comments in () by Stephen P. Wenger
http://www.spw-duf.info
Ninth Circuit Reconsiders Incorporation: A federal appeals court in
San Francisco on Thursday will confront America's next big gun rights
question: Whether or not the Second Amendment prevents state
governments from enacting anti-gun laws. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals will hear oral arguments in a case that's likely to decide
whether the Bill of Rights' guarantee of a right to "keep and bear
arms" restricts only the federal government and the District of
Columbia - the current state of affairs - or whether it can be invoked
to strike down intrusive state and local laws too. In an earlier
ruling in April, a three-judge panel of the same court ruled that the
Second Amendment did apply to the states, a different outcome than
appeals courts in Chicago and New York had reached. On Thursday
morning, a larger Ninth Circuit panel is scheduled to re-hear the
case, meaning the earlier decision in Nordyke v. King could be upheld
or rejected… The incorporation question is already bubbling up to the
Supreme Court thanks to the National Rifle Association v. Chicago and
McDonald v. Chicago cases and the New York Maloney v. Rice case. On
September 29, the justices will meet to decide whether to accept those
cases for the 2009-2010 term; those appeals courts declined to apply
the Second Amendment to state laws…
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/23/taking_liberties/entry5333538.shtml
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The Beat Goes On: Bullet makers are working around the clock, seven
days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for
ammunition. Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say
they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns,
have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on
ammo, in part because they fear President Obama and the
Democratic-controlled Congress will pass anti-gun legislation - even
though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month
signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.
Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year
ago, and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of
office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System
reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued
from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period
the year before… "We are working overtime and still can't keep up with
the demand," said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based
Remington Arms Co.,, which makes ammunition for rifles, handguns and
shotguns. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a
phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the
business." Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition
a year, according to the National Rifle Association. In the past year,
that figure has jumped to about 9 billion rounds [emphasis added],
said NRA spokeswoman Vickie Cieplak… (That's only a 29% increase.
Other sources have cited a 40% increase as being the point beyond
which added demand cannot be met. I assume that the Associated Press
writer and editor do not appreciate the difference between "bullet"
and "round.")
http://www.azstarnet.com/news/310335
Denise Gavin doesn't feel safe anymore without a handgun. That is why
Gavin, a Jacksonville resident who lives on the Westside, was at St.
Nicholas Gun and Sporting Goods last week to purchase a handgun. Gavin
is just one of the more than 661,000 people who have undergone a
background check since January 2008 in Florida, according to the FBI's
National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which was mandated
by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993. Because of
people like Gavin, gun and ammunition stores are still having a
problem keeping supplies in stock… One reason for the run on guns and
ammunition may have to do with politics. Rukab said about 70 percent
of his sales were handguns and - mostly in January - sales were up
about 80 percent because of gun control talk associated with President
Barack Obama's administration. But for the customers of St. Nicholas
Gun and Sporting Goods, is the hype already over? Not really. Rukab
said sales are still up 40 percent as the busy hunting season
approaches…
http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-09-24/story/gun_and_ammo_sales_still_booming_in_jacksonville
When it comes to .22-caliber ammunition favored by hunters for the
small-game season, local gun dealers say you better buy it if you see
it. Many shelves, including those stocked by Mike Brown at Sportsman's
Warehouse, 2464 U.S. Highway 6&50, are bare of the prized rounds. "We
got 18 cases (10,000 rounds) in last Friday, and we were sold out by
noon Sunday," said Brown, the store's hunting manager. "And this
wasn't just a few people hoarding ... most were buying two or three
boxes at a time." Local store owners say if you're heading out for
rifle hunting season, be prepared to pay more. While high-end
ammunition for rifles is still plentiful locally, a national shortage
of common rounds, particularly .270-caliber, 30.6 and .22-caliber,
continues to frustrate consumers in Grand Junction. The shortage is
largely attributed to fears that President Barack Obama and the
Democrat-controlled Congress will push a gun control agenda. "The
funny thing is: This president and liberal Congress has never said a
word about revisiting anything to do with ammo controls," said Jerry
Stehman, owner of Jerry's Outdoor Sports, 507 30 Road… (Big Brother
and his cohorts have said little about new infringements, having
learned a painful lesson in 1994. However, Senator Barbara Boxer has
promised to reinstate the federal ban on semi-automatic firearms, at
the time of her choosing.)
http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/09/23/092409_8a_ammo_local.html
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Sword Incident Proves Guns Save Lives: With one swift slash from a
samurai sword, John Pontolillo made a convincing case for ... private
ownership of handguns? Oh, you betcha. Pontolillo is an undergraduate
at Johns Hopkins University. Before Sept. 15, that's all he was - one
of the many JHU students who have to bust their humps studying so they
can graduate from one of the most challenging and academically
competitive campuses in the country. But nine days ago, Pontolillo
went from being a simple college guy to being in the center of a
maelstrom that developed after he slashed a burglar in the backyard of
a house he shared with fellow JHU students. Pontolillo used a samurai
sword to defend himself after the burglar lunged at him. With one
swish he nearly severed the burglar's left hand and pierced his chest.
The man bled to death before paramedics arrived… Let's ponder how the
scenario would have played out had Pontolillo been armed not with a
samurai sword, but a handgun. Would Rice have been so quick to lunge?
Would he have turned tail and skedaddled, which is what criminals tend
to do when confronted with gun-toting, law-abiding citizens? I can see
the scenario: Pontolillo says to Rice, "Mr. Burglar, I'd like you to
meet two of my best buddies ever, those esteemed Americans Mr. Smith
and Mr. Wesson. You might want to stay put until police arrive." And
Rice would have done so. Or fled. Bottom line: He'd be alive today to
tell the tale. So private ownership of firearms actually saves lives,
and could have saved Rice's… (Will this logic be wasted because it was
published in San Francisco?)
