Tuesday, December 25, 2012

How an online gun forum keeps journalists honest

or "How M4Carbine.net's members investigated a journalist's sources for him."

  This article was published by the Charlotte, NC Observer newspaper.  The scope of the article focused on gun manufacturer's worries as knee jerk gun control bills are proposed in the wake of the Newtown, CT tragedy.

  In the article, one "manufacturer" was interviewed and a little regurgitation of the news about Cerberus unloading Freedom Group ensued.

  The interview with the "family-owned company near Charlotte is a specialty manufacturer of AR-15’s" was conducted with a Ken Rinkor who is Vice-President of Tactical Arms Manufacturer (the company).

  Mr Rinkor voiced concerns about the company's sole business (AR15 rifles) being outlawed and just happened to mention that he saw "no need" for anyone to have 20-30 round magazines, "even for personal protection."  That statement set the antenna twitching of one "Sensei" at M4Carbine.net.  It's exceedingly odd (and a bit bad for business) when an avowed AR15 manufacturer is personally against "hi capacity" magazines.  Of course, the article claims that they sell "mainly to law enforcement personnel."  WHO?  WHICH DEPARTMENTS?

  Anyway, "Sensei" posted this thread and it was on.  In roughly 24 hours, we (myself included) using freely available sources (Google.com) determined a few interesting facts about Mr. Rinkor and his company Tactical Arms Manufacturing that "sells mainly to law enforcement personnel."


  • the company's web site is jarringly poorly done but at least they link to and presumably sell lNC Star's fine line of optics (screenshot)
  • the phone number on the web site is a Florida number whereas the fax number is a Massachusetts number
  • Better Business Bureau lists the company as a Florida company
  • the ATF lists the company as being located in two locations in Orange Park, Florida
  • public WHOIS information lists this web site as being registered to Ken Rinkor of Florida, using the same addresses the ATF has on file
  • LinkedIn.com lists Ken Rinkor as the IT Director at this company with no military, firearms, nor law enforcement experience
  • And......one of the addresses on file is a UPS store .  Interesting how the address of a federal firearms dealer is a UPS store.  

  If you have handled one of these fine rifles from this company, contact me.  If you know of an actual law enforcement professional using one of these rifles, contact me.  If you're a reporter, writing an article; do some research next time and Google Edward R Murrow. Don't do such a poor job that you get called out by folks using Google.

  As for this "company," I don't think it's a real company with real products.  The website and the research above screams FAKE to me (and others).  They do have a Facebook page but aren't accepting comments and deleted negative ones that were made.  A retraction of sorts saying that the company officially does not support bans of high capacity magazines was made and then something along the lines of "if you're really a good shot, you don't need 30 rounds."  

  Good job, mi compadres at M4Carbine.net!  Newspapers, lemme know when you want to hire someone that can do research and speak knowledgeably about firearms.  

TACTICAL ARMS MANUFACTURER INC
XXXX PARK AVE STE XXX ORANGE PARK FL 32073
XXX BLANDING BLVD XXXX ORANGE PARK FL 32073
  • 561309XXXXTACTICAL ARMS MANUFACTURER INC
XXXX PARK AVE STE XXX ORANGE PARK FL 32073
XXX BLANDING BLVD XXXX ORANGE PARK FL 32073
561309XXXX

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/12/18/3734372/gun-makers-fret-as-gun-control.html#storylink=cpy%23storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Thoughts on the Connecticut atrocities

  You are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be in a mass shooting.  Yes, literally.  

  We spend more on "fighting terrorism" than we do our highways.  You have roughly a one in twenty million chance of being killed by a terrorist.  You have a one in nineteen thousand chance of being a fatality in a car accident.  However, the budget for Homeland "Defense" is at fifty billion.  The budget for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is around one billion.  Think about that.  

  Amongst the death statistics "caused" by guns in the US, suicides are counted as "murders."   

  In 1927, the deadliest school massacre in US history occurred.  People grieved, and no laws were made, no rights threatened, no knee jerk reactions were mandated into law.  Sometimes terrible things happen.  However, one mother suggests (from painful personal experience) that we do need change of another kind and that would be mental health laws and/or help for parents of children in need.  Read her truly sobering story here.  I note that she doesn't attempt the morally and intellectually bankrupt approach of blaming a knife for her son's aggression.  

  Why can't we have voluntarily armed and formally trained teachers just like our armed airlines pilots program?  

  Myself, I think we could do something to drastically lower our crime and murder rates.  


  We could end the war on drugs.

  

  

  

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

12/11/12 errata

  •  Catfish prey upon truly stupid pigeons
    

Monday, December 10, 2012

Operators, welcome!

  Nope, not a joke.  Have your speakers down (or up) for a video showing a .22 attached to a SCAR.....

  A thought.  The front page shows a guy in Army BDUs.  I've seen countless "tactical" companies hawking their wares with some guy in cammies (usually Army, the Marines are a bit more strict about this sort of thing) and/or the fabled Cooder County SWAT Team.  Respect your own uniform, gents; and don't let people give you a few rounds or free goodies in order to use the uniform to sell their stuff.