AR15s as mainstream on NBC

[SinistralRifleman]

Debbie Ferns did a good job in this interview:

http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=cfee156d...64&fg=email

[Rob Boudrie]

She sure did. It was interesting that she demoed a JP, but they interviewed the president of Stag Arms.

[Duane Thomas]

What an amazingly well-balanced segment.

And here I never knew my AR-15's pistol grip existed so I could fire it from the hip.

[dajarrel]

Gee, all my rifles are "black rifles"

Even my hunting rifles have a black synthetic stock.

It is a good piece.

Seems like the media would use the proper names for guns. Like calling it an AR-15 instead of the dreaded "black-rifle"

FWIW

dj

[mjbine]

+1 for Debbie Ferns.

[TCK]

While Debbi did a good job, I felt the media leaned to the "evil" side of the gun. Leave it to the media to put a woman on TV to demonstrate something and then add their own editorial about how bad they can be.

[Carlos]

Funny thing is:

-there are growing masses of AR-15 owners - even ones who consider themselves "AR experts" - on places like AR-15.com, who would be completely unfamiliar with the JP rifle shown, or the growing sport of 3gun (much of which is not governed by USPSA).

What are these people doing with their AR-15s?

A. the are generally, going to "the range," sitting there at a bench and (slow-fire) "shooting a group" off a rest or a bipod - over & over, weekend after weekend.

Slightly more advanced users will "take training" - which has all sorts of implications & few defined best practices.

Funny how often they scoff at the suggestion of trying out a competition.

[L9X25]

While Debbi did a good job, I felt the media leaned to the "evil" side of the gun. Leave it to the media to put a woman on TV to demonstrate something and then add their own editorial about how bad they can be.

+1

[rubberneck]

What an amazingly well-balanced segment.

And here I never knew my AR-15's pistol grip existed so I could fire it from the hip.

Some of these boneheads in the media can't get past the Hollywood BS. As if shooting from the hip somehow made a rifle more deadly. Who needs a good sight picture when trying to hit something. If I ever have the misfortune of being on the wrong end of an AR I pray the other idiot is shooting from the hip and not taking aim.

[Middle Man]

While Debbi did a good job, I felt the media leaned to the "evil" side of the gun. Leave it to the media to put a woman on TV to demonstrate something and then add their own editorial about how bad they can be.

+1

Debbie Ferns did do an excellent job!

Yep, Lisa Meyers editorial comments were straight from Brady talking points. It's some weak and lazy journalism in an otherwise even report. She didn't appear to investigate very deeply or find more than three sources. A high school newspaper writer could have done that...

That report is a loooong way from how they portrayed AR's in the early 1990's, and that is something we can all like a lot.

[tgibson]

The thing that upset me about the piece was that they referred to them as "assault rifles". That wasn't the only thing but it is the one that I remember the most.

TG

[SinistralRifleman]

You will never see a news piece 100% in our favor. This was an extremely well balanced piece for the main stream media. Debbie came off as a lot more calm and rational than the opposing side did. The piece also showed that they are increasing in popularity for a number of uses including hunting and sport shooting.

[38superman]

It seemed to be a fairly objective and balanced piece.

I've seen worse.

There always seem to be sinister overtones in gun related stories in main stream media.

You never can really tell if the theme was:

1. These evil guns are available again and lots of folks are buying them up.

Now you have to worry about being shot by some soccer mom on the way to the grocery store.

2. These guns aren't so evil after all and a great many are in the hands of men and women that enjoy them for sport shooting.

Whichever message comes through is in the eye of the beholder.

I tend to think it is #1.

The media always seems to imply that the status quo changes with the coming and going of the Brady Bill.

They don't seem to recognize that vast numbers of these firearms were still around during the Bill's tenure.

In this piece too much is made of pistol grips.

True, It was one of the criteria the bill used to define an assault rifle. So what?

Almost any rifle that can be fired from the shoulder can be fired from the hip.

"Black" rifles?

There's a negative connotation if I ever heard one.

Oh well, as I said, I've seen worse.

