http://www.spw-duf.info
comments in () by the same
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DC Post-Heller: …The District seemed to be on the verge of getting a
bill through Congress, but a rider that would have wiped out local gun
control laws was too much for some to bear. Buying liberal dogma,
local leaders, Democrats in general and liberals en masse refused to
back the voting rights bill because of the gun amendment. What a
shame. Truth is, lifting D.C.'s gun control laws would have had little
effect. Federal laws would have stayed in place, as they do in more
than 40 states. Since the Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that D.C.'s
stringent gun ban was invalid, have the streets become more dangerous?
No, no and no. The city council passed the Firearms Registration Act
in December 2008, to comply with the Heller v. D.C. decision. Since
then, police have registered 1,118 firearms: 785 handguns and 333
long-barrel guns. Gun crime has not increased. "People who legally own
guns are not a problem for police," says D.C. police union President
Kris Baumann. "There has never been a single crime committed with a
registered gun in the District." I'm with Mayor Adrian Fenty and
council members such as Jack Evans who would have swallowed the gun
pill to get the vote. Liberal dogma killed the bill… (That's actually
D.C. v. Heller – the District lost its gamble when it challenged the
ruling of the Court of Appeals. I reiterate that there is no
Constitutional basis for DC to have a representative in Congress. And,
while I believe that further restoration of the RKBA can only have a
favorable effect on life in DC, Heller I just barely cracked open the
door.)
Virginia Prohibitionists Target Senators: Both sides of the gun debate
took aim today at federal lawmakers. One side says the government is
doing too much, while the other side believes lawmakers are not doing
enough. Today, the latter side gave local newspaper readers a $12,000
argument for better gun control. But in Washington, the other side
delivered its message, in person. You'll find it, on page A3 of the
Richmond Times-Dispatch… a $12,000 advertisement/open letter to
Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner. It was signed by six people,
including one survivor of the Virginia Tech massacre, and the mother
of one more. "We're disappointed in our legislators, we're upset with
our legislators," said Lori Hass, whose daughter, Emily, was injured
in the 2007 shootings. Hass and other Virginia Tech families want
lawmakers to close what they call the "gun show loophole", even though
she's well aware that's not how gunman Seung-Hui Cho got his [emphasis
added]...
http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=12338141
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Here's a Switch: As one of the few ACLU affiliates to affirmatively
support the Second Amendment, all of us at the ACLU of Nevada have
respect for responsible gun owners, and we often work with gun rights
advocates on issues of common concern. Just the other week, our good
friend Robert Johnson from Gun Owners of Nevada invited us to try our
hand at shooting. Staff Attorney Maggie McLetchie and I made the trip
out to Boulder City and, I'll be honest, as two people who had never
used a gun before, we didn't know what to expect. I was hoping that
I'd at least hit the target! After a comprehensive lesson on firearm
types and safety protocols, we were each set up with a .22 caliber
gun. Maggie was up first… (While the rest of the posting is a few
photos with expanded captions, this is at least as encouraging as a
"how this reporter got her carry permit" article.)
Attention, California: On Wednesday, April 28, the Assembly
Appropriations Committee will hear Assembly Bill 1810 and Assembly
Bill 2223. The committee members need to hear from you today
regarding these continued attacks on our Second Amendment rights.
Under AB1810, the make, model and serial number of the firearm as well
as the identifying information of the purchaser would be recorded and
kept on file by the California Attorney General's office. If AB1810
were enacted, violent criminals would continue doing what they do now
– obtain firearms through illegal means. This bill would not decrease
crime but will rather have disastrous effects on the already
financially unstable Golden State. AB1810 would impose additional
burdens on California's taxpayers to maintain the registration system
as well as on the state's licensed firearms dealers, small businesses
who already deal with extensive business requirements. One simply
needs to look at Canada, a nation with draconian firearms
registration, to see the results – billions in cumulative
administrative costs, annual cost overruns, no clear substantiation of
public safety benefits, unjust prosecution, and a bureaucratic
complexity that daunts those willing to comply. Ironically,
California is considering a new registration scheme as Canada is
considering doing away with its system. AB2223 would outlaw the use of
lead shot when shooting or hunting in state-run wildlife management
areas. There is no scientific evidence justifying this proposed ban.
