bought it right then and there. It was a buy that I've never regretted. For me, I would trust my life to my Bulldog. And friends, that's saying a lot!

I'm sure you can hear my enthusiasm regarding the Bulldog. And frankly, it's all for a good reason. Friends, a .44 Special in a pistol with only a 2.5" barrel makes the Bulldog one of the largest caliber small revolvers for safe, reliable, effective concealed carry. I don't know of a small package that carries that much punch as the Bulldog when it comes to being a man stopper. And frankly, that's why I won't sell mine.

Yes, that's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa

The United Nations is Not a Government -- They Have No Authority

Th United Nations is a world organization established in October 1945 to promote international cooperation.
Back in 2011, I wrote about the seriousness of the corruption at the United Nations and their attempts to circumvent the Constitution of the United States, U.N. "Small Arms Treaty" Will Disarm Americans. 

Well, they are still at it! Besides what is going on around the world where the UN has placed itself, on Jun 10th, 2015, it was reported that United Nations peacekeepers had "transactional sex” with 225 Haitian women in return for UN supplies.

Yes, sex for food and medicine, according to a UN's new Office of Internal Oversight Services report. The report was reviewed by the Associated Press and the details are shocking, including the report that approximately one-third of the women were under the age of eighteen.

The 225 women were "coerced" and even threatened into trading sex for food -- all were victimized by the same UN peacekeeping mission who were supposedly there to help and not hurt.

It is not out of the ordinary to hear such stories in Third World countries where aid only trickles down to those who need it, corrupt foreign governments and aid organizations like the UN stop more than 90% of the aid ever getting to where it is intended.

Because of this, and other instances of corruption including the altering of "Gobal Warming" for their benefit and UN officials receiving bribes coming from Islamic countries, I believe it is time to explain to the United Nations that 1) they have no authority and 2) the world is better off without that organization.

Yes, from Agenda 21 crap to their attempting to negate the authority of Americans to run our own country, the United Nations has outlived its welcome!

But even though the vast majority of Americans feel that way, now the Obama administration wants to give the United Nations the authority to deal with foreign governments on our behalf. All  by way of giving the UN control of our treaties.

This all has to stop!

On March 12th, 2015, it was reported that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News, "If the U.N. Security Council attempts to undo sanctions on Iran imposed by the U.S. Congress, it can kiss its funding good-bye,"

While I haven't agreed with Graham on very many things in the past, but I do agree with Senator Graham and other Republicans who say it is time to rethink our financial support as well as the role of the United Nations.

Per the United Nations website:

"The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 193 countries.

When States become Members of the United Nations, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes:

1) to maintain international peace and security;
2) to develop friendly relations among nations;
3) to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and
4) to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

The United Nations is not a world government and it does not make laws. It does, however, provide the means to help resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on matters affecting all of us"

So, according to the United Nations, it was established:

"to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations."

Yes, the UN admits that it "is not a world government and it does not make laws."
Numerous governments and multinational entities imposed sanctions against Iran.  Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the United States imposed sanctions against Iran and expanded them in 1995 to include firms dealing with the Iranian government.

In 2006, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1696 and attempted to imposed sanctions after Iran refused to suspend its uranium enrichment program.

But frankly, their sanctions have no teeth because the United Nations looks to other nations to support what they do -- if not everyone goes along, well so much for that!

U.S. sanctions initially targeted investments in oil, gas and petrochemicals, exports of refined petroleum products, and business dealings with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. It adversely affects Iran's ability to sponsor terrorism.

The sanctions encompassed banking and insurance transactions, shipping, web-hosting services for commercial endeavors, and domain name registration services. And yes, over the years sanctions have taken a serious toll on Iran's economy and people.

Since 1979, the United States has led international efforts to use sanctions to influence Iran's policies, including Iran's uranium enrichment program, which most in the United States see as being intended for developing nuclear weapons.

When nuclear talks between Iran and Western governments were stalled and seen as a failure, they were cited as a reason to enforce stronger economic sanctions on Iran.

On June 24, 2010, while the Democrat Party controlled both the US Senate and House of Representatives, Congress passed the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (CISADA).

President Obama signed into law July 1, 2010. The CISADA greatly enhanced restrictions in Iran.

But for months now the United Nations Security Council is considering lifting U.N. sanctions on Iran, which would make it more difficult for the United States Congress to thwart a deal signed by the Obama administration.

To fight against the United Nations' efforts of working against the United States, Congressional Republicans say the deal on Iran's nuclear program is a treaty and cannot be signed by the president without Senate approval per our Constitution and they better respect that fact!

Yes, President Obama is trying to use the United Nations to support a treaty with Iran. That is illegal since, as the United Nations states -- it is "not a government."

Republican leaders vow to retain current U.S. sanctions if they are not allowed to vote on the treaty with Iran.

And more so, Republicans believe it is time to put the United Nations in its place for attempting to disregard American sovereignty by disregarding our elected officials and Constitution which supersedes the United Nations Charter.

And no, unlike what Liberals tell you, the United Nation charter does not trump our Constitution! They have no authority!

Senator Graham was among a group of 47 Republican Senators who signed an open letter to Iran in March, saying that no treaty would be enforceable without Senate approval.

Friends, while Democrats can scream foul all they want, the Republicans are just stating the law of the United States as specified in the Constitution regarding treaty ratification.

FACT: The president can make all the treaties he wants, but none are legal treaties until the Senate approves them.

Democrats have criticized the Republican Senators for "interfering" with the White House during the ongoing talks, but President Obama has attempted to do end runs around Congress for years -- and now a vast majority of Americans believe that Obama cannot be trusted to do what's right for America.

Yes, as sad as that sounds, besides being the most incompetent, Obama has headed the most corrupt administration in American history. And yes, that is probably why Obama has become the most untrustworthy president in United States History.

When the president told the Senate and the House, "I will veto any effort on your part to look at this deal and have a vote as to whether or not we waive the sanctions we created" -- what he said is that he has became imperial presidency.

And that is the point here, Obama is supposedly a "Constitutional Scholar" yet he violates the Constitution every chance he wants. And yes, he demonstrates time and time again that he feels he is somehow above the law.

The Constitution of the United States has nothing to do with keeping American citizens in line, it was designed specifically to regulate our government -- including the Executive Branch which is the President -- to keep the government in line.

If the United Nations wants to interfere in the running of our government, the United States of America, allow me to remind them that they are an "advisory" organization with no authority over any nation. And yes, the can leave the same  way they got here!

