Welcome new airgunners

Welcome to the new airgunner, AB, who bought the Weihrauch HW 90, that was advertised on this blog a few days ago. Congratulations on your new purchase and hopefully you will have many years of fun shooting it. The previous owner needed to sell the rifle quickly, so he can have an MRI scan done, followed by back surgery. He is in constant pain, and his job involves daily driving. The sale ensures that he has his money to pay-at least part of-his medical bills.

To the three new airgunners who have recently received their licenses, congratulations and welcome to the world of airgunning. If anyone out there wants to sell their used air rifles, there are three new shooters in the market looking for deals. I’d be happy to place more ads for air rifles or pistols.

Sgt Gregory Clement (ret), master technician, licensed gunsmith and retired armourer of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, is well-known among competitive shooters, as he has successfully represented our country on a number of occasions in fullbore (7.62) rifle at Bisley in the UK. After winning the 1993 Trinidad Rifle Association National Championships, he was nominated by the TRA as the 1994 Sportsman of The Year. Welcome Sgt Clement to AirgunsTT.

Hopefully Sgt Clement will allow us to publish a profile on the highlights of his career sometime. It will take some urging though, as he is an unassuming man, preferring privacy to publicity.

Madagascar: When the population is unarmed

Soldiers storming the presidential palace

The above images are from Madagascar. It is instructive, insofar as it shows what can happen to a country when the citizens are unarmed. The military has arrested the legally elected prime Minister, his wife and bodyguards. The deposed President, Marc Ravalomanana, is now in exile, in Swaziland. The presidency has been handed over to Andry Rajoelina by the military. Other than France, no country recognizes the ‘new’ President, nor his transitional government.

Think it couldn’t happen here in sweet T&T? Think again. Remember 1970 and 1990.

Read more here, here and here.

Airgun Pellet Damage

Ever wonder what damage an airgun pellet will do?. Notice the entry and exit on this paint can as-the energy still not spent-the pellets continued through the zinc sheets behind. The range was about 17 yards, with 10.5 gr pellets.

Email me any interesting pix you have of pellet damage, and it may get posted.

Police corporal denied gun licence; sues State

Top:Oleg Volk

A police corporal has sued the state after being denied a Firearm User’s License by the police commissioner. Since March 2008, there is no appointed Firearm Appeal Board. Attorney Anand Ramlogan is representing the officer.

If a police corporal is trusted with a state-owned gun, which he was allowed to take home, then why isn’t he trusted with his own gun? Time to scrap these arcane, colonial-era laws and practices. These laws and practices do not serve the citizens, but rather make us prey to the bandits who never observe these laws anyway, and have no difficulty getting illegal guns.

In the government’s ongoing headhunt for a new police commissioner, one hopes that the new person is not an anti-gunner, like some previous office holders.

To the aggrieved corporal, we urge you to apply for an air rifle permit (it takes less than three weeks), and perhaps buy this 12-shot FX Revolution-pictured above-that’s sold in-country. Contact me via e-mail and I’ll tell you where.

Daylight rape in San Fernando cemetery

Photos: Oleg Volk

A woman was raped in a San Fernando cemetery, at 2 in the afternoon, even though CCTV cameras were recently installed there. The Express has the story:


Police said the Princes Town woman was seated on a tombstone next to a male relative around 2 p.m. on Sunday when a man walked up to them with a cutlass. The relative ran through some bushes and escaped. The woman was thrown on the ground by the man, who placed the cutlass to her throat and forced her to have sexual intercourse. He then calmly climbed over a broken fence and walked away. The woman made her way to the San Fernando Police Station, where her relative was reporting the incident. She was treated at the San Fernando General Hospital. Paradise Cemetery was among several places in San Fernando outfitted with close circuit cameras.

The police, instead of promptly jumping into a vehicle and getting to the scene of the crime-in-progress, waste time by having this man lodge a report. The woman was raped, and had enough time to walk to the police station (with report still being taken). This is more proof that police do not prevent crime. They investigate, after the act.

Citizens, we have a duty to protect ourselves and loved ones. Do not depend on the police for your security of person or property. You may lose both.

Civil unrest, Nursing Shortage, Crime

Shots fired, tear gas canisters thrown as tempers flared in Laventille yesterday. Watching footage on Gayelle TV, the first police unit appeared unprepared to deal with the rowdy youth.

Express story here, and Guardian story here.

Civil unrest is brewing in Trinidad. Time to get your beans, bullets and band-aids stockpiled, if you haven’t already.


1,200 NURSING VACANCIES IN T&T

Speaking of band-aids, Health Minister Jerry Narace said yesterday that there were 1,252 nursing vacancies at the various health institutions in T&T.


COMMUNITY CRIME COMPLAINTS

Yet another community complaining of violent crime. This time it’s the Roystonia Park in Couva. If this is not a reason to be armed, then what is?

Aggressive owl

A friend visited me early Sunday morning asking for help with a wildlife problem. An owl attacked his family members three times in as many days. The attack on his wife left a small laceration on her head.

On arrival at his home, the owl was well camouflaged in a nearby mango tree, observing us. Because of the direction of the shot, I decided to chase it out of the tree with stones. It flew away. A one hour wait, and still no owl. When I returned home, I got a call that the owl had returned. I could not, at least not at that moment.

The next morning I woke my shooting partner, Dave, and we headed over to my friends home to exterminate the owl. Again, the predator flew away. This time I decided not to wait. As we were exiting the gate, my friend’s wife shouted that the owl was back. This time on the plum tree, to the back of the house. Without hesitation, Dave shot the owl dead. It was brown and grey. No pics to share though. After some online research, it appears that it is the Ferruginous Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum).