Arizona Gov. Hobbs Vetoes Legislation Protecting 2nd Amendment Rights

Which is worse? Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico or Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona?

As far as I am concerned, they are both Democrat birds of a radical leftist feather.

Hobbs recently vetoed a bill to protect the privacy of gun buyers from credit card companies. This has a history.

The Biden Administration "encouraged the credit card companies to create a new merchant category code to encourage a reduction in the purchase of firearms and ammunition." The bill in Arizona would have prevented this practice.

According to KAWC:

PHOENIX -- Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed legislation that supporters said would protect the Second Amendment rights of Arizonans by limiting the kind of information that credit card companies can collect, saying it would impair legitimate police work.

The proposal by Sen. Wendy Rogers addresses the fact that companies that process credit and debit card transactions uses "merchant codes'' to show the kind of retailer who made the sale. That's the process that allows credit card users when they get their bills to identify that a sale was made at a department store, a supermarket, a fast food restaurant or at a health care provider.

Where the Flagstaff Republican said that can lead to problems is when these companies create and use a special code to identify transactions made at a firearms retailer versus, say, listed as they can be now as sales occurring at a sporting goods store.

"If you purchase a firearm, they can track you,'' Rogers told colleagues. "So this bill seeks to avert that.''

To read more, go here. 

SCOTUS Rules Against Cruise Lines Over Havana Docks

Above, Royal Caribbean ship Majesty of the Seas docked at Havana Port in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against cruise line companies over a lawsuit over usage of confiscated Havana Port docks by the Cuban government. 

Back in April 2019, I took a cruise with Royal Caribbean (one of the defendants in the case) to Havana before President Trump ended Cuban cruises by Americans shortly after.

According to The Hill:

The Supreme Court on Thursday sided 8-1 against four major cruise lines in their bid to stave off a $440 million judgment for using docks at the Port of Havana. 

The case concerns voyages that Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian operated to Havana from 2016-19. The decision reinstates the $400 million judgment, but it leaves the door open for the companies to advance alternate arguments to still win as the dispute returns to a lower court. 

The case revolves around the Helms-Burton Act, which allows Americans to seek damages against anyone who “traffics in” property seized by Fidel Castro’s regime in the Cuban Revolution.  

Havana Docks had a 99-year legal right to operate the Port of Havana before it was confiscated. It used the law to sue the cruise lines over their voyages. The docks company secured a $440 million sum, but an appeals court wiped it because its property rights expired before the voyages.

Above, the Havana terminal after docking in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Shooting A Mossberg 500E .410 Gauge Shotgun

Three years ago, I went to the garage to get a gun case for a rifle to do some target shooting at the shooting range near our community.

I found one case which had something in it. I looked inside and there was a Mossberg 500E .410 shotgun that apparently my dad bought. I didn't know I had it.

As soon as I got some .410 shells, I tried it out at the range.  

Here's a couple of videos of shooting a Mossberg 500E .410 shotgun and what it can do and a Q & A video on it:

 

  

15 Things Ruger Did That Changed The Gun World

Above, the Ruger P95 9 mm semi-auto pistol. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I have two firearms made by Sturm, Ruger and Company.

They are the iconic Ruger 10/22 .22 rifle and the Ruger P95 9 mm pistol. Both have been very reliable over the years. I have never had any problem with either of them. 

It has been my experience that Ruger firearms are of high quality and at affordable prices. 

Ruger has been an innovator since the company's beginning and MSN (via The Avid Outdoorsman) posted a slideshow of 15 things that Ruger did that changed the gun world.

They begin with:

Ruger is not the kind of company that changed the gun world by building only one legendary firearm and riding that name forever. It changed the market by doing something more practical: making useful guns regular shooters could actually afford, then repeating that formula across rimfire pistols, rimfire rifles, revolvers, semi-auto rifles, bolt guns, and eventually Marlin lever actions.

That is the real Ruger story. The company started in 1949 with a .22 pistol, then kept finding ways to build firearms that were rugged, approachable, and smartly manufactured. Ruger’s own product history shows the 10/22 beginning production in 1964, and the company’s 2020 acquisition of Marlin pulled one of America’s most beloved lever-gun names into Ruger’s modern manufacturing world.

To read more, go here

Memorial Day Rain

Well, it did rain yesterday, which we needed. 

I ended up grilling hamburgers inside instead of barbecuing. I used one of my mom's cast iron frying pans that she had ever since I could remember. They came out good (with some original Stubb's barbecue sauce).

Since Denny's at the Flying J has been closed for two weeks due to a fire, out coffee group will be heading to Lil's Cafe in Thoreau today. I haven't seen any activity at Denny's to get it reopened yet. Wonder what's keeping them?

As for yesterday's rain, we did have some evening lightning and thunder. I guess the monsoon season is starting early this year. That would be nice. 

There may be some more rain coming today.

Memorial Day Thunderstorms?

Above, outside this morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today's weather may put a damper on this year's Memorial Day.

I am planning on staying home today and barbecue hamburgers. But, there is a chance of thundershowers today, about 70%. We can use the rain.

I could still barbecue rain or not, I've done it before. 

According to the National Weather Service forecast for Jamestown, New Mexico:

 Memorial Day

A chance of rain before 9am, then a chance of showers between 9am and noon, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 68. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight

A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, then a chance of showers between 9pm and midnight. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday

A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 3pm, then a slight chance of showers after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Cowboy Cooking Steak Trick

Above, grillin' a steak in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As today is Memorial Day, many people will be barbecuing their meals, whether they do it at home or camping in a national or state park. Personally, I will be barbecuing hamburgers today.

RV Travel posted an interesting article on a "cowboy cook trick" to make a tasty barbecued steak.

It begins with:

A cheap steak doesn’t have to eat like one. In the video at the end of this post, Cowboy Kent Rollins [3.52M subscribers, 425.7M views] takes a thick sirloin, one of the leaner and tougher cuts at the meat counter, and turns it into something far closer to a steakhouse plate with one simple move, a cold coffee marinade.

The trick isn’t fancy, but the details matter. Once the coffee, seasoning, and fire all line up, that budget cut gets tender, smoky, and full of beef flavor.

To read more, go here. 

G-Fandom Loses Doug Pelton

G-fandom has lost a good fan and friend.

Doug Pelton, who was a regular fixture at G-FEST conventions has passed away. He was a nice guy and I enjoyed talking kaiju movies with him at the conventions over the years. 

J. D. Lees posted: 

I'm very sad to report that our good friend and indefatigable G-fan Doug Pelton has passed on after brief hospital stay following a fall. Cause of death was cardiac arrest. Doug was a fixture at G-FEST every year until recently, when mobility issues got the better of him, and he was an active participant in Godzilla fandom for many years before G-FAN and G-FEST began. My family was very fond of him and he and Ruth kept up a regular correspondence via Facebook. We and many other G-fans and his friends will miss him greatly. Rest in Peace, Doug. (Picture is Doug with Masaaki Tezuka at G-FEST in 2015.) - J.D.

Rest in peace, Doug! 

Remembering Those Who Have Fallen

Have a safe Memorial Day.

Above, the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.

As today is Memorial Day, I thought we'd do something different. Here, we have several artists with the top ten protest songs that are still powerful today.

"Victory At Sea" First Two Episodes

As tomorrow is Memorial Day, to salute those who have fallen in defense of freedom, here are the first two episodes of the acclaimed television series, Victory At Sea. 

They are: Episode 1, "Design For War" and Episode 2, "The Pacific Boils Over"

Firearm Antiques

Above, after discovering it, I immediately cleaned and oiled the Manton shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To start this off, antique is generally defined as follows (Source: Wikipedia):

An antique (from Latin antiquus 'old, ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that is old. An antique is usually an item that is collected or desirable because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human history. Vintage and collectible are used to describe items that are old, but do not meet the 100-year criterion.

I am not an antique collector, but I do have a couple of items that are classified as antiques. They just happen to be firearms (specifically, shotguns).

Above, the Manton Double Barrel Percussion Shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first one is a Joseph Manton Double Barrel Percussion Shotgun. It was made somewhere in the 1800s (19th Century). It is not known what year exactly as it has no serial number. It is on display in my living room and I regularly keep it cleaned and oiled.

My dad bought it and I had no idea he even had it until I opened a rifle case and found it. 

Above, the Winchester Model 12 shotgun I bought.

The second antique is a Winchester Model 12 12 gauge shotgun. Its serial number indicates that it was made in 1919. Winchester Model 12 shotguns were produced from 1912 to 1964. 

As both these shotguns are over 100 years old, they fall into the antique category.

