It's here!

Back in April, there was a flurry of disapproving (to put it mildly) media coverage of the fact that Eric Thompson, owner of TGSCOM was promoting self-defense, especially for college students, by offering guns at his cost. The critics got especially indignant over the fact that Thompson, lacking the mystical mind-reading powers to divine the intentions of the (technically) human pieces of garbage who shot up Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, sold them some of the hardware used in those atrocities--fully in accordance with every pertinent law.

Like anyone else in the gun rights advocacy community, I tend to take umbrage at the vilification of someone who followed all the draconian rules regulating the gun trade, but is still blamed for the evil acts of others. That his audacious willingness to, instead of retreating, come out and actively (and articulately) confront the advocates of forcible citizen disarmament, simply deepened my respect for Mr. Thompson.

So, I ordered a gun from him. OK--that sounds a bit more noble than it actually was. I wanted this übercool gun, and his price (with the "at cost" deal) was too good to pass up.

I had to wait for it (as I would have no matter where I'd ordered it--the magnum version of "The Judge," that accepts 3" magnum .410 shells, wasn't to be had from anyone), but it's here now. Enjoy my bloody awful photography:

(click to enlarge)

I have it loaded with Winchester 3" magnum .410 000 buckshot (5 pellets of .36 caliber) in the first two chambers, and Buffalo Bore 255 grain flat points in the last three.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson!