Cutting Off Dick's

Dick's Sporting Goods is taking a beating after they announced that they are siding with the anti-gun mob. 

The pro-Second Amendment community is not taking Dick's actions without retaliation.

According to the NRA-ILM:

We have recently been reporting on the bizarre anti-gun activism of one of the nation’s larger firearm retailers, Dick’s Sporting Goods and its affiliated Field & Stream stores. First, the company announced it would stop selling most centerfire semi-automatic rifles at its stores, carry only limited capacity magazines for semi-automatic guns, and ban firearm sales to certain legally eligible adults. It then took the further step of declaring it would destroy its inventory of the newly-restricted firearms at company expense. And if that weren’t enough, the news also recently broke that the company had hired expensive D.C. lobbyists to push for gun control measures on Capitol Hill.   

Dick’s, in other words, was positioning itself as a rising star in the field of corporate gun control activism, in obvious contradiction of its own financial interests. 

Now, however, the pro-gun community is parrying Dick’s gun control thrust with their own countermeasures, while customers appear to be eschewing Dick’s to search for bargains elsewhere. 

Last week, the Board of Governors of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries – voted unanimously to expel Dick’s Sporting Goods from membership in the organization. While the NSSF noted it supports the rights of its members to make individual business decisions, it determined that Dick’s new polices do not “reflect the reality of the vast majority of law-abiding gun owners” and constitute “conduct detrimental to the best interests of the Foundation.” Law-abiding gun owners, the company added, “should not be penalized for the actions of criminals.” 

Meanwhile, members of the firearms industry have also begun withdrawing their products from Dick’s and Field & Stream outlets. 

For me, I'll just go to Big 5 Sporting Goods instead.

To read more, go here. 

Ruger 10/22 .22LR Rimfire Carbine Rifle

Above, the Ruger 10/22 Rimfire Carbine Rifle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While shopping in a Big 5 sporting goods store today, I stopped in the gun section and noticed a Ruger 10/22 rifle for sale. It was priced on sale at around $279.

That jogged my memory of when I bought my 10/22 for about $85-90 back around 1982 or 1983 at a Big 5 store. Their website lists the price at $319.99.

The 10/22 is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, firearm in America. It is a fun plinking rifle.

A little about it (by Big 5):

Ruger 10/22 .22LR Rimfire Carbine Rifle 

The Ruger 10/22 rifle is America's favorite .22LR rifle, with proven performance in a wide range of styles for every rimfire application. Ideally suited for informal target shooting, plinking, small-game hunting and action-shooting events, 10/22 rifles have sold in the millions since their introduction in 1964. With their legendary action and renowned, reliable rotary magazine, all 10/22 rifles are sleek, perfectly balanced, rugged and superbly accurate. 

• .22LR-caliber
• 18.5" barrel
• 10-round rotary magazine
• Stainless steel barrel
• Synthetic stock
• ScoRuger 10/22 .22LR Rimfire Carbine Riflepe base included
• Semi-auto action

As regular readers of this blog recall, I had to surrender my guns to the LAPD due to a temporary restraining order action. I was able to get all of my guns back (after the temporary restraining order was dismissed), except my 10/22. It had to be registered with the Bureau of Firearms before I could get it back. It was a hassle, but I got it back after the Department of Justice cleared it.

I noticed that used 10/22 rifles of the early 1980s are sought out by collectors (apparently they were better made back then with a walnut stock) who are willing to pay $200 (and up) for them.

According to a member of the calguns.net forum:

According to Google Fu an '82 is pre plastic trigger group housing and I believe (could be wrong) it has real blueing on the receiver vice the cheesey paint they use nowadays. A bit more desirable. I would buy it for $200 if it was in good condition.