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Jeff Cooper's Commentaries - 1/Sep/94

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Barry Needham

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Sep 7, 1994, 3:49:22 PM9/7/94
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Attached is the latest issue of Jeff Cooper's Commentaries. Comments can be
sent directly to Jeff at:

Jeff Cooper
Gunsite Ranch
Paulden, Arizona 86334.

As usual, I would be happy to forward any comments from our international
readers.

Enjoy,
Barry.
=============================================================================

Jeff Cooper's Commentaries
Previously Gunsite Gossip

Vol. 2, No. 11 1 September 1994

National Condition Orange, 1994

These are indeed the times that try men's souls! A majority of both houses
of Congress has levied upon the citizens of the United States a ridiculous
piece of legislation for the sole reason of appeasing an electorate which is
deemed to be incapable of sound political judgment. The Clinton "Crime Bill"
is not aimed at crime - the matter a majority of citizens hold to be of
utmost importance - it does not even pretend to be aimed at crime. It is a
grotesque piece of catastrophically expensive social legislation attempting
to persuade the unthinking that Congress has " done something" about crime.
Crime is a moral matter and cannot be fought by throwing money at it. The
essential element of democracy is public virtue. If that is not present,
democracy fails, as indeed it seems to have done.

Every member of Congress who voted for the Clinton "Crime Bill" has cause to
be bitterly ashamed of his hypocrisy. It is up to the electorate to throw
the rascals out, and we have the chance coming up in November. Let us make
it an event to be known historically as The November Revolution, and take
the power out of the hands of those who despise us by replacing them with
candidates who are aware of the reality of public sentiment in this country.
Arizona's Congressman Bob Stump was told by the "Washington Establishment"
that if he dared to vote against the "Crime Bill," his constituents would
reject him in November. He voted against it, and upon his return to his
state, his office received just six phone calls condemning him for this and
about 700 congratulating him upon it. Behold the mainstream!

* * *

"The principal function of computers is to make life impossible without
them."

J. Dalrymple

* * *

George Mason, one of our distinguished Founding Fathers, put it very clearly
when he said that the militia is constituted of all the people, except for a
few public servants. Since the current weapon of personal choice for the
armed forces of the United States is the M16, is it not the duty of all the
people to own, operate and understand this piece? It would seem so. If this
particular weapon is termed by various people as an "assault rifle" it is
now forbidden to "all the people." This poses a critical philosophical
confrontation in American public life at this time.

* * *

Our enemies are whooping like hyenas over what they claim to be the corpse
of the American shooting public, as represented by the National Rifle
Association. As might be expected from such people, they have whooped too
soon. The NRA is embattled, as it has been since I first joined back in my
adolescence. We win some and we lose some, but we never give up the fight to
secure the blessings of liberty upon ourselves and our posterity - as it is
put in the Preamble to the Constitution.

* * *

In Arizona the new concealed carry law is now in effect, providing for the
issuance of permits to those citizens who are considered qualified. While
there are various things wrong with this law, in my opinion, it is certainly
a step forward except for those who feel that any sort of firearms license
is an illegal infringement upon personal liberty. A curious characteristic
of the law is the requirement of the exposure of the applicant to 16' hours
of qualified instruction. (Why 16? Nobody seems to have asked that question.
It is quite evident that mere exposure to a training program has no bearing
upon subsequent competence. We know of people who have sat through many
years of instruction in college English and who cannot write a coherent
sentence.) The issue, of course, is that there are not enough people to
conduct proper instruction, and the state has had to improvise all sorts of
ways of judging an instructor as "qualified." The upshot is that the
qualification program is no more than window dressing, but that is not a
serious matter. The object is that every man be armed, as Jefferson put it,
and this is a step in that direction. By the time all these permits are
issued, violent criminals will have no way of knowing whether their
prospective victims are armed or not, and this may indeed have some effect
in the deterrence of violent crime.

In the Middle Ages it was customary to rule that only the good guys could be
armed and the bad guys could not. This did not work, for obvious reasons,
but today we have reached a stage where, in general, the good guys are
unarmed, while only the criminals are armed. This situation is equally
intolerable. So now the answer may be to insure that everybody is armed,
since it may be assumed that there are a great deal many more good guys than
bad guys, the criminals will be heavily outnumbered, and that just may be
the answer we are looking for. We thus proceed toward a "polite society."

* * *

It has been reported to us that stainless steel, now so popular in the
manufacture of personal arms, will not pick up a magnet. It seems to us that
this depends upon how much of the stainless is ferrous and how much is not.
The only stainless piece we have in our possession is the Smith & Wesson
M60, and it does pick up a magnet. You might check this matter out for
yourself.

* * *

According to the Consolidated Crime Report of the FBI for the year of 1992
(the most recent complete compilation) only one-fourth of the murders
committed in this country were committed with firearms of any type, and less
than 1 percent were committed with rifles, yet Clinton's triumph specifies
the "assault rifle" as the root of all evil. Of course Bill has allies. Here
is Senator Metzenbaum of Ohio in the Constitution Subcommittee of February
10, 1989, "No, we are not looking at how to control criminals, we are
talking about banning the AK47 and semi-automatic guns!"

They cannot make it much clearer than that. Crime is not the issue at all.
Your personal weapon is.

* * *

It should be noted by those seeking to acquire a proper street rifle that
the Marlin offerings afford a better base for the installation of a
ghost-ring than the Winchesters. A good ghost-ring rear sight for this job
is that found on the Ml U.S. Carbine.
For those who prefer Winchesters, I see that Marble has now re-introduced
its Number Two tang sight, which is a very good step. This new Marble sight
has no provision for deflection adjustment. However, adjustment may be
achieved either by lateral displacement of the front sight or by shimming
the base of the tang sight.

* * *

I am informed by Mark Harris of Wolfe Publications that the three-volume
boxed set of the works of Deneys Reitz is being packaged and on the way. I
say again that people in search of a role model, and especially parents in
search of a role model for their sons, can do no better than to explore the
distinguished career of this distinguished man as an example of how life
should be lived.

* * *

We note that the new Winchester "Supreme" ammunition, previously known as
"Black Talon" (and still so labeled on the box), is fitted with a very
complex projectile intended for controlled expansion on heavy game. This
manifests admirable concern for terminal ballistic performance, which has
not always been characteristic of the manufacturers of commercial
ammunition. How it works in the field is not yet clear, and at first glance
it could seem to be rather reluctant to expand at all, since its forward
aperture is very small, and the entire front end of the bullet is made of a
bronze alloy. So we must give it a chance in the field, and hope to get good
reports from this year's hunting season, especially from elk and moose
hunters. We note that the projectile is very deeply seated in the case, and
that consequently there will be a certain amount of jump into the forcing
cone at takeoff. What effect this has on the ammunition's performance
remains to be seen. We will keep you posted.

* * *

"Young people, in my limited view, should not spend their time acting
furtive. They are not good at it, and it ruins their posture."

Wolfgang S. Hammersmith

* * *

Note that there is no gender separation in shooting. The popular tendency to
have "ladies' classes" in competition is unsound. I am strongly against
placing the female of the species in harm's way, but that certainly does not
mean that if she picks up a firearm she is under any handicap in competition
with the male of the species. It is widely held in training circles that
women have a slight advantage over men in learning marksmanship, since they
demonstrate a somewhat better attitude about taking instruction. Physical
strength is not significant. Osa Johnson backed up her husband with a double
470, and she was a tiny little woman. There is no reason for recoil or blast
to affect matters. My middle daughter, Parry, told me when she was seventeen
and shooting very well indeed, that she did not flinch because whether she
flinched or not she would still get bumped on the shoulder, and she would
prefer to get a bump on the shoulder and a hit than to get a bump on the
shoulder and a miss. (Parry, of course, was the girl who told me at one
time, "Daddy, if I can see it, I can hit it," which should be the motto of
every rifleman. I am simply not going to use the term "rifle person." As
Churchill, master of the English language, once said, "Man" embraces
"Woman," which is exactly as it should be.)

