by permission from Stephen P. Wenger
comments in () by the same
From GOA: …The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is waging a war on innocent gun owners, and not surprisingly, the Obama administration has done nothing to keep them in check. You are no doubt aware of how the agency has been going after honest gun dealers in recent years. Combine that with byzantine federal laws and regulations – subject to BATF interpretation – and it's no wonder the number of FFL holders has decreased almost 80%… The agency also put millions of gun owners in its crosshairs when it reclassified shotguns that are equipped with pistol grips. By decreeing in 2009 that such firearms are not "shotguns," the ATF acted as a de facto legislative-making body... quietly turning millions of gun owners into potential criminals overnight… One Senator on Capitol Hill is looking into the agency's contemptible practices and asking pointed questions of ATF Acting Director Ken Melson… ACTION: Ask your Representative to urge the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to hold hearings on the ATF. This agency needs to be on top of the Chairman's list of government abuses to investigate. You can use the Take Action feature below to send your Representative a pre-written message.
http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/alert/?alertid=26536771
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DOJ Denies Gunwalker Allegations: The U.S. Justice Department denied a claim made to lawmakers that two guns sold in purchases sanctioned by federal firearms agents were later used in a shootout that left a Border Patrol agent dead near the Arizona-Mexico border. Assistant U.S. Attorney General Ronald Weich said in a letter obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press that the claim that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sanctioned or knowingly allowed the sale of assault weapons to straw buyers who then brought them to Mexico is false. Such a claim was made about guns used by bandits in the Dec. 14 fatal shooting of Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry… Grassley, who was examining the claim received by his fellow Senate Judiciary Committee members, had previously said that he received information that appeared to partially corroborate the claim. Grassley spokeswoman Beth Pellett Levine said the Justice Department denied one aspect of allegations presented by whistleblowers and promised to give the senator a briefing. "However, the briefing has still not occurred, and documents provided with the allegations are not consistent with that denial," she said. "There are many specific questions that need to be answered in full by the Justice Department as soon as possible." …
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jPM9pJmJKqeODDsEAmM63_6YDvOg?docId=cabff60adfe4422b9bd95d1f3accda68
… If one were to ask Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich how this was allowed to happen, he might respond as he did to Senator Grassley's inquiries: "At the outset, the allegation described in your January 27 letter-that ATF "sanctioned" or otherwise knowingly allowed the sale of assault weapons to a straw purchaser who then transported them into Mexico-is false." Further, Weich makes an accusation typical of the Obama Administration, wherein accusing the accuser is routine. "We also want to protect investigations and the law enforcement personnel who directly conduct them from inappropriate political influence. For this reason, we respectfully request that Committee staff not contact law enforcement personnel seeking information about pending criminal investigations." Assistant Attorney General Weich issued the denial and warning on February 4th, 2011 and raised the stakes in a high-level game of chicken with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Grassley's response was quick and effective issuing this letter with attached corroboration of the charges…
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/02/sen_grassley_time_for_atf_to_c.html
Senator Charles Grassley has written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder dated February 9 concerning "serious allegations from ATF whistleblowers." Per Grassley: "ATF agents told my staff that the agency allowed the sale of assault rifles to known and suspected straw purchasers for an illegal trafficking ring near the southwest border. Authorities allegedly recovered two of those weapons at the scene of a firefight near the southwest border on December 14, 2010. Customs and Border Protection Agent Brian Terry lost his life in that firefight and may have been killed with one of those two rifles." … "Unfortunately," Grassley informs Holder, his request that ATF brief his staff has been met with little more than "delay and denial." Citing the Justice Department response to his inquiries denying allegations and requesting that his office not question law enforcement investigators, Grassley reconfirms to Holder "the allegations I received are supported by documentation," and reminds the Attorney General "there is a difference between inappropriate political influence and appropriately holding officials accountable to the American people." …
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/breaking-news-grassley-to-holder-terry-family-deserves-answers
What Can You Do?
