So What’s Ahead?

Back after more than two weeks of watching oil spread across some of my favorite places on Earth, I find myself staring semi-blankly at a stack of things that have managed to accumulate atop my desk in my absence. No, not just the bills, they are regular arrivals; the special packages that I haven’t had an opportunity to get running and wring out.

With temperatures (and humidity) near triple-digits for the next few days, I’m thankful that the majority of the new gear doesn’t need to be taken to the range to be prepped. In the deep South, summertime is the equivalent of the dead of winter in other parts of the country. You can get outside, but not without paying quite a price.

It’s also a time when your firearms and other gear are highly susceptible to one of the most damaging of all threats – rust.

High humidities cause guns to attract condensation like a leaky double-paned window. Going from air conditioning to sweltering heat will fog more than your glasses. When cold firearms are quickly taken into heat and humidity, the oily residue from physical contact with metal parts shows up as what it really is- a powerful corrosive.

For that reason, I treat my firearms the same way I do my camera equipment. If I’m going outside with advance notice, I put my gear in the garage well in advance. When I leave, it’s far closer to ambient temperatures – and prevents condensation.

And before you accuse me of being reckless, there’s a safe in the garage for that transitioning. Being cautious about your gear doesn’t mean you have an excuse to be reckless. If you own a gun – rusty or not – you’re still responsible for keeping it under control at all times. For me, that means on my side or locked in the safe during the day. At night, well, where my gun is, is none of your business.

Anyway… If I find myself going out unexpectedly, I’ve been known to put my spare magazines inside a sandwich bag until they’ve had the opportunity to warm up. It’s not such a problem if you carry a polymer sidearm, but you might want to think a little about your favorite 1911 if you run in and out of air conditioning. Keep it well lubricated – inside and out – to protect it from the elements- and contact with your skin.

Another reason I’m suffering a moderate case of writer’s block is my underlying concern when it comes to firearms these days isn’t the new gear, it’s the same old challenge- never ending threats to firearms ownership.

Don’t get me wrong, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve read some pro-Second Amendment articles in some really unlikely places- like very liberal blogs and even some mainstream media.

Net-net of the writing- some forward-thinking liberals have come to realize that the Second Amendment is just as valuable as the other numbered and enumerated rights that make the United States the place it seems most non-natives still want to live. In fact, they have realized, as was so well stated in the National Review, that “gun control has always been about control, not guns.”

So what should we be alert for?

The same challenges that existed before DC versus Heller and exist even after McDonald versus Chicago – dedicated anti-gun groups and petty bureaucrats at all levels.

Remember, both landmark Supreme Court decisions came from local challenges to local laws. A law that restricts your rights in a town of 500 is no less illegal than one that restricts the rights in a city of five million.

We also have to be alert when it comes to access to places to shoot. Some bureaucrats have figured out that eliminating public ranges gradually squeezes down public interest in shooting.

Instead of going to the range alone, we should be taking newcomers out and introducing them to recreational shooting. It doesn’t matter if you enjoy archery, air rifle or high-powered rifles, there are shooting games for any method of propulsion you can imagine. And there are people who have never tried your sport who would love it- if someone would offer them the opportunity.

And nothing discourages politicians from trying to regulate something or legislate it out of existence more than seeing growing numbers of people (voters) participating.

There are other issues, but we can’t cover them all on a Monday. Besides, there’s new gear to get unpacked and checked out.

We’ll keep you posted.

–Jim Shepherd
www.shootingwire.com