It is intended only to discourage hunting in California and that is
why the Humane Society of the United States is in full support. AB1810
and AB2223 are very serious threats to the rights of California's
law-abiding gun owners and must be defeated. Please contact the
members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and strongly voice
your opposition to AB1810, and AB2223. Contact information can be
found below. Also, please contact your Assembly Member in opposition
to these bills. Their contact information can be found here…
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=5766
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Oops, Wrong House: Investigators say a man was sleeping in a back
bedroom when he heard two suspects in a different bedroom. He armed
himself with a semi-automatic weapon and confronted the suspects. He
says a physical confrontation started when one of the suspects waved a
clothes iron at him. The man felt threatened and shot that suspect
several times. The other suspect took off and is still on the loose.
Deputies have not released the name of the injured suspect. But they
do say he has a warrant out for his arrest. He was taken to Tampa
General Hospital where he is listed in critical condition. Sgt. Scott
Bell of the Hillborough County [FL] Sheriff's office, says they are
still investigating the incident. But it's unlikely that the man
living in the home will face any charges. "You have every right to
protect yourself and your property on your own property. If somebody
comes at you with a threat on your property you have every right to
defend yourself." No word yet on what the suspects were trying to
steal. (No word yet on why the mention of a semi-automatic weapon was
crucial but at least it shows the public that this erroneously
demonized category has legitimate, lawful uses.)
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=130425
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Historical Footnote: Someone had called to say the Ku Klux Klan was
coming to bomb Robert Hicks's house. The police said there was nothing
they could do. It was the night of Feb. 1, 1965, in Bogalusa, La. The
Klan was furious that Mr. Hicks, a black paper mill worker, was
putting up two white civil rights workers in his home. It was just six
months after three young civil rights workers had been murdered in
Philadelphia, Miss. Mr. Hicks and his wife, Valeria, made some phone
calls. They found neighbors to take in their children, and they
reached out to friends for protection. Soon, armed black men
materialized. Nothing happened. Less than three weeks later, the
leaders of a secretive, paramilitary organization of blacks called the
Deacons for Defense and Justice visited Bogalusa. It had been formed
in Jonesboro, La., in 1964 mainly to protect unarmed civil rights
demonstrators from the Klan. After listening to the Deacons, Mr. Hicks
took the lead in forming a Bogalusa chapter, recruiting many of the
men who had gone to his house to protect his family and guests…
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/us/25hicks.html?ref=obituaries
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Tactical Anatomy: I have referred before to James Williams' Tactical
Anatomy training program. The linked video clip takes a while to get
around to a brief mention of the three aiming points Dr. Williams
recommends – brainstem, upper mediastinum and lateral pelvis. If you
do take the time to watch it, notice the argument for abandoning the
erroneous term "center of mass." Also, note that the primary component
of the training is to be able to perceive the recommended aiming
points in three dimensional perspective.
http://www.policeone.com/policeonetv/videos/1702896-james-s-williams-m-d-tactical-anatomy/
http://tacticalanatomy.com/
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Mr. Gadget Update: The U.S. Marine Corps has solved the problem of the
many illumination devices troops attach to their rifles, by combining
four of them (flashlight, IR, or infrared, flood, IR designator and
visible laser, or red dot, designator) in one device, the PEQ-16. All
this began when troops found flashlights and visible lasers were very
useful assault rifle accessories… The U.S. Army combined some of these
in the MFAL (Multi-Functional Aiming Lights). This looks like a small
flashlight, and attaches to the rifle. But this device can put out
visible, or invisible (infrared, or IR) light. When using IR, you go
into a cave providing light only you can see, with your night vision
equipment. If you are real quiet (or sort of quiet), you have a big
advantage over the bad guys trying to hide in the dark. This rig also
allows you to see any booby traps the enemy may have laid for you.
MFAL also emits a laser pointer (like the older "red dot"), but one
that cannot be seen by the enemy (unless they also have night vision
gear, which they usually don't.) The MFAL was developed with the help
of feedback from combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The marines
developed a similar device, the PEQ-15, which had IR and laser. The
PEQ-16 is the PEQ-15 with a white light added… (Note the correct use
of the term "assault rifle" - a rifle capable of fully automatic fire
using a cartridge intermediate in power between the pistol cartridges
used in submachine guns and traditional "battle rifle" cartridges,
such as the .30-06 and .308.)
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/20100423.aspx
In Afghanistan, one new rifle sight, the ELCAN SpecterDR optic, has
become particularly popular. That's because this 1.5 pound (660 gram)
scope has a convenient lever that instantly switches between the lower
and higher magnification. The 1x/4x version goes for $1,900, while the
1.5x/6x version costs $2,400. This feature is particularly useful in
Afghanistan, where longer range fire is more common. Often you have
some targets nearby, and others that are more distant. More commonly,
you start shooting at a distant enemy, as the Taliban like to ambush
from a distance, to avoid accurate fire from 5.56mm weapons. But
American troops will close in, and at a certain point, the 1x or 1.5x
scope image is preferable. The scope is waterproof, and the battery
will last from 600 to 3,000 hours (depending on how much the LED
illuminator is used.) The reticles are still visible if the battery is
dead. There is also a user selectable red-dot and area fire circles.
The red dot reflex sight is similar to the point-and-shoot viewfinder
found in cameras for many years. The red dot sight proved more
accurate than iron sights, could be used with both eyes open and was
generally more effective at typical combat ranges (under a hundred
meters). The sight was particularly effective at night. The SpecterDR
scope is 153mm (six inches) long, 74mm (2.9 inches) wide and 78mm (3
inches) high.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htinf/articles/20100419.aspx
Snipers will take a lot of effort to achieve a more accurate shot.
This has led to the use of portable ballistic computers. But there is
also a ballistic computer in a wristwatch (along with a digital
compass and all the usual digital watch features.) This is the "5.11
Field Ops Watch" (costing about $240). While a bit bulky, it works,
and the battery lasts for over a year, even with heavy use. Hunters
are the main market, but snipers have found it useful. It means one
less thing for snipers to carry. Snipers usually travel light. Last
year, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps began issuing handheld ballistic
computers. The 17 ounce Trimble PDA type device is loaded with Horus
Vision targeting software. This enables shooter to more effectively
hit targets over 2,000 meters distant. The $2,000 device is dust and
waterproof, and uses rechargeable battery AA batteries. The devise
also has Blue Tooth and WiFi, as well as a speaker and microphone. The
software handles things like weapon model, target speed and range
estimation, wind speeds and many other factors. Shooters can also add,
and store, data particular to their weapon, or several weapons (and
recall the data for the one you are using.) … (Many years ago, a list
member whom I often cite anonymously, shared a fable about two
long-range shooters preparing for a challenging shot. By the time the
well equipped shooter had done all his calculations, etc., the other
guy had taken and made the shot. Fortunately for Mr. Gadget, the story
took place in a match, not a battle. I make no claim of being a
long-range precision rifleman – of whom we've got a few on the list
who've "done it for real." My impression, however, is that within the
practical range of a .308 rifle, the primary issues are range
estimation and wind doping in that order and there are specialized
scopes to assist in those areas. As ranges get longer, particularly
1,000 yards or farther, numerous other factors, including rotation of
the bullet and rotation of the earth, come into play and ballistic
computers become invaluable.)
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/20100420.aspx
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NRA-ILA Alerts: List members are encouraged to check the alerts for
the week, posted on the NRA-ILA website.