Besides, if they really think that getting cozy with Obama and disregarding the Republican Congress is a smart play when Congress has to approve the funding for the UN -- then those folks at the United Nations is backing the wrong horse.

For a long time now, the need for the United Nations has become questionable at best.

The UN's track record of stopping conflicts is zero, they organization is steeped in corruption and criminal behavior, their policies have an anti-American slant, their research like that on Global Warming has been shown to be a fraud, and yes, in many parts of the world where the United Nations has sent "peace keepers" they are seen as violators of human rights.

Whether it is the UN's desire to impose the wishes of a handful of representatives on the rest of the world as in the case of UN enforced Gun Control or their desire to implement Agenda 21 land management and population control against the wishes of our citizens, our funding for the United Nations should be cut off.

We should not fund any organization which sets itself about our laws and representatives.

As far as I'm concerned, we should pull out of the United Nations and have them relocate their headquarters to the Middle-East since most of the pay offs going into the UN are coming from Muslim countries who want to see Israel destroyed.

The UN has become a tool for the Left and the anti-Semite, the corrupt and the powerful to push their agenda.

As far as I'm concerned, the United Nations as outlived its usefulness and should be disbanded -- simply because it has overstepped itself by assumed authority that it does not have while not adhering to its own charter.

Yes, the United Nations subverts American sovereignty and I would support any effort to get rid of the UN permanently.

And yes, that's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa

10 Best Concealed Carry Handguns

Hello Friends,

For a long time now, many of you have written asking me my choices for the 10 Best Conceal Carry Handguns. Well, here is my list.

For those of use who believe that any gunfight over 5 rounds is a full fledged Firefight, and since statistics show that an average of only 3 rounds within 5 to 7 feet are ever fired in a Self-Defense situation, these may be the ultimate backup and concealed carry handguns.

Keeping in mind their purpose, Personal Protection, when ranking them, I considered ease of use, concealability, weight, power, and cost. I also took into consideration whether the handgun would be good for men and women, or really only men and maybe not for the average woman.

While I am a believer in knock-down power, it has been my experience that having any gun is better than having no gun in a life and death situation. Because I've seen small calibers deter an assault as well as large calibers when the goal is to make the threat go away, these handguns fit the bill for both men and women.

#1 - Smith and Wesson Model 642 Airweight

 

The Smith & Wesson J-Frame has become the most popular small frame personal defense revolver on the market. With decades of reliable performance to its credit, the J-frame line offers models capable of firing .22 LR, .22 Magnum, .38 S&W Special, and the more powerful .357 Magnum loads.

Smith & Wesson offers these revolvers from its production line, M&P, Pro Series, and Classics lines in three different hammer designs: internal, exposed and shrouded. And yes, the S&W 642 Airweight in .38 Spl+P is everything you could ask for in a concealed carry weapon.

The 642 is one of the most popular personal defense and conceal and carry weapons for a reason — it is light (15 oz.), powerful, accurate, safe, and extremely reliable.

Please don't let the .38 Spl deter you from buying one of these pistols. Fact is, the .38 Special was the standard service cartridge of most Police Departments in the United States from the 1920s into the early 1990s.

Noted for its fine accuracy and manageable recoil, it remains the most popular revolver cartridge in the world more than a century after its introduction. And yes, for women who want something that they can handle confidently -- this no frills, extreme uncomplicated Old School .38 is the way to go.

The S&W Model 642 Airweight is very hard to beat and reasonably priced. Besides, S&W is known for their quality.

#2 - Smith & Wesson BODYGUARD 38 

The S&W BODYGUARD series is the first in personal protection with integrated lasers. Yes, the laser is part of the difference between the S&W Model 642 and the S&W BODYGUARD 38.

The BODYGUARD 38 is uniquely engineered as the most state-of-the-art, concealable and accurate personal protection possible. The BODYGUARD 38 has a stainless steel barrel, one-piece aluminum alloy upper frame, ambidextrous cylinder release, ergonomic one-piece rubber grip, a smooth trigger pull, a stainless steel cylinder (PVD coated), and integrated INSIGHT laser.

Unlike the S&W Model 642 with its cylinder release in the left side as is most double action revolvers, the S&W BODYGUARD has a  push-button ambidextrous top-mount cylinder release. Besides being unique, I was genuinely surprised when I found the release very easy to use and get used to.

Smith & Wesson BODYGUARD personal protection handguns are designed and engineered specifically to include the latest in laser sighting technology for optimal accuracy.

INSIGHT Laser is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of tactical lasers. The INSIGHT laser has 3 Modes: Constant-On, Pulse, Off. Plus 5 minute auto-off timer. Its battery life is 3 hours continuous on. And yes, the laser is user adjustable for windage and elevation with no disassembly required.

This .38 S&W Special fired +P rounds, has a capacity of 5 rounds, has a barrel length of 1.9".

It is a Double Action revolver, with a 1 lb. trigger pull, an Internal Hammer, with synthetic grips.  

Its overall length is 6.6" and weights 14.3 oz, which means its size and lightweight, and simple to use and featuring integrated laser sights, is the perfect piece of security for men and women who don't want something large and harder to conceal.

#3 - Rock Island Armory M1911 A1 CS Tactical Pistol 

Concealable put certainly not as concealable as the S&W BODYGUARD is the Rock Island Armory series of M1911-A1 compact pistols. Now, while that is true, do not think that this handgun is the some as a full size M1911A1 because it is not.

Unlike Sigs or Clocks, these handguns are in fact single stacked and very slim pistol grips just as Mr. Browning designed the 1911 more than 100 years ago.

The pistol shown above is the Rock Island Armory M1911-A1 CS Tactical Compact Pistol in .45 ACP features a 3.5-inch bull barrel, parkerized finish, rubber grips, front dovetail ramp sight, rear snag free sight, series 70 type firing system, guide rod, combat hammer, skeletonized with a single action trigger. With an overall length of 7 inches and an "unloaded" weight of 34.56 oz, this handgun is 3 times the weight of the S&W BODYGUARD.

Add its 7+1 round capacity magazine, and we are probably not looking at a handgun suited for a women. Yes, while I love this handgun, that's just my opinion. For those of us who have to go Old School, like me, and want to pack a .45 ACP, this is one nice pistol.

When I bought mine, I opted for the CS or Standard Compact model. And yes, I can report that it shot perfectly right out of the box. So for those of us who like a .45 ACP, a 1911, and a slim grip and overall pistol profile vs the bulky Glocks, this piece is perfect for concealed carry. And yes, the price is right.

#4 - Charter Arms Bulldog

OK, here's another Old School concealed carry for you. While not as small as the S&W revolvers above, this handgun is small, very lightweight, and more powerful than a .38 Special. In fact, no other revolver this small and light has this much power.
Known for its rugged reliability and stopping power, Charter Arm’s Bulldog in .44 Special is a versatile revolver for personal or home protection.

They come with a variety of options such as their target, blue, internal hammers, and different calibers. The one above is shown in Stainless Steel, but they also come in Standard Blue. With a barrel length of 2.5”, this .44 Special is one of the larger revolvers to qualify for concealed carry.

This safe, reliable revolver is powerful enough for serious home protection, but has the size and functionality for effective concealed carry. If you are looking for a safe, reliable revolver powerful enough for serious home protection, but with the size and functionality for effective concealed carry, Charter Arms’ .44 Special is an outstanding double-duty choice for the job.

We should note that U.S. Air Marshals once carried the Charter Arms Bulldog on flights during the 1970s. If I recall, the logic at the time was a big heavy bullet, fired from a lightweight reliable handgun, was the way to go in a close combat encounter. Which, of course, sounds like most confrontations where a firearm is needed.

#5 - Smith &Wesson M&P SHIELD

Smith & Wesson's M&P SHIELD comes in both 9mm and .40 S&W. It is a slim, concealable, lightweight, striker-fired polymer pistol.

With a 3.1-inch barrel, which contributes to an overall length of 6.1 inches and an unloaded weight of 20 ounces. The pistol is easily concealed with its slim one-inch profile and optimized 18-degree grip angle. For fast tracking and smooth target acquisition, the M&P SHIELD is standard with a 5.3-inch sight radius and has been enhanced with a short, consistent trigger pull measuring 6.5 pounds.

Featuring a quick and audible reset made possible by the striker-fired action, the M&P SHIELD allows multiple rounds to be placed on target both consistently and accurately. 

The .40 that I fired was as accurate as can be right out of the box. It's a really sweet little protection piece that is very slim and extremely concealable. As for shooting it, while the .40 is "more gun" than the 9mm, it was easy to handle and functioned like a dream. In fact, I believe even a smaller sized women would find this comfortable to shot.  

#6 - Smith & Wesson M&P BODYGUARD 380 Semi-Auto

Combining popular M&P characteristics with existing BODYGUARD features, the new M&P BG380 offers consumers a uniquely engineered, lightweight self-defense pistol. It is compact, sleek and ergonomic. The M&P BG380 pistol also benefits from new fish scale serrations on the rear of the slide for ease of use and like other M&P pistols, ships complete with two magazines.

The new M&P BG380 is standard with a 2 ¾ inch barrel, which contributes to an overall length of 5 ¼ inches and an unloaded weight of only 11.85 ounces. Yes, about 12 ounces. Additional standard features include a rapid second-strike capability, thumb safety, take-down lever and stainless steel drift adjustable sights.

Chambered for .380 ACP, the lightweight sub-compact pistol features a high-strength polymer frame with a black, maximum corrosion resistant coated stainless steel slide and barrel.

#7 - Colt .380 Mustang XSP

Colt .380 Mustang XSP is a small, lightweight and boast enhanced durability, reliability and accuracy, making it an ideal handgun for personal protection. With a loaded magazine, this handgun weighs less than one pound. Measured at 5.5 inches long and have a 2.75-inch barrel.

The minimal weight and length of this guns, combined with the short single action trigger, grip design, frame designs and firing pin safety block make these firearms ideal for concealed carry.

#8 - Ruger LCP 380

Ruger LCP 380 is compact at 6 inches in overall length with a 3.12-inch barrel, 4.5 inches in height and a narrow, pocket-friendly 0.90 inches in width. It weighs 17.2 ounces empty. The LCP 380 provides a 7+1 capacity, a manual safety, a loaded-chamber indicator and white-dot sights.

Folks, like many of the others, this is one of those very light just put it in your coat pocket small pistols that bad guys hate to find out that you're carrying. And yes, those who I know, who have one, rave about them because of the concealability, light weight, and reliability.

#9 - Colt New Agent

If a concealable pistols that packs a full size punch is what you are looking for, the Colt New Agent is it. The Colt New Agent is offered in the potent .45 ACP cartridge, yet at 22.5 ounces and a three inch stainless steel bushingless barrel. If you want light weight and a .45 ACP for a everyday carry, this is the ideal pistol for concealed carry. 

The design incorporates a lowered and flared ejection port to provide the user with excellent accuracy and outstanding reliability. 

OK, it has no sights other than a unique trench style groove sight. This design makes this compact .45 ACP a pistol that is snag free on the draw. In addition to this trench style sight, the Single Action New Agent is now available for the first time with Crimson Trace® laser grips emblazoned with the Colt logo. And by the way, the one that I fired shot nice right out of the box.

So, now you ask, which would I buy, the Rock Island Armory M1911 A1 CS Tactical Pistol or the Colt New Agent? The Colt New Agent is lighter and is snag resistant. But frankly, the one I looked at was over $1000. 

I like the lightweight and smooth slide. Yes, I really do. But for the price, I can buy almost two Rock Island 1911A1 CS tactical pistols. So for the average person who lives trying to make ends meet but wants a great concealed carry .45 ACP, then the Rock Island is the way to go.   

#10 - Ruger LCR

The Ruger LCR is a compact .38 Spl revolver built by Strum Ruger. The LCR acronym stands for "Lightweight Compact Revolver".

It incorporates several novel features such as a polymer grip and trigger housing, monolithic receiver, and constant force trigger.

At 13.5 oz (380 g), the LCR is nearly 50% lighter than the stainless steel SP-101, and about an ounce lighter than the S&W BODYGUARD. The frame is aluminum alloy and synthetic glass-filled polymer finished in matte black with Synergistic Hard Coat.

The LCR operates in double action only (DAO) as the hammer is concealed within the frame handle's fire control housing of the gun and cannot be cocked prior to firing.

In order to create a crisp and light trigger pull that is non-stacking, it features a friction reducing cam, a feature seldom found on double action revolvers which by nature of their mechanism normally have a very heavy trigger pull.