10 Lever Action Rifles That Are Making a Huge Comeback in 2026!

10 Lever Action Rifles That Are Making a Huge Comeback in 2026! video by The Gun Warehouse.

Summary:

In 2026, lever action rifles are making one of the biggest comebacks in modern firearm culture. Once seen as outdated cowboy guns, these classic rifles are now being rediscovered by hunters, collectors, and everyday shooters who value reliability, simplicity, and real world performance. Instead, they are evolving into some of the most versatile firearms on the market today.

In this video, we break down 10 lever action rifles leading the 2026 resurgence, including modernized legends from Marlin, Winchester, Henry, Rossi, and Smith & Wesson. Each rifle combines traditional lever action heritage with updated engineering designed for today’s demands whether that’s hunting in dense woods, complying with restrictive state laws, or simply owning a dependable, fast handling firearm. 

Think Twice Before Parking Your RV Overnight At A Buc-Ee's

Until a friend and I were heading to New Mexico through Colorado from South Dakota last summer, I never heard of Buc-ee's. 

Above, the Texas City, Texas Buc-ee's. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was when we were driving on Interstate 25 that we saw signs for a Buc-ee's that was a few miles ahead. We didn't stop there and proceeded south.

Last month, after visiting Galveston, Texas, we made our first stop at a Buc-ee's in Texas City. There were around 104 gas pumps and the store was enormous. At least the men's restroom was clean, but huge. The place was packed full of people. It was a zoo.

Yahoo! Life posted an article on Buc-ee's saying that people should "think twice" before one's RV overnight at a Buc-ee's. They don't allow it.

They begin with:

There you are, road tripping along I-45 from Dallas to Houston. The gas gauge is nearly empty, your wife needs a little pick-me-up, and you could go for some Beaver Nuggets or Texas BBQ brisket. Suddenly, a big sign with a baseball cap-wearing buck-tooth beaver comes into view. A few minutes later, you're pulling your RV into a Buc-ee's, one of the state's most popular roadside stopovers.

While Buc-ee's has many amenities that may tempt you to park overnight, it's not a truck stop or a rest area, either. Buc-ee's has some unwritten rules you need to know, one of which is that it doesn't want people taking up parking slots with campers or massive vehicles. Actually, it doesn't allow anyone to leave their vehicles in its lots for any length of time. What's more, 18-wheelers, commercial vehicles, and trailers aren't even allowed because its facilities are designed for passenger vehicles, not big rigs. Plus, it's trying to maintain a safe, secure environment for all its customers.

To read more, go here. 

7 Shotguns That Are Becoming Impossible To Find (Never Sell These!)

7 Shotguns That Are Becoming Impossible To Find (Never Sell These!) video by AimX Range.

Summary:

If you own any of these legendary shotguns, NEVER sell them! From the classic Remington 870 Wingmaster and Browning Auto 5 to the ultimate tactical Benelli M4 and Franchi SPAS-12, these are the best shotguns in history. Today on Ax Range, we are diving deep into the history, reliability, and cultural impact of the 6 most iconic scatterguns ever produced. Whether you are looking for the best home defense shotgun, a reliable pump-action for waterfowl, or a bomb-proof semi-auto tactical shotgun, these firearms shaped the industry.

15 Guns That Owners Wish They Had Bought Two Of

Above, a Winchester Model 12 shotgun made in 1919. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I have a friend who has a history of buying two (or more) of everything such as tools. I don't thing this quirk extends into firearms, but I really wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Speaking of buying two of everything, MSN (via The Avid Outdoorsman) posted a slideshow article on 15 guns that owners wish they had bought two of. I have some of the guns that made the list.

They begin it with:

Every shooter has at least one gun they should have doubled up on when the price was right. Maybe it was sitting cheap in the used case. Maybe it was still in production. Maybe magazines were everywhere, parts were easy, and nobody thought the market would care later.

Then the price climbed, the model disappeared, the quality changed, or the gun simply became harder to find. That’s when “I should’ve bought one” turns into “I should’ve bought two.” These are the guns that made owners learn that lesson the annoying way.

 To read more, go here.

7 Lever Action Rifles You Are Going To REGRET Selling In 2026!

 7 Lever Action Rifles You Are Going To REGRET Selling In 2026! video by Line45.

Summary:

Selling a good lever gun cheap is one of those decisions that feels smart for about twelve minutes, right up until you try to buy the same rifle back and the new owner suddenly thinks he’s sitting on museum-grade walnut and cowboy gold. The lever actions worth talking about here are the ones with real market heat behind them, where discontinued production, condition, markings, chambering, and plain old nostalgia can turn yesterday’s “extra rifle” into tomorrow’s expensive regret. 

 

Memorial Day Weekend

Above, the Jeep in Six Mile Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tomorrow is the start of this year's Memorial Day weekend.

 As has been my usual custom, I plan on spending it at home. Many others will likely do the same since gasoline prices has jumped. 

There was a time when my family and I would head to the Mother Lode region of California for Memorial Day weekend and camp in Columbia, a gold rush mining town. It still is a mining town, except it is mining tourist dollars. We camped at the Marble Quarry RV Park. It is so-named as it is near a marble quarry. 

I will probably take a Jeep drive or two into Six Mile Canyon of the Cibola National Forest. It is located right next to our community in Jamestown, New Mexico (nice and handy, eh?). 

"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (1966)

Yesterday, I was watching the classic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) on the Tubi channel. 

While watching it, I saw some scenes I don't remember seeing before. Then it hit me, this was probably the extended version that tries to emulate the Italian release that debuted in 2003. 

Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach were brought in to dub the added scenes and an imitator dubbed Lee Van Cleef's (deceased) scenes. Eastwood and Wallach didn't sound like they did in the movie (Eastwood was in his 70s and Wallach in his 80s at the time) and Van Cleef's dubber was a poor imitation.

It was interesting to see, but I much prefer (so do many critics and fans) the international theatrical version that I have on DVD. The additional scenes did not favorably enhance the story. They were more of a distraction. 

"Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974)

For the first time in years, I watched the 1974 Clint Eastwood movie, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot last night. It co-starred Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis. Gary Busey, Catherine Bach, Dub Taylor and June Fairchild had smaller roles. Screenplay and direction was by Michael Cimino.

I had the movie on VHS (I may still have it but it maybe is somewhere in the garage) and is one of my favorite Eastwood movies. The locations used were in Montana and were nicely shot.

I watched the movie on Tubi/Pluto TV and it was a nice print and, surprisingly, uncut. There were no commercials either! Best of all, it was free!

I remember seeing Thunderbolt and Lightfoot at the Roadium Drive-In in Torrance, California in 1974. 

Winchester Model 12: A Slamfire Tank of a Shotgun

Winchester Model 12: A Slamfire Tank of a Shotgun video by Pinnacle Mountain Gunsmithing.

Summary:

Hello, Friends! Today, Joel takes you through the manual of arms, features, and basic disassembly for the Winchester Model 12 shotgun we recently did some woodwork on. This is a classic design in the vintage shotgun space that has a reputation for being "unkillable." Is it well-deserved? Does this old classic hold up to today's standards? Tune in to find out! 

If you found value in today's episode, please support us by going to our website at www.pinnaclemountaingunsmithing.com to fill out our contact form and schedule your appointment today. If you can't do that, we completely understand. Just do all the good Youtube stuff: like, comment and subscribe. Hope to see you next time!

 

The Jewish Community Is Embracing Our 2A Freedom

The Jewish community is embracing the Second Amendment. 

I am surprised that they haven't up until now. Or, maybe they had but nobody said anything and kept things to themselves. 

In any case, recent events have spurred the Jewish community into taking up arms.

American Rifleman (NRA) posted an article on this.

They begin it with:

In this episode of the NRA’s The Armed Citizen Podcast, we interview Gayle Pearlstein, COO and co-founder of Lox & Loaded, a Jewish-owned and -operated gun club that now—after being launched only a year ago—has 50 chapters around the United States.

Pearlstein is an NRA-certified instructor who calls the NRA a “fantastic partner. We are truly blessed to have them on our side and helping us.”

She helped start Lox & Loaded after the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel made her—and so many others—realize she needs to do even more to show the Jewish community how to utilize their Second Amendment-protected rights to defend their own lives and loved ones.  

To read more and see the interview video, go here. 

5 Classic Hunting Rifles That Refuse to Die

5 Classic Hunting Rifles That Refuse to Die video by Firearm Collector.

Summary: 

There’s this persistent myth in American hunting circles that if you aren’t carrying a space-age chassis rifle covered in Picatinny rails and polymer, you aren’t a real marksman. But out in the real world, hunters are walking away from the "plastic-tastic" trend and reaching for the iron their grandfathers trusted.  In this briefing, we are stripping it back to the essentials and breaking down five legendary rifles that simply refused to fade away. These are machines built back when American manufacturing was measured by how many generations it would last.  We examine the blistering speed of the Remington Model 760 Gamemaster pump-action , the genius rotary magazine of the 19th-century Savage Model 99 , and the "pure-blood" steel and walnut construction of the Ruger M77 Hawkeye. We also pay our respects to the absolute gold standard, the Winchester Model 70 , before revealing our number one pick: the highly accurate, working-class Remington Model 788.  These rifles prove you don't need a five-thousand-dollar custom rig to hit the X-ring.  

