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The Beat Winds Down?: The Annual Hardy Gun & Knife Show happened
Saturday and Sunday, the 7th and 8th, in the historic Sharp County
[AR] town. The event was filled with traders, buyers and sellers but
was not necessarily filled with sales, according to those involved.
While many showed up, gun sellers say they're seeing sales in a bit of
a slump after a large boost earlier this year and late last year…
"Around here, the economy is still real tight. A lot of people don't
have a lot of money to spend and a lot of them are holding on to the
money they do have so they don't have a lot to spend on something
that's not a necessity," added Welch. He says he has seen an increase
in sales to women, especially for self-defense guns such as small
caliber, small-in-size firearms that could be carried in a pocket or
purse… (My impression is that the supply of firearms, along with
prices, is stabilizing more quickly than the supply of ammunition,
with a large proportion of gun owners having learned a lesson about
the vulnerability of the supply of the latter. A local friend just
asked my advice about purchasing a Bushmaster O.R.C. AR-15 variant,
being offered at Cabela's, in Glendale AZ, at $300 off MSRP.)
http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11466510
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Wisconsin House Passes RKBA Resolution: On Tuesday, November 3, the
Wisconsin State House unanimously passed Assembly Resolution 15. This
resolution requests the participation of the Attorney General in the
"friend of the court" brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case, McDonald
v. Chicago. The case will address the application of the Second
Amendment to the states through either the Due Process clause or the
Privileges or Immunities clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case
has major implications for the legality of restrictive gun laws not
only in Chicago, but also in other cities across the United States.
Full support by the Wisconsin Assembly and other states will only
strengthen the stance of the Second Amendment's true meaning in the
eyes of the court… (Note that due to vetoes of bills that would have
created shall-issue licensed CCW, Wisconsin remains one of two states
that lack any statutory provision for lawful CCW by private citizens.)
Illinois Republican Calls for Licensed CCW: Republican Bill Brady says
letting Illinois residents carry concealed weapons could protect them
from the kind of violence that struck Fort Hood on Thursday. Brady's
comment came at a debate among the seven GOP candidates for governor.
Each candidate was asked why he was qualified to oversee the Illinois
National Guard and public safety. Most promise to modernize the Guard
and hire professionals with experience in military and security work.
Brady says another way to improve safety is to let people carry
concealed guns. He says that would help in the case of a shooting like
the one last year at Northern Illinois University or Thursday in
Texas… (Illinois is the other state with no statutory provision for
lawful CCW by private citizens.)
http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11454316
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RKBA and Virginia Elections: Last Tuesday's election in Virginia has
been reported by some as a vote of no confidence in the Obama
administration. Maybe it was – but a closer look indicates that seven
of the nine incumbents who lost were caught flat footed on gun rights.
Generally in the United States, "there is a large advantage to
incumbency in the elections to the lower chamber at the state level."
Arguably then the most noteworthy election outcome in a lower state
legislative house is when a significant number of incumbent
legislators lose… As you can see from the chart below, five of the
losing incumbents were NRA F rated and hailed from the anti-gun wing
of the House of Delegates which was outvoted 2-1 this year on HB 1035,
a bill to repeal Virginia's ban on concealed carry in restaurants
serving alcohol. Only nine other states have such a ban… Of the
remaining losing incumbents, Valentine, Nichols, and Bowling went into
the race disadvantaged by an NRA B rating compared to their opponents'
A ratings, with Valentine's and Nichols' opponents garnering official
NRA or VCDL endorsements, respectively. It should be noted though
that VCDL endorsed incumbent Democratic Delegate Bowling based on his
long record of pro-gun votes in the General Assembly…
Will Campus Carry Pass in Virginia?: I'm making a bold prediction:
this year, the bill will pass to allow state-permitted individuals to
carry on Virginia's public campuses; next week, we will be making the
case for it. November 9 – 14 is Defense Education Week, hosted by
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus at colleges across the country,
where the issue will be brought forward as we advocate for
self-defense rights on campus. The argument is simple: there are no
grounds to deny the right to carry on campus lawfully and responsibly
for the purpose of self-defense… This is the time to engage if you
support the cause, are unsure, or disagree with the arguments. We
welcome dissenters just as much as supporters, as we believe our case
is strong and well researched. For some this may be a sensitive,
personal, and emotional issue, but we hope to have some civil dialogue
to address concerned individuals. As well, gun owners and gun-rights
advocates who are unsure about their position with concealed carry on
campus are encouraged to attend…
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14619/concealed-carry-is-coming-to-virginia-campuses
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Questions for Ohio AG: The reply I posted yesterday from Ohio Attorney
General Richard Cordray's Constituent Liaison ended with an invitation
to me: "Thank you again for contacting our office and please let us
know if you have any additional questions or thoughts about these
issues." Why, yes, thank you, I do have a few more. Two, actually. My
first question has to do with police in Ohio confronting gun owners
who are open carrying-- a legal practice, but one that still results
in potentially very dangerous encounters that could get someone
killed. I wrote AG Cordray's predecessor about it, and documented that
here and here… How hard could it be for the state's top law
enforcement officer, the AG, to write a memorandum recognizing the
legality of peaceable open carrying, and send it to every police and
sheriff's department in the state, as well as to the Highway Patrol?
One would assume flow-down communications explaining his
interpretations and positions on law enforcement issues are already
established and routine…
Another "Gun-Free Zone": … A major contributor to America's
anti-freedom, anti-family, gun-control movement is Peter Herschend,
owner of the popular Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri as well
as Celebration City, Dollywood, Stone Mountain Park, The Adventure
Aquarium, and The Newport Aquarium. Herschend has spent countless
dollars fighting the Second Amendment. Several websites describe him
as backing major "grassroots" campaigns against the right for citizens
to own firearms. The wealth of this guy is admirable. His power is
great. Yet, his push to take away guns from honest, taxpaying citizens
is about as "grassroots" as George Soros' "grassroots" effort to elect
Al Gore, John Kerry, and then Barack Obama. Silver Dollar City is
promoted as pro-family. In general it is. There is not one family in
the nation who would feel threatened by the content at one attraction
or store or exhibit in the place. Looks are deceiving however. Before
you enter the first gate, you see the No Guns Allowed on These
Premises sign…
http://www.lewrockwell.com/perry/perry50.1.html
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"Allowing" Guns on Trains: … Gun-rights proponents have noted that
Amtrak always allowed passengers' guns on its trains, deciding to ban
them only after the 2001 terror attacks. Amtrak and its defenders in
Congress have argued that the government-owned passenger line needs
more time before it can "allow" firearms onto trains… Read it again.
Because American train stations lack the insane strip-search lines,
X-ray machines, and "turn your head while I grope you" protocols that
have been installed at our airports, it doesn't much matter who is or
isn't "allowed" to carry a self-defense handgun onto a train,
according to official Amtrak "policy." Yes, the various states through
which your train may pass probably have their own, contradictory
firearms bans. You'd thus be taking your chances should local law
enforcement happen to notice that bulge in your coat when you step off
to purchase a local newspaper on the platform. But that aside, in
reality, pretty much anybody can carry a concealed weapon onto an
Amtrak train, right now… (Actually, the policy Congress has set for
Amtrak does not even pertain to carrying firearms, it pertains to
transporting them, unloaded, in checked luggage, such as one can do on
an airline flight.)
http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/allowed-to-carry-for-self-defense-69506632.html
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Easier Said than Done: … If you were to obtain a CCW, I would suggest
you take a class to learn how to use a gun as well. Not just firing
one, but learning how to take it apart, clean in, proper storage and
transporting issues, and most importantly, the legal aspects and use
of deadly force policies. You certainly have the constitutional right
to protect yourself and your family; however, I always add as a caveat
that more people are injured and/or killed by accident with their own
handguns. The fact of the matter is that most violent gun crimes are
committed by a relatively small segment of the total population… The
way to obtain a CCW is to contact your county's Sheriff's Office, or
if you are a resident of an incorporated city, your city's Police
Department, for information on obtaining a CCW license. They can
answer your questions and provide you with copies of their CCW policy
statement and the State's Standardized CCW Application. If you live
within a jurisdiction of a city police department, you may apply to
the county Sheriff's Office for a CCW license. However, only residents
of a city may apply to a city's Police Department for a CCW license.
One point to remember is that California law does not recognize CCW
licenses issued in other states… (Never mind the fact that it is
almost impossible to obtain a CWP in Sacramento County, although that
may not be the case if you have the good fortune to live up in
California's Mother Lode. Oh yes, Officer Michelle is mistaken about
the proportion of people injured or killed with their own firearms.)
What is the Meaning of "Powerful"?: A 5.7-millimeter pistol used in
the Fort Hood shooting was purchased legally by suspect Nidal Hasan at
a Texas gun shop, law enforcement officials said Friday… Records
indicate Hasan bought the FN 5.7 at store called "Guns Galore" in
Killeen, Texas, in recent months and that gun was used in the attack
that left 13 people dead, one of the officials said. The pistol has
been dubbed a "cop killer" by those who have tried to stop its use…
The most powerful type of ammunition for the FN 5.7 gun is available
only to law enforcement and military personnel. Gun control advocates
call it a "cop killer" weapon because that ammo can pierce bulletproof
vests, and its use by Mexican drug cartels worries police. It is not
clear what kind of ammunition was used in the Fort Hood attack… (I
would consider the ancient .45-70 cartridge to be more powerful than
the more modern but much smaller .223. However, the .223 is much more
likely to penetrate soft body armor due to its much higher velocity,
among other factors. Whether Hasan had illegally obtained the
restricted armor-piercing bullets for the FN Five-seveN pistol is
irrelevant to the military personnel he shot as none of them were
wearing body armor. I have seen recent news accounts that report
police sergeant Kimberly Munley as having been wounded three times in
"in the arm and leg," parts of the body not normally covered by soft
body armor. Remember that the 125 gr. .357 Magnum SJHP round is the
"gold standard" by which other handgun rounds are rated for "stopping
power.")