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/congressional-research-service-can-be-used-to-expose-project-gunwalker
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Another Look at the 90% Myth: … The remaining 22,800 firearms seized by Mexican authorities in 2008 were not traced for a variety of reasons. In addition to factors such as bureaucratic barriers and negligence, many of the weapons seized by Mexican authorities either do not bear serial numbers or have had their serial numbers altered or obliterated. It is also important to understand that the Mexican authorities simply don't bother to submit some classes of weapons to the ATF for tracing. Such weapons include firearms they identify as coming from their own military or police forces, or guns that they can trace back themselves as being sold through the Mexican Defense Department's Arms and Ammunition Marketing Division (UCAM). Likewise, they do not ask ATF to trace military ordnance from third countries like the South Korean fragmentation grenades commonly used in cartel attacks. Of course, some or even many of the 22,800 firearms the Mexicans did not submit to ATF for tracing may have originated in the United States. But according to the figures presented by the GAO, there is no evidence to support the assertion that 90 percent of the guns used by the Mexican cartels come from the United States – especially when not even 50 percent of those that were submitted for tracing were ultimately found to be of U.S. origin. This point leads us to consider the types of weapons being used by the Mexican cartels and where they come from…
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110209-mexicos-gun-supply-and-90-percent-myth
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It Sounds as Though…: The White House is pressing ahead with rules meant to slow the flow of weapons to Mexico, a high-ranking U.S. official said on Wednesday, despite fears among gun control advocates that the Obama administration may be backing away from the plan. In an attempt to curb gun running to Mexico, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in December it would tighten reporting requirements for dealers in several southwest states on sales of multiple semi-automatic weapons… The ATF made an emergency request for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the new rules, which are opposed by the powerful gun lobby. The OMB concluded the request did not qualify for emergency consideration, which would have allowed it to approve the new rules in January, and it could be months before the OMB acts, he said… (While this sloppily written propaganda piece does detail the claim in its opening sentence, it sounds as though F Troop will gain the approval for the multiple-purchase report on long guns, just so long as they allow the normal 60-day period for public comments.)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/09/us-usa-firearms-mexico-idUSTRE7187AV20110209
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A New Poster Child for the Prohibitionists?: The fiancee of a congressional staffer killed along with five others in the shooting that severely injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., urged state lawmakers Tuesday to ban gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Authorities said Jared Loughner, who is charged in last month's shootings near Tucson, used a high-capacity magazine to fire 31 shots in 15 seconds from a pistol he purchased legally… Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, has authored House Bill 2711, which would reclassify magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds as prohibited weapons. As such, their manufacture, sale and possession would be a felony… Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., have introduced similar bills in Congress… O'Brien, a nurse in the neurology unit at the Tucson Medical Center, had been engaged to Zimmerman, Giffords' community-outreach director, for six months. They planned to marry next year. She said that although she supports every American's right to bear arms, limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds would help prevent mass killings… (A British commentator recently opined that the prohibitionist movement in the US is suffering because James Brady is no longer able to make public appearances. Is O'Brien being set up as the new Brady? Oh yeah, full capacity magazines were not illegal under the old "assault weapon" ban. It was just illegal to sell new ones to private citizens; it was no crime to retain one you had already acquired legally nor even to sell or purchase one that was not marked as post-ban.)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/02/09/20110209slain-gabrielle-giffords-staff-.html
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NRA's Next President: Two faces that are quite familiar to conservatives nationwide will be moving to some key positions. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union since 1984, is leaving the helm of the nation's oldest conservative membership organization. Keene, who is also a vice president of the National Rifle Association, is expected to assume the presidency of the NRA once held by the late Charlton Heston… (I'm not convinced that an NRA president can make much difference beyond being a useful figurehead. LaPierre seems to have the bureaucracy well sewn up. In fact, unless someone can convince me otherwise, I don't believe one can get to be NRA president without the support of that bureaucracy.)
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=41701
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Montana Could Upgrade FFA: Lawmakers in the state of Montana who initiated the idea of a Firearms Freedom Act to declare guns made, sold and kept in the state exempt from federal regulations now want to beef up the plan. They want penalties to apply to any "official, agent, or employee" of the federal government "who purposely or knowingly enforces a law, regulation, or order of the United States relating to a personal firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition manufactured in this state." The idea follows closely the outline of a provision adopted by Wyoming when lawmakers there originally approved their own Firearms Freedom Act. WND reported when Wyoming included penalties for any agent of the U.S. who "enforces or attempts to enforce" federal gun rules on a "personal firearm." The costs there could be up to two years in prison and $2,000 in fines for an offender. Meanwhile, a number of additional states are considering during their 2011 legislative sessions the provisions of a firearms freedom act, and they could double the number of states with such laws…
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=261893
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"Common Sense" Infringements in Delaware: Gov. Jack Markell announced a package of bills Wednesday aimed at strengthening Delaware's gun laws. Calling the legislation "common-sense bills," Markell immediately drew criticism from gun-rights advocates as well as proponents of tighter controls. Markell outlined a slate of gun-control measures during his 2008 campaign, but these are the first bills he helped draft and recruit sponsors for. As he announced the proposed legislation, Markell was flanked by state and local police, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden and several elected officials. The first-term governor insisted the bills will not affect responsible gun owners, saying he saw them as tweaks to existing laws…
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110210/NEWS02/102100356/1114/entertainment/Markell-announces-package-gun-bills?odyssey=nav|head
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Life in California: A long-term list member just submitted this:
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Oops, Wrong Church: James McAbee, pastor at the Lighthouse Worship Center on West Cardinal Drive, was prepared to defend his church on Sunday when burglars targeted the building. McAbee said he had left church and was traveling on West Cardinal Drive toward U.S. 69 at about 2 p.m. when he saw a young man punching a window out of the church's youth building. The teenager was standing on another teen's back, who was down on all fours. The pastor dialed 9-1-1 as he circled back to the church and was told by a dispatcher that a squad car would arrive in five to 10 minutes, he said. McAbee said he was content to wait on authorities, until he heard items being thrown around inside the youth center, which was being renovated. Not wanting to see the church's progress go to waste, McAbee said he told the 9-1-1 operator that he was a concealed weapon permit holder and was going to tell the men to lie down until police arrived… (All's well that ends well but Texas is more lenient than most states regarding the use of deadly force in the protection of mere property. Had things gone worse, would the potential damage to the church been worth the cost of a legal defense at trial and the pastor's reputation in the community?)
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/crime/article/Pastor-nabs-two-burglary-suspects-at-his-church-1000219.php
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Confronting Burglars: A 38-year-old man was fatally shot while trying to break into a car on the Northeastside, police said Monday. Donnell Dennis, who was homeless, was shot about 11:20 p.m. Sunday by the owner of a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban at 4057 Millersville Road, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Kendale Adams said. Adams said Dennis was armed and ordered two men to the ground. Instead, they opened fire on Dennis. Only Dennis was hit in the exchange of gunfire. The men, identified in a police report as Aaron and Matthew Arnold, both of Indianapolis, have not been charged in the shooting, but the case has been handed to the Marion County prosecutor's office for review. ((Don't assume that just because you are armed the burglar you confront is not. Is it worth the risk?)
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011102010352
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Walmart Fires Four for Disarming Shoplifter: The shoplifter smashed Gabriel Stewart up against a wall. It didn't take him long to realize that pressure against his lower back was from a loaded gun held by a desperate man who didn't want to go to jail. The gunman had a firm grip on Stewart's shoulder, telling him and three of his Walmart co-workers, "Don't make me do this." …Instantly, Shawn Ray and Justin Richins kicked into gear, spinning the gunman around. Lori Poulsen ripped the gun away and secured it. They all held onto the man until police arrived minutes later. The four Layton [UT] Walmart employees felt it was mission accomplished. Police officers told them they had done everything right. But a week later, all four were fired from their jobs. Walmart said their actions had violated company policy and put their fellow workers and shoppers at risk… (I can see Walmart not wanting employees to risk escalation by confronting those known to be armed but this was a situation of an immediate and unexpected threat. Perhaps Walmart should simply stop using "loss-prevention officers.")
