Saturday Shootaround

Welcome to Saturday Shootaround, the weekly 2A and shooting roundup here at MVAP. This week’s verse was written by Pavel Friedmann. ‘The Butterfly’ was written at Theresienstadt concentration camp on 4 June 1942. On 29 September 1944, Friedmann was shipped to Auschwitz where he was murdered after selection.

The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing
against a white stone…

Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly ‘way up high.
It went away I’m sure because it wished
to kiss the world goodbye.

For seven weeks I’ve lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto
But I have found my people here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut candles in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don’t live in here,
In the ghetto.

The NICS numbers for March 2024 are in. There were 2,626,068 checks run for the month. That’s an increase of about 200k over last month, but a decline of around 400k from last year. Keep in mind, those numbers are not a one-to-one indicator of the number of guns sold. The NICS system is also used for some other purposes.

Ever wonder what would happen when a police department becomes the sole firearms dealer in a specific area? Well, that was the case in Washington DC from at least April 3, 2020, until January 4, 2021. The DC police were the only place a District resident could legally acquire a handgun for those 7 plus months.

They processed background checks for and transferred 8,038 firearms. They also wound up in an BATFE program called ‘demand 2’. Under that program, FFL dealers that have more than 25 guns they’ve processed in a given year show up at a crime scene, get heightened scrutiny of their operations. That scrutiny involves quarterly records checks and more frequent IOI (industry operations inspectors) visits.

Around 2% of all dealers are part of the demand 2 program in a given year. For 2023, there were 1323 FFLs in the program out of approximately 65,000 dealers.

I ran into a rifle I hadn’t seen before at my local the other day. It’s the Stevens 334. They’re built in Turkey and imported by Savage. It is a nice looking little rifle and it comes in at a $450 price (MSRP $509).

Here’s what Savage has to say:

Where value and performance meet, is where the Model 334 bolt action rifle excels. The rifle features a crisp trigger and a 60-degree bolt lift to allow faster loading on follow-up shots. The barrel is free-floating and button rifled for consistent accuracy. Offered in three popular calibers, the Model 334 is available in a Turkish Walnut stock option with a silver bolt or a black synthetic stock with a matte black action to match.

FEATURES

3-Position Safety

Crisp Trigger

60 Degree Bolt Lift with 3-Locking Lugs

Ergonomic Stock and Recoil Pad

Matte Black Synthetic Stock or Turkish Walnut Stock Options

3 Round Detachable Box Magazine

Matte Black Carbon Steel Receiver with Integrated Recoil Lug

Drilled & Tapped Receiver (Savage M110 Spacing) with Steel MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny Rail

Free-floating, Button Rifled, Carbon Steel Barrel with 11°Target Crown

2-Sling Swivel Studs

The 334 is currently available in .308, .243 and 6.5 Creedmoor. I am currently working on getting my hands on one for a test, so stay tuned.

This week’s gun porn is an interesting piece, even for gun porn. It’s an Ebert parlor rifle built in the schuetzen style and chambered in 4mm Flobert.

I suppose some explanations are in order. Parlor rifles were a common thing in the late 1800s among a certain segment of the population. They were used for indoor shooting, hence the appellation “Parlor”. 4mm Flobert is a rimfire cartridge that uses solely priming compound to launch a 4.3mm lead ball. They have a muzzle velocity of up to 600 fps.

Here’s what the seller has to say:

Antique German Salon or Parlour rifle in 4mm Flobert, made by Ebert of
Neuburg in Bavaria. 635mm octagonal false barrel with 150mm micro
groove insert – market St. George Munich. OAL=1035mm, LOP=335mm,
weight = 3.25Kg. The hammer will move the transfer rod. Only the front
trigger is active, rear one is a finger rest! Nice walnut stock with carved
decoration and curved schutzen style butt. Iron sights and tang mounted
peep sight. Original wood and metal patina, not restored, good bore.
Add this Germanic belle epoque rifle to your collection.