💥 If you found value in this breakdown, SMASH that LIKE button and SUBSCRIBE to the channel!  

 

Top 7 Best-Selling Hunting Rifles of 2026

Top 7 Best-Selling Hunting Rifles of 2026 – The Market Has Officially Spoken video by Alpha GunReview.

Summary:

Are you searching for the best hunting rifles 2026, the best budget rifle 2026, or the best deer hunting rifle 2026? This video breaks down the real market winners based on actual sales movement, retailer demand, and buying trends across the hunting industry.

The results may surprise you. Some rifles on this list are modern precision hunting platforms while others are classic hunting legends that still refuse to disappear.

Which rifle took the number one spot in 2026?

 

Schlitz Beer Production Ending

Schlitz Beer, the "beer that made Milwaukee famous", is to be discontinued.

Pabst Brewing Company, which owns Schlitz, is dropping the beer. Schlitz beer had been brewed for over 175 years.

Above, is Schlitz beer "Once Around Life" 1972 radio music. 

According to USA Today:

Schlitz, the beer that made Milwaukee famous, is no more.

Pabst Brewing Co. is ending production of Schlitz, which began as a Milwaukee tavern brewery and was once America's largest brewer. The company, founded in 1849, was bought by Pabst in 1999.

To send the Milwaukee icon off, Kirby Nelson with Wisconsin Brewing Co. will brew a final 80-barrel batch of Schlitz on Saturday, May 23 at its Verona brewery. Nelson will then give a talk about the brand at 1 p.m.

Nelson said Schlitz deserves to go out with "dignity and respect." So, he'll be brewing with the company's specifications from 1948, when it was on top of the U.S. brewing industry.

To read more, go here. 

Willys Spring Reunion 2026

The Willys Spring Reunion was held last weekend in North Canton, Ohio. This is an annual car show of Willys Jeeps. People from around the country bring their Jeeps to show them off and have a lot of fun.

If it were closer, or if I had a trailer (it would have to be enclosed as the wind during a tow would probably shred my Jeep's vinyl top), I wouldn't mind attending. Their Fall 2025 show was held in Fulton, Missouri. 

Here's a video produced by Kaiser Willys Jeep. They are one of the vintage Jeep vendors that I buy my Jeep parts from.

For more information on the Willys Reunion, go here.

G-FAN #150 At The Printers

Above, G-FAN #36, the first issue I saw.

Mrs. Ruth Lees reported on Facebook that the last issue of G-FAN is currently at the printers and should be done by the May 27.

It is issue number 150 and she said that it will be "extra long & extra good."

While it is sad that this is the final issue, but it is still remarkable that it lasted for so many years. I first discovered it in 1998 with issue number 36 at Tower Records in Sherman Oaks, California. It was started in 1992 by J. D. Lees. I don't think any other fan magazine has lasted so long with so many issues. I checked, but I didn't see anything in the website of Guinness World Records for longest-running fan magazine (or fanzine). 

However, the AI feature of Google posted this:

• G-FAN: Deemed the world's longest-running fanzine (fan magazine) dedicated specifically to a film subculture, this quarterly publication began covering Godzilla and Japanese monsters in 1993.

G-FAN started out "as a four-page photocopied newsletter for distribution to three recent acquaintances who were also Godzilla fans." (Source: G-FAN.com history.)  It began its run as a professionally printed magazine with issue number 8.

So we should be seeing G-FAN #150 arriving in our mailboxes in early June. 

15 Guns That Got More Respected After The Market Moved On

Above, the Winchester Model 12 shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The firearms market can be fickle. What was a hot item at any given time can fall out of vogue for something else. But, eventually, they come back into favor with shooters for various reasons. 

The Avid Outdoorsman took a look at 15 guns that got more respect after the market moved on.

They begin with:

Some guns don’t get their full credit while they’re still easy to find. They sit on racks, get passed over for newer models, and spend years being treated like plain working guns. Then production changes, prices climb, parts of the market shift, and shooters start realizing those old “regular” guns had more going for them than anyone wanted to admit.

That’s how a lot of respected firearms earn their second life. Not through marketing, not through internet noise, but because owners finally compare them against what replaced them. These are the guns that got more respected after the market moved on.

To read more, go here.