So there is my list of handguns that I believe are the best conceal carry guns available for us today.  

While there are folks who may wonder why I haven't included a Sig or a Glock, and will disagree in as far as my ranking goes, these are the handguns that I feel would fit the bill better than others on the market at the present. Which, by the way, are the best bang for your buck!  

Short of a full out assault on your person by hoards of crazies all armed to the teeth, I believe this and an extra speed-loader for a revolver or extra magazine for a semi-auto is all any one of us would need to deter the bad guys out there in real world situation.

Tom Correa

As Obama Starts His Second Term

He won't dampen the hate his supporters feel!

Back before the last election, Obama supporters warned that America will erupt in violence if Mitt Romney won the election.

Some say their anger was due to Obama's divisive campaign. Some in the know say that his campaign was the most divisive in modern U.S. history. And yes, to say that Obama supporters are peace loving tolerant folks is a load of crap!

While ultra-liberal groups asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate what they called an onslaught of anti-Obama text messages.

Most of the groups saying the same thing in the there were unsolicited messages (spam), which reached an unknown number of people - and according to them were a "blatant" violation of anti-spamming rules and urged the commission to impose the maximum fine on those responsible.

The texts supposedly covered a variety of topics such as gay privilege, abortion abuse, Obama Medicare cuts, and other subjects. Things that Obama supports don't want to hear, never the less receive them.

According to the liberal groups, the messages were sent from websites rather than phone numbers. According to records on GoDaddy.com, a Web registrar, the sites belonged to ccAdvertising, a GOP advertising firm based in Virginia.

While filing complaints with the FCC is their choice, all in an effort to stop conservative organizations from doing what they are doing, these same liberal groups had nothing to say about the unacceptable death threats that were launched by Obama supporters and liberal groups.

When it comes to threatening to kill Mitt Romney, Obama supporters didn't hold back.

Twitchy has compiled a laundry list of assassination threats by Obama supporters made during and after the debates, and more continued right up to the election. Here are examples:

WARNING OBAMA SUPPORTERS USE A GREAT DEAL OF ADULT LANGUAGE WHEN THREATENING TO ASSASSINATE MITT ROMNEY IF HE WERE TO HAVE WON.

The death threats are being made by both black and white people, emphasizing that merely drawing attention to the issue has nothing to do with “race-baiting,” as the Obama front group Think Progress claimed.

It is important to stress that these Twitter accounts are genuine, they are not fakes. Many of them have thousands of previous tweets.

The following Tweets are just some of the ones compiled by Twitchy during and after the debates:

- “If Romney win this election, he might as well wear a shirt that says “Assassinate Me Bitch”.

- “Yall ready to assasinate romney?”

- “Somebody needs to asassinate This mofo Romney.”

- “Romney make me wanna hop through the tv & just assasinate his ass.”

- “I aint gone lie… Food stamps the shit! I mite assasinate romney my damn self if he get elected!”

- “If romney get elected i hope a nigga assasinate his bitchass.

- “No birth control???? Lol rlly Romney the american population is going to overflow and then we’ll have to resort to murder and you’ll be #1.”

- “At this point in time I am completely prepared to MURDER ROMNEY MYSELF!”

- “If Romney win, IM GOING TO JAIL FOR MURDER cuz imma whack his bitch ass ASAP.”

- “If Mitt Romney wins, which I doubt, someone should assassinate him before he ruins the lives of our generation & our children.”

- “IF ROMNEY GETS ELECTED AND TAKES AWAY MY FOOD STAMPS IMA SEND SOMEONE TO MURDER HIS ASS.”

After reading the above posts, you're probably thinking that Obama supporters all sound like a really classy well educated group of people? Right.

It is important to emphasize that these are just a tiny selection of the scores of threats to assassinate Mitt Romney that exploded on Twitter during the final 12 hours before the election. This is not counting what was seen on Facebook or any other social networks.

And as for the FBI, looking into threats to assassinate the president if Mitt Romney were to win?  

Well the FBI's approach to the threats to assassinate Mitt Romney is the very same approach they used toward threats to kill President George W. Bush during his 8 years in office.

I read where the FBI stated something to the effect that they were unconcerned with the threats because "those people are just letting off steam."  

They did make it very clear that all threats to President Obama will be investigated.  

Now Obama supporters are being encouraged by the Obama White House to threaten gun owners and National Rifle Association members.   

Obama supporters all over the country, even those in positions of political leadership are encouraging people to kill anyone who belongs to the NRA.

This is no joke. No kidding!  

NRA president David Keene told talk show host Ernest Istook that he has received "hundreds" of death threats since the first of the year.   Those threats, he said, reflect attempts by liberals and President Obama “to demonize and blame those who disagree with him for everything he doesn’t like.”

Keene said that even his children have also received death threats. Yes, his children.

"My son, who has the same name as I do, had someone post a death threat on his Facebook page," Keene said.

When his son said they had targeted the wrong person, "they came back and said, 'well, now that we know you're their children, we wish you'd be killed,'" Keene added.

NRA president Keene "is literally targeted by a video game that invites people to shoot him, which he calls the 'Kill David Keene' game."

The video game, probably by the same scumbags who made the Kill George W. Bush instructional video, call their hate video "Bullet to the head of the NRA." And yes, it lets players murder NRA officials by shooting them in the head.

"The good news, according to Keene, is that those who play the game are unlikely to be gun owners," Istook wrote.

"Meantime," Istook added, "much of America’s media show little concern for Keene’s safety. Instead, they attack the NRA for its video ad that asserts other schoolchildren deserve the same safety as President Obama’s daughters enjoy at school."

NRA president Keene places part of the blame on the mainstream news media.

"The national media is basically at this point a cheering section for the President, particularly on guns because the elite media has always been a part of the effort to gut the Second Amendment," he said.

Since the Newtown shootings, media personalities like Piers Morgan have targeted supporters of gun rights, while others have expressed their hatred in a variety of ways.

Some, like John Cobarruvias, a member of the Texas Democratic Party Executive Committee, have openly called for supporters of the NRA to be killed.

After Obama challenged Americans to stand up to the NRA, national media outlets stepped up their attacks on the NRA, with CBS anchor Bob Schieffer comparing Obama's struggle with the pro-gun group to America's war with Nazi Germany.

Liberals on Twitter call for murder of NRA members after NRA press conference

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre held a press conference in which he blasted the Democrat liberal mainstream media and called for armed police in America's schools.

Predictably, Twitchy said Friday, liberals on Twitter responded by flooding the social media site with calls to murder member of the NRA, including LaPierre.

-"I generally don't condone gun violence, but Wayne Lapierre (sic) should do us a favor and shoot himself in the face," said "Sam Malone's wig."

-"Can...can we shoot...the NRA?" asked "Nicholas Assunto."

-"At times like this I wish that I was an American so that I can shoot the s**t out of Wayne(the w****r Lapierre (ironic Brit) (sic)," added "Elsie Assap."

-Unhinged liberals on Twitter call for murder of NRA members, including CEO Wayne LaPierre.

- "Its time to stop NRA .Kill Wayne LaPierre.They whant war?Its time to kill all NRA top members.Save the children, kill al top NRA members (sic)," tweeted "Ahlberto."

- "'The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is to have a good guy with a gun,' LaPierre concluded. someone should shoot this guy," added "Max Erwin."

One person said LaPierre should "f**k himself with an assault rifle," while another suggested that someone "should shoot Wayne LaPierre in his kneecaps."

Yes, as I said before, calling Obama supporters peaceful loving tolerant folks is a load of crap!

After the tragic shooting in Connecticut, liberals, including a member of the Texas Democratic Party Executive Committee, called for the murder of NRA members.

Obama supporters claim that the NRA, not Adam Lanza, killed over a dozen children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

"Good thing leftists believe in nonviolence," Twitchy said.

Liberalism is an ideology based on rage and hate. And yes, maybe during Obama's inaugural speech today he'll mention how things have gotten much worse because of his rhetoric - but I doubt it.

And not Obama supporters making threats against the NRA doesn't stop with threats against NRA officials - the bastards want to kill NRA members in general.

CSI Actress Marg Helgenberger says "One can only hope" NRA members are shot dead

CSI Las Vegas gun totting television actress Marg Helgenberger lost a few viewers recently when she let her mouth over-run her ass.

The old actress was responding to a tweet by author Joyce Carol Oates, when actress Marg Helgenberger said "one can only hope" that members of the NRA get shot, Twitchy reported Tuesday.

"If sizable numbers of NRA members become gun-victims themselves, maybe hope for legislation of firearms," Oates tweeted Friday.

"@JoyceCarolOates One can only hope, but sadly I don't think anything would change," the CSI star tweeted in response.

"@MargHelgen @JoyceCarolOates are you encouraging violence against those who dare disagree with you?" asked "Jeremy Avery."

"Congrats for becoming yet another clueless, VIOLENT, liberal 'elite' who shoved her foot in her mouth. Shame on you, lady," added "Conservative Girl."

"Bet you didn't know the NRA was started to arm Free Blacks so they could protect themselves from the Democrat-founded KKK," another person said.

Since the tragic Connecticut school shootings last Friday, liberals across the country have been busy proving that theirs is an ideology of hate and rage.

Instead of blaming the person who pulled the trigger, liberals have blamed the NRA, the Second Amendment and gun owners in general. Many, including Helgenberger, have called for the deaths of NRA members in response to the shootings.

University professor calls for beheading of NRA CEO, calls NRA a terrorist group

Professor with the University of Rhode Island calls for NRA CEO Wayne LaPierreto be decapitated.

Erik Loomis, a professor at the University of Rhode Island, went on a profanity-laced tirade on Twitter, calling the NRA a terrorist organization and saying he wanted to see the head of NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre "on a stick," Campus Reform reported.

-"I was heartbroken in the first 20 mass murders. Now I want Wayne LaPierre's head on a stick," he wrote.

Loomis continued his tirade, blaming the NRA for the school shootings in Connecticut and claiming that reports of his tweet amounts to "intimidation" adding that there is some correlation between conservative reports of his violent messages and those "who think Obama is the Kenyan usurper."

A few of the tweets highlighted by Twitchy include these gems:

-"Can we define NRA membership dues as contributing to a terrorist organization?"

-"I bet terrorist NRA head Wayne LaPierre will sleep well tonight."

-"Larry Pratt and the group Gun Owners of America are terrorists and should be dealt with as such."

Loomis also called for a repeal of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in another tweet linking the NRA to the shootings.

-"The NRA pushes for policies that make it complicit in mass murders in the US and Mexico. Repeal the 2nd Amendment," he added.

Since the shootings, unhinged liberals, including a member of the Texas Democratic Party Executive Committee, have called for the death of NRA members and those who support gun rights in extremely violent tweets.

Texas Democrat Party leader wants NRA members shot!

Yes, liberals on Twitter called for the murder of NRA members.

One of those making the calls was identified Sunday as John Cobarruvias, a blogger, Democratic precinct chairman in the Houston area and a member of the Texas Democratic Executive Committee.

-"Can we now shoot the #NRA and everyone who defends them?" he tweeted.

After reading about the tweets on another site, Yvonne Larsen noticed a familiar name.

"Among the selection of tweets advocating for the murder of NRA President Keene and all NRA members was a name familiar to me; probably familiar to many readers of Houston’s Liberal blog sites," she wrote at Big Jolly Politics.

Larsen said she "pasted a screen shot from the Freedom’s Outpost story in case NASA employee and Democrat Precinct 699 Chair John Cobarruvias of the Houstonblog Bay Area Houston tries to delete his tweet."

"You are an embarrassment to precinct chairs everywhere - and Americans. You sound like the next crazed shooter," one person tweeted in response.

And yes, this jerkweed John Cobarruvias is a NASA employee.

NASA may want to get this man an appointment to see a Psychiatrist ASAP! He sounds as unstable as some of Obama's other supporters.
Ironically, after calling for the deaths of NRA members and their defenders, Cobarruvias called the NRA domestic terrorists.

"Let's face it. The #NRA is nothing but a domestic terrorist organization. They have done NOTHING to stop this violence except make excuses," he added.

Cobarruvias has posted a comment on his Facebook page asking NRA members to "un-friend" him and issued a disturbing message:

"They [NRA members] need to [be] wiped off the face of the earth," he wrote, speaking of the NRA and those who support owning guns.

"Personsally if they were wiped off the planet it wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit," he wrote in another comment.

Liberal newsman calls for killing of NRA members, drag GOP leaders behind trucks

"I would tie Mitch McConnell and John Boehner... to the back of a Chevy pickup truck and drag them around a parking lot..."

Hard-left leaning syndicated columnist Donald Kaul temporarily came out of retirement to call for the killings of National Rifle Association (NRA) members who refused to surrender their legally owned weapons, as reported by NewsBusters.com reporter Tim Graham on Dec. 31, 2012.

The Iowa-based writer recently retired due to health problems, but in the wake of the Sandy Hook School shootings, has emerged to the spotlight of publicity to pen violent threats not only to members of the NRA, but also to torture the top Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress.

As cited by News Busters, Kaul describes his "madder-than-hell-and-I’m-not-going-to-take-it-anymore" program for ending gun violence in America:

“"Repeal the Second Amendment, the part about guns anyway. It’s badly written, confusing and more trouble than it’s worth. It offers an absolute right to gun ownership, but it puts it in the context of the need for a 'well-regulated militia.' We don’t make our militia bring their own guns to battles. And surely the Founders couldn’t have envisioned weapons like those used in the Newtown shooting when they guaranteed gun rights. Owning a gun should be a privilege, not a right."

Kaul failed to mention the constitutional process required to repeal or make changes to any given Constitutional Amendment.

Kaul also failed to remind his readership that many of the Founding Fathers were scientific and mechanical innovators themselves.

It would defy common sense to adhere to the belief that the Founders ever believed the evolution of firearms has ceased and would remain at the level of Kentucky Long Rifles and Brown Bess Muskets.

Kaul stretches his credibility when stating that "we" made membership in the Communist Party "illegal," as well as leveling a none-too-subtle threat on the lives of American who happen to be law abiding citizens:

“"Declare the NRA a terrorist organization and make membership illegal.

Hey! We did it to the Communist Party, and the NRA has led to the deaths of more of us than American Commies ever did. (I would also raze the organization’s headquarters, clear the rubble and salt the earth, but that’s optional.) Make ownership of unlicensed assault rifles a felony."  Kaul said.

But he didn't stop there, as he went on to say, "If some people refused to give up their guns, that 'prying the guns from their cold, dead hands' thing works for me."

Not quite done, the ultra-left writer made it very clear as to what he would personally do.

“"Then I would tie Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, our esteemed Republican leaders, to the back of a Chevy pickup truck and drag them around a parking lot until they saw the light on gun control,." he said.

The responsibility for the physical protection of both McConnell and Boehner falls upon the Chief of the Capitol Police in conjunction with both the Senate and House Sergeants-at-Arms.

According to 18 USC (United States Code) § 115, Kaul's threat alone could result on a 10 year prison sentence if found guilty.

If an assault as described by Kaul was carried out and should result in serious bodily injury to either Senator McConnell or Representative Boehner, the sentence could be up to a 30 year stretch in federal prison.

So will Kaul be investigated by the FBI? No, he's an Obama supporter. So yes, he like those in Hollywood or in America's Universities, or in the Democrat Party, or some how affiliated with the Democrat Party, all get a pass.

Yup, they get a pass to say anything they want. If like Obama, they too want to incite and encourage felony homicide - then so be it. They can because Obama is in power.

If Conservatives did any of the things that I have posted in this article, they would be jailed - or at least investigated.

You see, as Obama starts his second term, he is still in campaign mode. All in an effort to get his agenda passed.

He will not try to relieve the fear that more and more Americans have pertaining to his curtailing of our civil rights under the constitution. He will not stop the loose talk about killing NRA members.

He will not come out and say that he is appalled by those of his supporters who are making reference to doing harm to law abiding citizens.

He will not even come out and show himself as a leader and tell the country that there is nothing wrong with the NRA, that that organization was founded by men who wanted to give free slaves rifles to fight the terror of the Ku Klux Klan.

“A Winchester Rifle should have a place of honor in every black home, ” said by civil rights icon Ida B. Wells Barnett.

Born in the midst of the Civil War in 1862, born the daughter of slaves in Holly Springs, Mississippi, she became an early leader in the civil rights movement -  years before Dr Martin Luther King Jr was born.

On this day, the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, Obama should remember that it was the National Rifle Association who opposed gun laws that restricted black Americans from gun ownership and offered support to black Americans seeking to defend themselves with firearms. 

Even as recently as the late 1950s and 60s, retired Marine Robert Williams opened a chapter of the NAACP in Monroe, North Carolina. Monroe was also Klan country, and the KKK mounted several vicious assaults against black Americans in Monroe.  

In 1960, Williams applied for and was granted a charter to establish an NRA chapter in Monroe; the NRA provided firearms and training materials. Mr. Williams and other black NRA members in Monroe subsequently successfully defended themselves with firearms against an attack coordinated between the KKK and the local police.

Trust me when I say that this sort of history does not help Obama's case to ban guns or start a national database for law abiding gun owners.

Can you just imagine how helpful it would have been to the KKK or sympathizing local police departments if they had a database to know exactly which black American was a gun owner and which was not?

Can you imagine what it would have been like if they knew who could defend themselves and who would be completely helpless? Or who the local law had to see when wanting to confiscate their guns?

It would have been like giving Hitler all of the addresses where to find Jews, especially those armed!

Obama will keep this truth from his supporters. After all, he needs them to be angry. And yes,I feel that he will no doubt lie to his supporters - if he does not fully lie, I'm sure he will dance around and evade the truth.

Obama will not talk about how all blacks should be supporters of the NRA.

He will not tell us the fact that Dr Martin Luther King, Jr was denied a concealed weapons permit on the basis of his skin color and it was the NRA who defended him. 

He will not remind Americans that, as with slavery itself, it was the Republican Party and the NRA that were on the side of black people.

He will not mention that it was Democrats, backed by the Democrat Party, that maned the fire hoses and the dogs in Selma and other places. Yes, they were Democrats.

I believe, that as he starts his second term, he will increase the rhetoric to inflame his supporters. Instead of putting out the fires that divide us, he will fan the flames of hatred between income earners, religious groups, and political parties.

And yes, against all of the teaching of Rev Martin Luther King, President Barack Hussein Obama will not do anything to unite Americans of all colors, faiths and ideologies. Instead he will increase the racial divide, and stoke the flames of hate.

It wasn't enough to make history by being the first black man to be president. He has to remind us daily that the color of his skin is vital to who he is as a man and president.

And yes, after reading about the different presidents, I can't think of any other president who is so absorbed with his ethnicity while in office as Obama is.

While he is the first black President, that saw has really gotten old. It is now a matter of who cares. No one cares about him being a black man, only he does.

