News Brief – 12/27

California has been trying to put limits on magazine capacity since 1989. The latest law, adopted in 2016, ended grandfathering of mags owned before previous bans and outlawed anything capable of holding ten or more rounds, with exceptions for police and the military.

While a federal judge overturned the current prohibition almost immediately, followed by a three-judge panel in 2020, an 11-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit last month reversed both of those rulings and sided with the state.

However, last week the same court issued a stay in the case that will last 150 days or until the Supreme Court comes to a final decision in the matter– which could impact the whole country and not just California.

Taking a page out of Indiana Jones, the FBI’s Art Crime unit earlier this month returned 14 items historic firearms dating from the 18th and 19th centuries to a host of museums they were swiped from back in the 1960s and 70s.

The priceless antiques included a rare surviving 1775 rifle made by Pennsylvania master gunsmith Christian Oerter– one of only two known in the world.

The guns were not purloined by a crack caper crew made up of specialists in their respective fields that were assembled in an hour-long cut that takes up the first act of a heist film.

Nope, the guns were all lifted by Thomas Gavin, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Now 78, he simply walked off with most of the items years ago and in many cases, it was months before the museums even noticed they were gone.

Gavin pleaded guilty earlier this year after some of the guns showed up at an auction and received a day in prison and about $50K in fines and restitution.

Savage used to make popular pistols, the M1907 series which remained in production for a couple of decades in several variants.

Reportedly, even General Patton carried one. While the company has made a few bolt-action pistols (see last week’s Model 110 PCS) and at least one AR-15 pistol, they have been largely absent from the handgun market since the 1930s. Well, until now anyway.

The new Savage Stance– which looks *a lot* like the Honor Guard Compact from Honor Defense– is a 7/8/10+1 capacity micro 9mm depending on which magazine you use that is about the same size as the Glock 43. While there is not an optics-ready option (come on, Savage, we are heading into 2022 here!) they do offer the gun in black, FDE, and gray, as well as options for factory-installed lasers, manual safety levers, and night sights.

The asking price runs from $479-$548 depending on the model. In other words, about the same price as a Glock. Good luck with that, Savage.

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