* * *

As a Director of the National Rifle Association I am honored to discover
that the President of the United States considers our organization to be a
wrench in the gears of progress. I can but wish that he would make that
matter official by presenting the Board of Directors at the next meeting
with a plaque to that effect. Personally I stand ready to receive the Medal
of Freedom whenever he chooses to send it.

* * *

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only
exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from
the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the
candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the
result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always
followed by a dictatorship.

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.
These nations have progressed through this sequence:

- From bondage to spiritual faith
- From spiritual faith to great courage
- From courage to liberty
- From liberty to abundance
- From abundance to complacency
- From complacency to apathy
- From apathy to dependence
- From dependence back again into bondage."

Professor Alexander Tyler
200 years ago while we were still a British Colony via Cas Gadomski

* * *

Hurry and phone in your reservations for the Second Annual Gunsite Reunion
and Theodore Roosevelt Memorial at Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico
(telephone: 505-445-3615). We are hoping to fill two buildings, and that
will take sixty applicants. There is a trap shooting event being held at the
same time (22, 23 October) and those people want space too. Be sure to
identify yourself as a Gunsite family member.

* * *

Continually I hear reporters speak of persons or units as being "outgunned."
I have said it before and I will say it again:

YOU ARE OUTGUNNED ONLY IF YOU MISS!

* * *

The federal ninja seem to be building up their strength, and the black
unmarked helicopters sneaked by Gunsite just today! Aircraft controllers
tell us that these people regard themselves as above the law, and do not
need clearance or authorization for any of their activities. This matter has
to be explored, and I suggest that you actuate your legislators as soon as
possible. We hear from a man who is in a position to know that one of the
best uses for laser sights is the attack to the ground from a helicopter
with a fully automatic rifle. Now who needs to know how to do this?

The oath of office reads, "To support and defend the Constitution of the
United States against all enemies foreign and domestic." The Branch
Davidians at Waco may have been kooks, but they cannot be defined as enemies
of the U.S. Constitution, foreign or domestic - nor can Randy Weaver and his
wife and child. On the other hand, federal agencies which act illegally and
without justification to employ overwhelming lethal force against U.S.
citizens must indeed come up for consideration. As we all know, no action
has been taken against the assault troops at Waco, though their surviving
victims have been sent to prison. Janet Reno volunteered to accept all
responsibility, but note that nothing has been done about that. As noted,
"These are the times that try men's souls."

* * *

I suppose there is a reason for these 40 caliber pistols. When promoting the
Bren Ten, the purpose was increased power and effective range, but I have
since discovered that excess power seems difficult to control for many
people, and excess range is irrelevant to the pistol situation. Besides, the
hot ten cartridge is no longer with us. We have the 45, which is generally a
better round, so I see no need for the 40, except as a sales item.

* * *

I am interested to learn from a correspondent now on some sort of duty in
Mugabestan that current rules in that country forbid the use of any
cartridge smaller than 375 on kudu. I have no idea who came up with this
ruling, but it does not seem sound to me. The kudu, while large, is not a
"hard" animal. The 308 or 30- 06 or 7x57 or ~70 will all put the largest
kudu down in his tracks, if the shot is well-placed. If the shot is not
well-placed the 375 will do no better. Besides which, there are some
sportsmen who are intimidated by the recoil and blast of a 375, and
consequently are less likely to place their shot well than if they are using
a 30- caliber. I am certainly not against the use of increased power in big
game hunting, but long experience convinces me that proper placement
combined with proper bullet design are decisively more important than
cartridge power.

You don't need higher velocity. You don't need a bigger gun. What you need
is fill mastery of field marksmanship.

* * *

I note when looking at the gun magazines that my forthcoming work "The Art
of the Rifle" is sorely overdue. I certainly do not presume to know all
about rifle shooting, but I know a good deal, and since there is almost no
place today where one can learn how to use a rifle properly a textbook is
sorely needed, so I am getting on it. Henceforth two-days-a-week, except
when I am traveling, will be devoted to this work.

* * *

A cougar was recently sighted at Gunsite, and we have issued a cougar alert
to all joggers. A number of people do not seem to realize that it is in the
nature of a predatory carnivore to pursue anything that runs. The fact that
it is running away suggests that it may be good to eat. Some of the joggers
we have seen on city streets do not look too appetizing, but they still
should be aware of the problem.

And on the subject of sightings, son-in-law Bruce Heath recently ran onto a
party of nine white goats (Oreamnos americanus) up on Torrey and Gray's
Peak, some 70 miles west of Denver. We learn upon inquiry that these goats
are resettled, but that does not detract from their attractiveness. A great
deal of the four-footed game in Africa is resettled, and all of the
four-footed game in New Zealand, as well as the elk of Arizona, and the
whitetails of Montana. Bruce's current project is the surmounting of all of
the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado. If he keeps this up he may meet a good
many more of those people.

* * *

Sales records suggest that the SKS seems to be obtaining the status of
"weapon of choice" amongst the oppressed lower classes, who are strapped for
cash. I would like to suggest that the newly available Enfield Mark 4, in
303 British, is a much better choice. Both of these pieces seem to be
available for less than $200, but the Enfield is a real gun, where the SKS
is a sort of hybrid. Of course the Enfield is a bolt-action weapon, where
the SKS is semi-automatic. Some people feel that a self-loader is just
better in all respects. They are wrong, but they are entitled to their
opinion.

* * *

You will note that Sara Brady now lists herself as "Chair" on publications
coming from Handgun Control. Does that not suggest that she ought to be sat
upon more often?

* * *

We note with some interest that a recent rape attempt in New York was foiled
by a couple of youngsters who were playing "splatball." When the perpetrator
knocked a girl jogger down it was noted by the participants, who proceeded
to clobber him with yellow paint. This confused him sufficiently so that he
abandoned his purpose. When apprehended by the police later, the perpetrator
claimed that he knocked the girl down in order to find out if he knew her.
The judged claimed that this was a viable reason and dismissed the prisoner
with a slap on the wrist. Obviously the newly passed "Crime Bill" will take
care of such matters for us.

* * *

"Anyone who claims that popular struggles are doomed to defeat by modern
military technology must find it literally incredible that France and the
United States suffered defeat in Vietnam; that the Shah no longer rules
Iran; Somosa in Nicaragua; that Portugal was expelled from Angola and
Mozambique; England from Palestine and Ireland; and France from Algeria."

Allan Goetlieb

* * *

I recently called to your attention the excellent book, "Racism, Guilt and
Self-Deceit" by Gedahlia Braun. This work is so politically incorrect that
the author has not yet found a publisher for it, so he has printed it up
himself. When we showed it to a distinguished family member recently, he
exclaimed, "Why this is what everybody already knows, but everybody is
afraid to say!" It is available in binder form for $20.00 from Jim
Moriarity, 4030 Birchwood Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33478.

* * *

"Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women. When it dies there, no
constitution, no law, no court can save it."

Justice Learned Hand

* * *

Many years ago the esteemed Colonel Townsend Whelen declaimed that "Only
accurate rifles are interesting," and gave birth to the accuracy mystique
which yet today bemuses a great many shooters, whether or not they can shoot
well. I am frequently addressed by correspondents who ask me whether
such-and-such a rifle, or such-and-such a pistol, is "accurate." My standard
answer is, "It is certainly more accurate than you can appreciate." The
rifle will invariably do its job, if you do yours.

* * *

Those of you who read Tolkien will recognize the current American scenario.
The Nazgul are abroad - the ringwraiths - the Black Riders. It is time to
prepare.

* * *

Please Note.' These "Commentaries" are for personal use only. Not for
publication.


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Barry Needham ba...@oes.amdahl.com Phone: ++ (408) 992-2527
Manager, Performance & Architecture Fax: ++ (408) 746-7633
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