He is the first modern President who has made it his mission to get all Americans to focus more on the color of a man's skin than on the greatness of a man's character.

Because of that, I feel that on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial, that he has spit on the efforts of great men like Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

I remember as a boy, hearing the words, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

I was brought up with the belief that America wants to be a color-blind society. And yes, that was what Dr King worked so hard for.

Yet now the dream of a color-blind society that Dr King wanted so badly, has been lost on a fool like Obama who wants to make his color his priority.

It is interesting to note that 50 years ago, Malcolm X called, the famous March on Washington, the "Farce on Washington". Back then, the Nation of Islam forbade its members from attending the march.

By his actions, and not his lip service, it seems that maybe Obama has more in common with Malcolm X then he has in common with Dr Martin Luther King Jr. It is just my opinion, but like Malcolm X, I believe Obama is a hatemonger setting one American against the other.

In Dr King's effort to see an America that was truly color-blind, he marched with the hope to see positive changes in how we Americans treat each other. He preached unity.

He tried to end racial segregation in public schools, have meaningful civil rights legislation including a law prohibiting racial discrimination in employment, protection of civil rights workers from police brutality, a minimum wage for all workers, and a nation where all will not be judged by the color of their skin - but by the content of their character.

On this the 50th anniversary of the March, the second day of the beginning of his second term, I wish Obama would be concerned about unity, about something other than himself, about upholding the Civil Rights of all Americans as set fourth in our Bill of Rights.

I wish Obama were half the man that Rev King was, but he is not.

I don't say that because he is a black man. I say that because he is a divisive president.


Story by Tom Correa

Smith & Wesson - A Tough Success Story - Part 4

Well, my e-mail says that you want part four of my series on Smith & Wesson. I'm sorry it's taken so long.

In part four on Smith & Wesson, I'll discuss the importance of Smith & Wesson in the American Gun Industry, talk about how this great company is staying afloat, and I'll also try to answer a few e-mail questions - including one special e-mail that you might find very interesting.

As we know, Smith & Wesson is one of the world's largest manufacturers of quality handguns, law enforcement products and firearm safety/security products.

The company also provides a lot more. It is a fact that Smith & Wesson provides shooter protection, knives, apparel, footwear, and other accessory lines.

Smith & Wesson is based in Springfield, Massachusetts with manufacturing facilities in Springfield and Houlton, Maine. The Smith & Wesson Academy is America's longest running firearms training facility for law enforcement, military and security professionals.

So Let's Start By Looking At The Numbers!

Recently, on June 28th, 2012, Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation's shares jumped in after-hours trading after the legendary firearm maker said its fourth-quarter net income soared on strong sales, particularly of its polymer pistols and modern sporting rifles, and it gave forecasts that beat all expectations.

Its shares soared more than 15 percent after hours on the news.

The company earned $12.5 Million for the quarter that ended April 30. That's up over a Million dollars from the same quarter last year.

Analysts polled by FactSet anticipated earnings from continuing operations of 17 cents per share on revenue of $128.6 Million. Smith & Wesson's total quarterly revenue grew 28 percent to $129.8 million from $101.7 Million.

During the year, Smith & Wesson, based in Springfield, Mass., paid down $30 million of debt and increased its manufacturing capabilities. It said that that growth helped it lay a solid foundation for the new fiscal year.

For fiscal 2012, the company reported net income of $16.1 million, or 25 cents per share, compared with a loss of $82.8 million, or $1.30 per share, last year. From continuing operations, it earned 41 cents per share, compared with 13 cents per share last year. Its revenue rose to $412 million from $342.2 million last year.

On June 29, 2012, Nasdaq stocks posted its large percentage increases. Among the 10 biggest percentage gainers on Nasdaq at the close of trading that day was Smith & Wesson which rose 20.5 percent to $8.31.

For the 2013 fiscal year, it forecast earnings between 60 cents per share and 65 cents per share on revenue between $485 million and $505 million. Analysts are expecting the company to earn 50 cents on revenue of $466 million.

The reason: Americans are buying more guns than ever.
 
Friends, this is a big deal. The reason is that Smith & Wesson looks to be making a come back!
 
This figures might dazzle investors. They might impress brokers and bankers. They should also make you feel good, because these figures point to a jump in sales.
 
Just a month before these numbers came out, two prominent gun makers came out with "Buy" ratings because sales show that more Americans than ever before are opening up to the idea of owning a gun.

Fact is that gun sales have been booming this year. In March, Sturm Ruger said that it received orders for more than one million units, forcing it to stop accepting new orders. Ruger said it will start taking orders again but that was supposed to be last month.

The reason for the huge demand is that many believe, and yes, fear is rising that President Barack Obama will be re-elected.

Millions of Americans are worried that Obama will institute extremely restrictive gun laws.

Since becoming President, he has routinely by-passed the legislative branch of our government - Congress - by using his ability to put out Executive Orders to make sweeping changes that wouldn't have otherwise been able to get by the American people.

President Obama has signed 130 Executive Orders to date during his Administration.

When president Obama couldn't get his so-called Dream Act legislation passed through Congress. The legislation that was basically an Amnesty Program for Illegal Aliens, Obama used his privilege to write an Executive Order put it into place.

Now, many in the House and the Senate say President Obama's Executive Order on Immigration "has actually made the problem worse."

Americans fear what Obama will do next, and gun control is a topic he said he will address in his second term in office. Because more and more fear Obama because of his ideology and behavior, Americans are buying what they think will be outlawed or be restricted to only law enforcement in the future.

Fear of Obama, and a Growing Acceptance!

Besides the fear of Obama being re-elected, there is a growing social acceptance of firearms that is also driving up sales.

Citing Federal Bureau of Investigation background checks, most say that interest in buying guns for either protection or leisure is growing in regions aren't traditional gun buyers.

Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SWHC) target has been increased by Benchmark Co. following the adjusted point of sale FBI background checks increased 24.5% in June.

The company has provided an FY13 guidance which the firm states is “extremely strong.” The firm believes that commercial firearm sales will be strong throughout the next year causing it to keep its Buy rating.

And yes, the number of background checks rose the most in the Northeast, West and Midwest in 2011, according to the FBI data. The South was the slowest growing region in 2011, a change from 2008 when the South led the country in background check growth.

There is something else, there seems to be a change in attitude about gun ownership. So for Americans who are interested in staying vigilant of our 2nd Amendment Rights, and of course great gun makers like Smith & Wesson, new gun buyers will probably keep going up even after the election this November.

The reason that Smith & Wesson is doing well is due to it's diligence to produce fine firearms.

This is an important part of this article, so let me explain what I've done lately.

To get a feel of how sales is going for Smith & Wesson, and of course customer satisfaction, I visited a number of gun stores from Modesto to San Francisco Bay Area, from Sacramento to Reno.

Once there, I looked at what Smith & Wesson has to offer as a "Buyer" - a consumer. I asked all sorts of questions pertaining to cost effectiveness, quality and workmanship, dependability and ease of use - all in relation to itself in years gone by, as well as to in relation to other makers.

Out of all of those who I spoke with, only one store owner was concerned about the quality of the new M&P15 line of tactical rifles. Other than him, all raved about the quality of all of the guns coming out of Smith & Wesson these days.

As for the M&P15, to me with my background in the Marine Corps and security, the M&P 15 is a civilian M4. And yes, that's a good thing!

As I said in part three, the Smith & Wesson's popular line of M&P15 semi-auto tactical rifles is a ready-to-go design. It is accurate, easy to operate and tear down, very good adjustable rear sights, and has a good price that is not to over the top. To me, I liked the quality and workmanship.

So yes, I really do like the M&P15. I also like the M&P40 semi-auto pistol because it is a very nice extremely comfortable in the hand firearm. Smith & Wesson puts out real quality.

Quality: That's the bottom line!

From what I seen, people are concerned about quality almost as much as they are concerned about price. In these hard times, people don't have a lot of what was once called "disposable income" - a term that has never made any sense to me.

If Smith &Wesson sacrifice on Quality Assurance or Quality Control, cut corners, or simply steer more of their funds to other products instead of their firearm product line, then the company will again be in financial trouble.

Research and development (R&D) is great. It is what helps a company come out with new and better products, but if any company spends more of its available capital on R&D and less on its Quality Assurance programs - then that company will find that it has taken the very thing that keeps its company alive and squandered it.

R&D makes a company money down the road, Quality Assurance/ Quality Control gets a company down the road.

If sales drop for Smith & Wesson, it will be because of poor workmanship, poor quality, or an unpopular unacceptable inferior product. It can happen if Quality Assurance and Control is not the company's priorities.

Now, before ending this series on Smith & Wesson, I have to answer one particular email that took me to task about something that I wrote in another article. The reader thinks it simply was "not nice" of me to say what I did about part of Smith & Wesson's latest line of revolvers.

In one of my RANDOM SHOTS articles, I made mention that I was looking into a pistol for Concealed Carry  - and yes, I made the comment that I find some of the guns in the Smith & Wesson's latest line of revolvers these days - well, ugly.

I state, "I have owned a few Smith's in my time. I've always liked the way they handle, the feel of the pistol, their reliability. I've always liked their balance, and the look, the basic aesthetics of their line of pistols. Their guns were always nice and simple, and they didn't look like toys. They looked like firearms, guns, pistols.

Like many others, I wanted to buy another gun lately so I went to a Gun Shop and took a look at what I had already found on the Internet. Some in their new line of revolvers are ugly. Please understand that's just my opinion, but Smith & Wesson is putting out some really ugly guns.

OK, so I like traditional looks. And yes, I know that some of their change is being made "to improve" on their guns. But seriously friends, I really believe that aesthetics are important.

As I look at their line of handguns these days, and taking into consideration their extremely high prices, I'm probably going to go with another manufacturer like say Ruger or maybe even Charter Arms." 

Well, as for the price of a Smith & Wessons these days? I found them to be very comparable to other top makers of similar quality like say Ruger. Obviously, Smith & Wesson or Ruger are not the "economically" priced guns that Charter Arms puts out - and no, I really don't know what their quality is like these days.

But I've owned a Charter Arms Bulldog since the early 80's, so if they are anything like they were before then it was very good. I'm hoping to find out soon enough as I'm looking into doing an article on Charter Arms soon.

As for "ugly"? 

I stand by what I wrote in that I don't like what some Smith & Wesson's look like these days.   

Where Ruger was always sort of bulky, but put together like tank, Smith & Wesson was always streamlined with classic good looks. 

I know first hand that Smith & Wesson puts out a really reliable, well balanced, hard to beat line of firearms. I'm just saying that some like the ones above simply aren't as aesthetically pleasing. They are strange looking guns.

But that hasn't stopped me from loving Smith & Wesssons!

In fact, recently on my recommendation, my brother purchased a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .38 caliber revolver.

It is a very nice revolver. Since he has only limited experience with handguns, I figure that the small very nicely built Smith & Wesson Bodyguard with its laser sights in .38 would be a perfect gun for him for personal protection.

This gun is an instant classic!

No I've never been crazy about lasers, but this has a great integrated lasers setup. It's very concealable, very lightweight, and extremely simple to use.

This revolver has a stainless steel barrel, a one-piece aluminum alloy upper frame for strength, a ambidextrous cylinder release, a very comfortable "ergonomic" one-piece rubber grip, a very nice very smooth trigger pull, with an internal hammer and smooth fixed sights that won't snag on clothing.

The day my brother picked it up, he brought it over to my range on my property. We went through almost 100 rounds target shooting. All I can say is that it preformed super! It has very good accuracy with out the laser, and once the laser is activated life is just that much more easy.

And yes, it looks like there my be one or two in my future because, besides me, my wife even likes it.

And that brings me to my last point, more and more women are wanting to learn how to shoot and carry a handgun for personal protection. They don't want complicated. They was ease of use, dependability, reliability. The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard in .38 is all of that!

This is the perfect little shooter for my wife or anyone else who is a novice with guns and needs to use one.

I can't wait to purchase one for my wife as soon as I can. The problem with that is that Smith & Wesson is putting out their guns as fast as they can to meet the demand. Even Bass Pro Shop, who I visited recently along with others, said that they are back-ordered trying to get that model in.

And that's the point, Smith & Wesson is doing fine. If they are an indication as to how other American gun makers are doing, then our gun industry may be on the rebound from years of lawsuits and government intrusion.

It is great to see an American gun maker making guns in America - and doing pretty well at that.

Smith & Wesson - A Tough Success Story - Part 1

Smith & Wesson - A Tough Success Story - Part 2

Smith & Wesson - A Tough Success Story - Part 3

Story by Tom Correa