F Troop versus Tennessee: The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives has told Tennessee gun dealers to disregard a
state statute that exempts firearms made and sold inside Tennessee
from federal gun laws and registration. The ATF says the federal laws
still apply regardless of the state's move. The Tennessee legislature
considered and approved several bills this year to reduce restrictions
on firearms, including one bill that its sponsors labeled the
"Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act." It passed overwhelmingly - 87-1 in
the House and 22-7 in the Senate - despite warnings by some lawmakers
that it could subject Tennessee citizens to federal prosecution and
imprisonment… The bill was a two-fer for conservatives in the
legislature: a gun bill and a state sovereignty bill rolled into one…
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/23/atf-tells-tennessee-federal-gun-law-trumps-states/
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Knoxville Maintains Park-Carry Ban: Bring the dogs, bring the kids,
but leave the guns at home - at least in city parks…Council members
voted Tuesday night to continue the city's long-standing ban on guns
in city parks. Councilman Steve Hall's proposal to lift the ban
failed, with six of the nine members voting against. Knoxville Mayor
Bill Haslam, who's seeking the Republican nomination for governor,
didn't vote but gave the vote his support, saying the intersection of
greenways and gun-free zones such as schools would make repealing the
ban impractical… Gun-rights supporters said Tuesday night's effort
won't be their last shot… The Knox County Commission takes up the same
question Monday night. County Commissioner Greg "Lumpy" Lambert said
that vote won't go the same. "I believe this will pass on the
commission," said Lambert, a carry permit holder who's drawn his gun
on two murder suspects. "I think tonight was sad. We (gun owners) are
an organized group, and we will not forget those who voted against us
or those who didn't stand up for us." …
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/sep/23/city-ban-on-guns-in-parks-stands/
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California City May Close Range: The City of Commerce city council
recently suggested shutting down the city owned and operated firing
range to save money. The range is used by locals for target practice,
competition and law enforcement training. When the subject first came
up earlier in the year a small contingency [sic] of shooters showed up
at the city council meeting to the surprise of city council members.
It appeared at that time the range issue was dropped. Recently, the
range shut down for cleanup and lead testing. Everything has been done
for weeks now and local shooters are scratching their heads wondering
why the range hasn't re-opened. There is a growing belief that the
plan is to keep it closed, though the city has said nothing
officially. The next city council meeting in Commerce is Tuesday,
September 29 at 6:30 PM. Locals are encouraged to attend the meeting
and start asking questions of city council members as to the status.
Obviously, a large crowd of well-mannered gun owners will have a
sizeable impact. The loss of this great range have a sizeable negative
impact on local sports shooting.
http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/index.php/article-archives/132-city-of-commerce-shutting-down-range
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He's Actually Asking for Comments: … But what's remarkable, to me
anyway, is that I offered my own version of an ammo rule many years
ago: "Why not a tax? If a guy goes fishing out of King Harbor, he pays
a license fee that helps defer the cost of his hobby. By all means, if
a gun collector wants to collect, let him. But why should the rest of
us support his hobby? Why not a levy on ammunition sales? Say a 20
percent bury-the-victims tax and a 25 percent aid-the-maimed tax. That
way collectors can keep collecting and the unregulated militia can go
on being unregulated while those who get shot up by criminals and
lunatics get a few bucks to deal with the mess." … I want to hear your
comments. Connect with me at john.bogert@dailybreeze.com.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_13403913
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How to Buy a Used Firearm: Many of us, sometime in our shooting
lifetimes, will purchase a used firearm. Sometimes this will be done
for financial reasons, and other times, nostalgia might play a big
part in certain purchases and then there are those spur-of-moment type
transactions resulting from your coming upon a "good deal." Firearms
differ from other consumer products in that - with proper maintenance
- their serviceable life can be measured in generations. I own several
firearms that are over a century old but, thanks to proper maintenance
and the fact that proper ammunition for them is still available; they
are as useful today as they were in the 19th century. But that being
said, there are a lot of "dogs" out there! All too often a firearm is
put away in a closet (probably a damp one?) and forgotten. Needless to
say, such treatment does little for the firearm's appearance, to say
nothing of mechanical integrity or overall safety…
http://www.remington.com/library/remington_country_magazine/buying_a_used_gun.asp
Many of us who like revolvers prefer the older ones. Here's a lengthy
thread on how to check out used ones.
http://www.thehighroad.us/showthread.php?t=1430
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Registration Leads to Confiscation: Toronto police have seized almost
400 firearms from registered owners in a six-month push aimed at
reducing the number of guns on the city's streets. In March, officers
began soliciting registered firearm owners across the city as part of
what they call the Safe City Project. Many of those who had to
surrender their firearms had either let their registrations lapse, or
had stashed their guns improperly under beds or in closets. The
Canadian Firearms Registry stipulates guns must be stored in a secure
place. No charges were laid in the push, police said Tuesday.
Targeting people who had registered their guns is a preventative
measure, said Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair. "Legal handgun owners
are not dangerous individuals," Blair told reporters at a Tuesday news
conference. "But we know from experience that their firearms can
become extremely dangerous when they get into the hands of criminals.
And so we have undertaken a number of initiatives to reduce the
availability of those handguns."
Police estimate there are still 4,000 guns in Ontario that are being
improperly stored…
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/09/22/guns-toronto-seized-police523.html
