THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS

On April 28th 1996, a maniac in Australia shot 35 people in Port Arthur. Capitalizing in the typical knee-jerk reaction way, the government enacted a draconian gun ban law.

Just 12 months after those gun ban laws went into effect in Australia, homicides jumped 3.2%, armed robberies jumped 44% (!), assaults jumped 8.6% and in the state of Victoria there was a 300% increase in homicides.

Three hundred percent.

Prior to the new dictatorial anti-gun laws, crime statistics in Australia showed a steady decrease in armed robberies with firearms; following the gun ban, there was a dramatic increase in break-ins. In 1998, in the state of South Australia, robbery with a firearm increased nearly 60%. In 1999, assault rates in the state of New South Wales rose 20%.

This is significant evidence that contradicts what any government says when they want to disarm the general populace; "Crime will go down. You will be safer." The government propaganda machine repeats the mantra until people choke on it and finally begin to regurgitate it, convinced that they are thinking for themselves rather than parroting the government spin.

But in the end, this is not really about crime. History shows us exactly why the 2nd Amendment was written. One need only look at why the initial colonies were formed. The colonists were desperate to get out from under the oppressive reign of George III and the Church of England, which had entrenched itself deeply enough to influence every aspect of government.

In short, the colonists were the general populace. They were simple people who believed that everyone had certain rights and they took a stand. Had they been unarmed, they would have been crushed by their King's forces and the United States would not exist as it does today. Therefore, it is the shortest leap of logic to conclude why the 2nd Amendment was added to the Constitution. Any argument to the contrary demonstrates an absurd ignorance of history.

TAURUS PT-92

Sexiness:	4.5
Reliability:	5
Maintenance:	5.0
Overall:	4.85 (Excellent)

Let me start by saying that I believe the Taurus PT-92 to be the best "bang for the buck" pistol on the market today. Manufactured by Brazilian company Forjas Taurus SA, the newest version packs 17 rounds of 9mm ammo, while the previous version held 15. I have heard of a 30-round extended clip for this gun but I have not had the time to look for one.

For the test, I fired 1,000 rounds of various ammo, which included Federal Hydrashok, Remington, and primarily PMC 115gr. FMJ. There was not a single malfunction or problem of any kind.

Accuracy was as good as I would expect from a semi-auto pistol, resulting in 3" groups at 10 yards. I should point out that I'm not the most accomplished marksman with semi-auto pistols. As the clip emptied, the gun maintained a very good balance and stability. Combined with the pleasing ergonomics, this made the gun very enjoyable and accurate to shoot.

One problem that I absolutely cannot stand with many semi-autos is the fact that they are 'slow on the uptake'; the phrase that I have adopted for guns that don't fire as quickly as I can pull the trigger. This is a huge aggravation for me. Having previously owned an older model Taurus PT-92, I had high expectations for the newer version's ability to throw a lot of lead downstream very quickly. I was not disappointed. At 10 yards, I was able to hold a 10" group while firing all 17 rounds... in 5 seconds.

The PT-92 is very easy to strip and clean. The newest version includes a rail for accessorizing, for those who want to add a little sex appeal. While I am a big fan of function, such as the added rail, I am not a fan of "shiny" guns. I prefer an ugly workhorse gun over a sparkly piece that I can put in a glass case any day. For this reason, I am not impressed with the "bling" versions of the PT-92 and other guns that Taurus is now producing. The stainless version with mother of pearl handles is probably of some aesthetic value to collectors but the gold version reminds me of something out of a John Woo film.

Regardless of my personal opinions on "bling" aesthetics, I give the Taurus PT-92 a very high recommendation. It is a great weapon sporting a high-capacity magazine, near flawless reliability, good looks, and some of the best customer service in the entire industry.

Manufacturer:	Forjas Taurus SA
Action:	Double action / Single action
Material:	Carbon Steel
Finish:	Blued, Stainless, Gold
Caliber:	9mm Luger
Length:	8.5"
Barrel Length:	5"
Weight:	34oz.
Capacity:	10+1 / 15+1 /  17+1
Sights:	Fixed
MSRP:	$527.00