Available Ammo: …The SS190 AP ball FMJ is designated as Armor Piercing
(AP) ammunition, designed to penetrate body armor. Its sale to
civilians is restricted and BATF mandates that FN stores the
ammunition in a bonded warehouse and releases only upon sale to
law-enforcement or military purchase order. The SS190 bullet has a
steel penetrator and an aluminum core. It is interesting to note that
the SS109 FMJ bullet is essentially of the same design, except it uses
a lead core with a steel penetrator. The SS109 is frequently found in
civilian-legal M855 loads sold as surplus or contract-overrun
ammunition. FN Herstal has stated that the SS190 round will easily
penetrate protections that stop normal pistol rounds, but will not
penetrate protections that stop the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round such as
Level IIIA armor… ("SS109" was the original Belgian designation for
the cartridge that NATO demanded as a condtion to accept the 5.56x45mm
round as a substitute for the older 7.62x51mm. The federal restriction
on ammunition that can penetrate soft body armor applies only to
handguns. Hence, it is not illegal for Americans to purchase M855
surplus ammo; "M855" is the American designation for "SS109." Most
centerfire rifle ammunition will penetrate soft body armor. )
http://www.the-armory.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/product1210.html
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Oops, Wrong House: A man who was breaking into a home on W. Bishop
Avenue, just west of King Avenue, was killed this morning when the
homeowner shot the intruder, police said. The homeowner was talking on
the phone to another family member about 10 a.m. when he thought he
heard something at the back door, police said. "The suspects had
already broken down the back door," said Flint [MI] Police Lt. TP
Johnson. Johnson said two people had broken into the home. The
homeowner was able to get a gun away from one of the intruders, which
the homeowner used to shoot one of the intruders, who died, Johnson
said. The homeowner was not injured and is cooperating with police,
Johnson said… (I have been tracking firearm-related news on the
internet for over 12 years. Incidents of victims being disarmed and
shot with their own firearms are virtually non-existent but I find
several cases like this one each year.)
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2009/11/man_trying_to_break_into_home.html
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Oops, Wrong Store: A bodega worker in Elmont scared off handgun-toting
bandits who were trying to rob the cashier when he whipped out a
shotgun, Nassau County [NY] police said. Police say the shotgun that
the worker brandished was behind the counter when the two bandits came
into the Elmont Deli at about 4:15 a.m. Saturday and pointed a handgun
at the cashier, demanding money from him. Another employee produced
the handgun, police said. "After he brought out the gun, they run
away," said Sias Jihan, a co-worker of the employee who had the
shotgun… (So, were the robbers actually facing one employee armed with
a shotgun and a second armed with a handgun? Or did the reporter or
editor confuse "handgun" and "shotgun?")
Another Company Leaves California: South Dakota is getting a new
firearms manufacturing company. Bar-Sto, a maker of auto pistol
barrels, will relocate its operations from Twentynine Palms, Calif.,
to Sturgis in the first half of 2010 and broke ground on their new
facility today. The firm expects to bring 18 jobs to Sturgis in the
next three years. "Bar-Sto is exactly the kind of quality company we
look to recruit," said Gov. Mike Rounds. "It is a family-owned
company, has been in the firearms industry more than 40 years, and has
a varied clientele that includes major gun manufacturers, private
citizens and custom gunsmiths." In addition to selling barrels to top
gun makers, Bar-Sto barrels have also been used by the U.S. Marine
Corps Marksmanship Unit, National Guard and Air Force teams, as well
as in major pistol tournaments such as Camp Perry, the USPSA
Nationals, Steel Challenge and the Masters…
http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/10147/group/home/
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"If I Only Had One Gun": David Calderwood takes on one of the
traditional fantasy topics assigned periodically to the gun writers of
yore. Okay, he offers a pretext for ignoring long guns: "…Walking down
the street with a rifle will not be an option for "civilians" and will
still upset the neighbors. If limited to one gun, only the pistol can
serve both at home and away…" Implicit in his next statement is that
he views the firearm primarily as an implement for combat. Okay, at
least he has defined his parameters. Living in elk country, I am
occasionally asked for recommendations for a "survival rifle," with
the suggestion that one will survive on a very large animal, such as
an elk or a deer. Frankly, I think it's more realistic that one would
have to and be more able to survive on small game, such as rabbit and
squirrel, which is more appropriately and more quietly taken with a
.22. I always think back to one of the articles by the late Skeeter
Skelton on this topic, in which he muses whether Smith & Wesson's
six-inch, K-frame, .22 LR K-22 might not be the single most useful
all-around firearm. Definitely not the first choice for combat but not
a bad choice for a survival gun. Oh well, let Mr. Calderwood have his
say…
