Reader H.L. sent: Montana Governor Vetoes State Nullification of Federal Gun Grab. Sounds like Montana needs a new Governor. Oh well, at least there are a lot of Sheriffs there with some backbone.
o o o
Some folks have jumped on the band wagon and now tout Tennessee as “The Redoubt of the East.” But violent crime statistics suggest that the American Redoubt is a much safer place to live. And the difference in the relative risk of being robbed at gunpoint is even more pronounced. (Granted, the state’s crime problem is concentrated in its three largest cities: Memphis, Knoxville, and Nashville. It is unfortunate that these population centers aren’t all at one end of the state. Thankfully the rural areas are much safer.) Tennessee’s root problem is its overall high population density. The population density of the state averages 153 people per square mile. (For comparison, Idaho has 19 people per square mile, Montana has less than 7 per square mile, and Wyoming has less than 6 per square mile.) The population of just the city of Memphis is 652,000. That is more than the entire state of Wyoming! (With just 568,000 people, Wyoming is the least populous and the second least densely populated of the 50 States. Yet it is 10th largest state, in land area.) Tennessee’s state population is more than 6.4 million. That is far greater than all of the American Redoubt counties in the five Redoubt states, combined. But you could easily fit the equivalent of seven Tennessees in a map of the American Redoubt. Note that the American Redoubt region does not include the more populous (and higher crime rate) counties of western Oregon and western Washington. The Cascade mountains make a nice buffer.
o o o
I got a recommendation for Wyoming Armory in Cody, Wyoming. They have an amazing inventory of rifles–both antique and modern.
o o o
Reader K.T. mentioned a fascinating look at the ammo-making processes at CCI–the big .22 rimfire maker in Lewiston, Idaho.
o o o
Where you can afford to live on Minimum Wage. Again, the American Redoubt fares well (Thanks to T.G. for the link.)
o o o
Some bad reciprocity news: Nevada will no longer recognize Arizona concealed weapon permits.