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=14319284
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Oops, Wrong Trail – Some Background: A 15-year-old Cordova [TN] teen who was shot to death last Thursday was killed while participating in a robbery, investigators said Monday. Demario Burnett was found just after 3:30 p.m. Thursday, suffering from a gunshot wound, in front of a home in the 2600 block of Breezy Ridge Trail. Burnett was taken to Saint Francis-Bartlett, where he later died. Monday, police said Burnett was participating in a robbery at the time he was shot… After the case was reviewed by the MPD's Homicide Bureau, and presented to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, it was determined that no charges would be filed in his death. According to police, 18-year-old Avian Jackson shot-and-killed Burnett. Investigators said Jackson agreed to buy a gun from Burnett for $130. But when they met up Thursday afternoon, Burnett put a gun to Jackson's head and robbed him. Jackson told investigators he pulled his own gun and squeezed of five shots, hitting Burnett three times - once in the right arm, once in the right side of his chest, and once in the right side of his back. He will not be charged with a crime, and has been released from jail, after police determined the shooting was "justifiable homicide." …
http://cordova.wmctv.com/news/people/teen-killed-shooting-was-participating-robbery/52013
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Rule Four Reminder: He was on the hunt for pesky birds in the rafters. One landed on the floor. The plant manager allegedly got down, lay low, fired bird shot from a rifle but missed the bird. However, according to a River Falls [WI] police report and a criminal complaint, an employee was hit in the back of the head. A felony charge for injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon was filed against the 29-year-old plant manager of Best Maid Cookie in the River Falls industrial park… The victim is a 28-year-old Baldwin man who had just started working at Best Maid. He claimed he was about ready to toss some cookie dough into a bin when he felt something like a bee sting above his ear. He also claimed to extract a tiny piece of lead from his head. The alleged shooter, the plant manager, was unaware of what happened. He thought he'd just missed the stray bird and walked off. The injured employee said he remained at his post for almost another hour because he wasn't allowed to leave his cookie machine unattended… (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it. It sounds as though this mishap occurred with a pellet gun.)
http://www.rivertowns.net/event/article/id/97645/publisher_ID/19
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Ten Way Burglars Check if You're Home: Burglars prefer to break into a home when no one is at home. To determine whether the owners are home or not, burglars have come up with several tricks for finding empty homes to burglarize. If homeowners can eliminate some of these telltale signs of an empty house, they may decrease the chance of being burglarized when they are gone…
http://www.lewrockwell.com/rep2/burglar-tricks.html
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Federal Recalls .45 ACP Ammo: Various products are affected: American Eagle® (AE45A, AE45N1, or AE45A250), Champion™ (WM5233), GoldMedal® (GM45B), Hi-Shok® (45C, 45D) and Federal® Personal Defense® (C45C, C45D). Affected lots are 38X628 through 38X765 and 38T401 through 38T414.
http://www.federalpremium.com/pdf/45_Auto_warning.pdf
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Sabre Defense Indictments: A federal grand jury charged Nashville-based gun manufacturer Sabre Defence Industries and five company officers with illegal international arms trafficking. Sabre's largest customer was the U.S. military until the company shuttered operations late last year… In July 2004, Savage displayed his frustration with United States regulators in an e-mail to Hill and Shearon cited in the indictment: "This Iraq situation has companies banging on our door for M16s because we are the only supplier outside the U.S. since the State Department has a lump of granite up their asses with exporting machine guns to anywhere. … I'm not prepared to have bureaucrats in another country tell me how to run my business in the UK, which is incidentally their only reliable ally on the planet." Multiple subsequent e-mails cited in the indictment show company officials openly discussing skirting authorities…
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110209/NEWS03/102090366/2066/NEWS03/Nashville-gun-maker-Sabre-charged-illegal-arms-trafficking
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But Why?: Gun Digest presents a video of the Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge revolver carbine. I see no point is firing shot shotshells down a rifled bore and, if I wanted a carbine chambered in .45 Colt, would take a look at Rossi's replicas of the 1892 Winchester – with the caveat that they probably will require smoothing of the internal parts. As to the Winchester buck-and ball loads, I'd rather use a .45 Colt, out of a revolver or a carbine, or a 20-gauge shotgun. No mention is made of placing your ears closer to the barrel-cylinder gap. As H.L. Mencken observed, no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people. If you want one as a toy, at least have the honesty to label it as such.
