Hope, Change, and Shortage

This is my new toy (thanks Kelly!). I added it to the stable about two days ago. It's a CZ 75B, and it's chambered in 9x19.

Slide fit to frame is nice. It needs to have a good workout, and I plan on doing that very soon.

I've been looking at purchasing this pistol for quite some time (about a year), and finally did it.

Some would protest the 9mm cartridge, and they have that right. I own several handguns, chambered in cartridges from 22LR to .50 AE. While I do like my 1911 pistols (.45 ACP), I have recently begun to have a penchant for the 9mm. There are several reasons for that, but I won't go into them here.

The day after I purchased the CZ, I ventured out to a few places near Houston to find powder and primer so that I could continue to reload (a task which I will perform today after updating this blog). The first place I went to was completely out of powder and primer. Well, that's not altogether true. They did have a couple of pounds left, but it was specialty powder. They were completely out of primer. I've never seen anything like it.

So, I came home and started checking out the internet. I was able to find about five pounds of powder. It's a different powder than I am used to, but I will have to give it a try. It just may be the thing for the new pistol. Then again, maybe not. Either way, it is certainly better than having no powder.

The search for primer still continues. I looked online this morning for close to two hours, and I turned up empty. Most places aren't even taking orders on primer because the suppliers are backed up for months.

What's going on?

Recently the government tried to prevent the sale of expended military brass to the public. The edict went out a few months ago. The public could still buy the brass, but it would have to be destroyed first. That makes a lot of sense.

The outcry, as one would imagine, was great. Eventually, the government rescinded that order, and the sale of mil-surp brass is once again available to the public.

However, this started a panic. American shooters don't like the idea of being limited in what they can purchase. At one time, I did a fairly good amount of shooting. I burned about four hundred rounds each week practicing. I can't do that anymore. There just isn't the supply that there once was. Ammunition is hard to come by, and now so are the components to make ammunition on my own.

To top things off, the Federal government decided that they would test the waters in yet another area by threatening to make it illegal for me to assemble my own ammunition at home. Not only that, but it may also be illegal for me to purchase the parts to assemble my own rifle or pistol at home. This is absolutely ridiculous. Few ever thought this day would come in the US, but here it is.

This prompted Montana to pass a law that basically tells the Federal government to p*ss off. They decided that Montana citizens would no longer have to be holden to federal laws regarding firearms made in Montana and sold to Montana citizens. Ammunition is also going to be covered under this law. In short, any Montana citizen that purchases a firearm made in Montana, or ammuntion assembled in Montana, would not have to concern themselves with any federal paperwork. This is a fantastic step in the right direction, as the federal government has no business dabbling in the personal lives of it's citizens. This, and other laws recently passed by several states, has caused a line to be drawn in the sand. Texas has similar legislation on the books, and I hope it gets voted on before September.

People....
We have to remember that the federal government exists to do two things (basically).
Their assignment is to protect the borders of the United States (defend us from our enemies), and punish those that break certain laws. The Fed has been given certain specific responsibilities, and beyond that, the duties of that wchich remains belongs to the States or it's citizens. That is why we have the right to practice any religion of our choice (or not practice at all). Of course, the practice of said religion cannot cause harm on someone else, nor can that religion be racist in nature. We also have the right to do as we choose.

In short, the federal government has no more authority to do any more than you or I can do.
Yet, they over step those boundaries every day.

For example:
Let's say that your neighbor has a nice car. You decide that you want that car. You cannot go to your neighbor's place and remove this car from his/her possession. You just can't. You can't go to your neighbor's house and take his money (no matter how much you feel you should be able to do so). You can't do this (nor would you) even if your neighbor has more than enough money. That would be stealing. Yet this is exactly what is getting ready to happen. The feds will be (and have been) deciding that certain people make "enough" money, and therefore these people should pay more taxes. So, the feds pass a law that you are forced to obey, and they take more money from some folks' paychecks than other people's paychecks.

So, why is there a shortage of ammo?
People are really freaking out. They are concerned that the government is going to come and take things from them. Some say it can't happen. The same things were said through out history. And the people with power did exactly what they wanted to do. It can happen here. All signs point to just that.

Don't get me wrong. I would rather cast a ballot instead of fire a bullet.

We can make the change. But we all have to get involved, and we all have to learn our history.

Most people are fine with small changes as long as their "stuff" isn't in danger of going away. If someone went to your neighbor's place and removed their classic car from their garage because it wasn't "needed", many people wouldn't think anything of it. When those same people came to your house to remove your hobby because it wasn't "needed", you would wail. Too late. The "change" is already started.

C'mon folks. Get involved. Learn your history. Learn that we cannot make the mistakes that China, Vietnam, Russia, et al, made not too long ago. Take a stand.

Stay independent Texas.