Any time NBC puts someone on camera using a firearm responsibly for sport, you gotta see it as a positive.

Tony

Edited July 21, 2007 by 38superman

[uscbigdawg]

I was surprised to hear the term 'Black Rifle'. Very 'gun raggy' and just odd that we didn't hear Assault Rifle sooner.

That said, Deb as always carried herself as a true professional and like most USPSA/IPSC shooters are excellent representatives of our sport.

I say this though about the anti-gun lobby and NBC. They have yet again "Jumped The Shark". Polls and political analyses have shown that the American public is not near as stupid as they would like to believe and at a minimum have a better understanding of priorities. The reality that the public has seen and seemingly understand is that the Brady Bill came and went with a silent sunset and the proported crimes and lives saved were less than a blip on the crime charts. Further, with the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, reported (not real) economic issues in the US, upcoming election(s) and so forth, anti-gun legislation is about the last thing on the average citizens' mind.

Further proof how at times the media and both sides of the aisle can be out of touch with the average American. Education and not assuming that Joe Citizen is not a mindless idiot is how we will continue to win our various legal battles and hopefully regain some lost rights/priveleges.

Moderators: Sorry if this is too political.

Rich

[SA Friday]

ya, the media LOVES the term black rifles. Just like they a frikken love affair with the term black talons. Look where that went. Correct it everywhere you hear it. If you let others paint your house, only god knows what the color it will end up being.

[SinistralRifleman]

The media always seems to imply that the status quo changes with the coming and going of the Brady Bill.

They don't seem to recognize that vast numbers of these firearms were still around during the Bill's tenure.

The Brady Act is still in effect, requiring background checks on all firearms sales through the NICS system

The AWB portion of the 1994 Omnibus crime bill is what is gone.

ya, the media LOVES the term black rifles. Just like they a frikken love affair with the term black talons. Look where that went. Correct it everywhere you hear it. If you let others paint your house, only god knows what the color it will end up being.

"The Black Rifle" is a term given to the M16 during the 1960s...many enthusiast websites still call it that. AR15.com calls it'self "Home of the Black Rifle. Black Rifle is a much more harmless term than "assault rifle". I don't think "Black Rifle" was used in a slanderous fashion in this piece at all.

Edited July 20, 2007 by SinistralRifleman

[hitman]

Buy GE stock, they own NBC.

If enough Pro G people owned this stock we could fix the lean angle.

[HoMiE]

Debbie did a good job in portraying the sport of it, but the other woman who referred to these "cop killer" rifles was expected. I don't think the media will ever give guns a good view.

[38superman]

The media always seems to imply that the status quo changes with the coming and going of the Brady Bill.

They don't seem to recognize that vast numbers of these firearms were still around during the Bill's tenure.

The Brady Act is still in effect, requiring background checks on all firearms sales through the NICS system

The AWB portion of the 1994 Omnibus crime bill is what is gone.

ya, the media LOVES the term black rifles. Just like they a frikken love affair with the term black talons. Look where that went. Correct it everywhere you hear it. If you let others paint your house, only god knows what the color it will end up being.

"The Black Rifle" is a term given to the M16 during the 1960s...many enthusiast websites still call it that. AR15.com calls it'self "Home of the Black Rifle. Black Rifle is a much more harmless term than "assault rifle". I don't think "Black Rifle" was used in a slanderous fashion in this piece at all.

I stand corrected.

Brady Bill AWB

Edited July 21, 2007 by 38superman

[GentlemanJim]

Did you notice the story line refered to them as m-16 rifles...no mistake, they always imply they are machine guns.

The term assualt rifle is also incorrect and only intended to intimidate ignorant people ...but it has stuck and many people think it is an assualt rifle.

In truth assault weapons are selective fire, full or semi.

If you tell a lie enough times....it becomes the truth.

Deb did a great job... I suspect she had much more to say that was not used.

Jim

[ima45dv8]

I found it less-than-subtle that the reporter-ette mentioned the lack of votes in Congress as the reason they are still legally available. Sounded more than a little bit like a "call to action" ad.