http://www.gundigest.com/firearm-gun-reviews/video-gun-review-rossi-circuit-judge
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Arizona Gun Laws Debated: … Already some of the least restrictive in the nation, there are now moves to make it easier to carry guns into more places. Arizona State Sen. Steve Gallardo opposes many of the bills now before the legislature; he'll explain why. Also joining us Hildy Salzo, president of Arizonans for Gun Safety, and Alan Korwin, a national gun-law expert. We will take a look at a recent undercover investigation by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg into one Arizona gun show. Bloomberg would like sellers at such shows to do background checks on all potential buyers… (This video clip runs about 11½ minutes. In my opinion Korwin fails to point out that the majority of gun-show transactions involve licensed dealers and that a private citizen can lawfully sell a firearm without a background check at home or any other location in Arizona. I'm not that impressed with the argument for stricter enforcement of existing laws when there are so many bad ones on the books.)
http://www.azfamily.com/news/politics/politics-unplugged-arizona-gun-laws-115295064.html
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http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/alert/?alertid=26536771
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DOJ Denies Gunwalker Allegations: The U.S. Justice Department denied a claim made to lawmakers that two guns sold in purchases sanctioned by federal firearms agents were later used in a shootout that left a Border Patrol agent dead near the Arizona-Mexico border. Assistant U.S. Attorney General Ronald Weich said in a letter obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press that the claim that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sanctioned or knowingly allowed the sale of assault weapons to straw buyers who then brought them to Mexico is false. Such a claim was made about guns used by bandits in the Dec. 14 fatal shooting of Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry… Grassley, who was examining the claim received by his fellow Senate Judiciary Committee members, had previously said that he received information that appeared to partially corroborate the claim. Grassley spokeswoman Beth Pellett Levine said the Justice Department denied one aspect of allegations presented by whistleblowers and promised to give the senator a briefing. "However, the briefing has still not occurred, and documents provided with the allegations are not consistent with that denial," she said. "There are many specific questions that need to be answered in full by the Justice Department as soon as possible." …
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jPM9pJmJKqeODDsEAmM63_6YDvOg?docId=cabff60adfe4422b9bd95d1f3accda68
… If one were to ask Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich how this was allowed to happen, he might respond as he did to Senator Grassley's inquiries: "At the outset, the allegation described in your January 27 letter-that ATF "sanctioned" or otherwise knowingly allowed the sale of assault weapons to a straw purchaser who then transported them into Mexico-is false." Further, Weich makes an accusation typical of the Obama Administration, wherein accusing the accuser is routine. "We also want to protect investigations and the law enforcement personnel who directly conduct them from inappropriate political influence. For this reason, we respectfully request that Committee staff not contact law enforcement personnel seeking information about pending criminal investigations." Assistant Attorney General Weich issued the denial and warning on February 4th, 2011 and raised the stakes in a high-level game of chicken with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Grassley's response was quick and effective issuing this letter with attached corroboration of the charges…
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/02/sen_grassley_time_for_atf_to_c.html
Senator Charles Grassley has written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder dated February 9 concerning "serious allegations from ATF whistleblowers." Per Grassley: "ATF agents told my staff that the agency allowed the sale of assault rifles to known and suspected straw purchasers for an illegal trafficking ring near the southwest border. Authorities allegedly recovered two of those weapons at the scene of a firefight near the southwest border on December 14, 2010. Customs and Border Protection Agent Brian Terry lost his life in that firefight and may have been killed with one of those two rifles." … "Unfortunately," Grassley informs Holder, his request that ATF brief his staff has been met with little more than "delay and denial." Citing the Justice Department response to his inquiries denying allegations and requesting that his office not question law enforcement investigators, Grassley reconfirms to Holder "the allegations I received are supported by documentation," and reminds the Attorney General "there is a difference between inappropriate political influence and appropriately holding officials accountable to the American people." …
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/breaking-news-grassley-to-holder-terry-family-deserves-answers
What Can You Do?
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/congressional-research-service-can-be-used-to-expose-project-gunwalker
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Another Look at the 90% Myth: … The remaining 22,800 firearms seized by Mexican authorities in 2008 were not traced for a variety of reasons. In addition to factors such as bureaucratic barriers and negligence, many of the weapons seized by Mexican authorities either do not bear serial numbers or have had their serial numbers altered or obliterated. It is also important to understand that the Mexican authorities simply don't bother to submit some classes of weapons to the ATF for tracing. Such weapons include firearms they identify as coming from their own military or police forces, or guns that they can trace back themselves as being sold through the Mexican Defense Department's Arms and Ammunition Marketing Division (UCAM). Likewise, they do not ask ATF to trace military ordnance from third countries like the South Korean fragmentation grenades commonly used in cartel attacks. Of course, some or even many of the 22,800 firearms the Mexicans did not submit to ATF for tracing may have originated in the United States. But according to the figures presented by the GAO, there is no evidence to support the assertion that 90 percent of the guns used by the Mexican cartels come from the United States – especially when not even 50 percent of those that were submitted for tracing were ultimately found to be of U.S. origin. This point leads us to consider the types of weapons being used by the Mexican cartels and where they come from…
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110209-mexicos-gun-supply-and-90-percent-myth
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It Sounds as Though…: The White House is pressing ahead with rules meant to slow the flow of weapons to Mexico, a high-ranking U.S. official said on Wednesday, despite fears among gun control advocates that the Obama administration may be backing away from the plan. In an attempt to curb gun running to Mexico, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in December it would tighten reporting requirements for dealers in several southwest states on sales of multiple semi-automatic weapons… The ATF made an emergency request for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the new rules, which are opposed by the powerful gun lobby. The OMB concluded the request did not qualify for emergency consideration, which would have allowed it to approve the new rules in January, and it could be months before the OMB acts, he said… (While this sloppily written propaganda piece does detail the claim in its opening sentence, it sounds as though F Troop will gain the approval for the multiple-purchase report on long guns, just so long as they allow the normal 60-day period for public comments.)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/09/us-usa-firearms-mexico-idUSTRE7187AV20110209
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A New Poster Child for the Prohibitionists?: The fiancee of a congressional staffer killed along with five others in the shooting that severely injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., urged state lawmakers Tuesday to ban gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Authorities said Jared Loughner, who is charged in last month's shootings near Tucson, used a high-capacity magazine to fire 31 shots in 15 seconds from a pistol he purchased legally… Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, has authored House Bill 2711, which would reclassify magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds as prohibited weapons. As such, their manufacture, sale and possession would be a felony… Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., have introduced similar bills in Congress… O'Brien, a nurse in the neurology unit at the Tucson Medical Center, had been engaged to Zimmerman, Giffords' community-outreach director, for six months. They planned to marry next year. She said that although she supports every American's right to bear arms, limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds would help prevent mass killings… (A British commentator recently opined that the prohibitionist movement in the US is suffering because James Brady is no longer able to make public appearances. Is O'Brien being set up as the new Brady? Oh yeah, full capacity magazines were not illegal under the old "assault weapon" ban. It was just illegal to sell new ones to private citizens; it was no crime to retain one you had already acquired legally nor even to sell or purchase one that was not marked as post-ban.)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/02/09/20110209slain-gabrielle-giffords-staff-.html
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NRA's Next President: Two faces that are quite familiar to conservatives nationwide will be moving to some key positions. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union since 1984, is leaving the helm of the nation's oldest conservative membership organization. Keene, who is also a vice president of the National Rifle Association, is expected to assume the presidency of the NRA once held by the late Charlton Heston… (I'm not convinced that an NRA president can make much difference beyond being a useful figurehead. LaPierre seems to have the bureaucracy well sewn up. In fact, unless someone can convince me otherwise, I don't believe one can get to be NRA president without the support of that bureaucracy.)
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=41701
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Montana Could Upgrade FFA: Lawmakers in the state of Montana who initiated the idea of a Firearms Freedom Act to declare guns made, sold and kept in the state exempt from federal regulations now want to beef up the plan. They want penalties to apply to any "official, agent, or employee" of the federal government "who purposely or knowingly enforces a law, regulation, or order of the United States relating to a personal firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition manufactured in this state." The idea follows closely the outline of a provision adopted by Wyoming when lawmakers there originally approved their own Firearms Freedom Act. WND reported when Wyoming included penalties for any agent of the U.S. who "enforces or attempts to enforce" federal gun rules on a "personal firearm." The costs there could be up to two years in prison and $2,000 in fines for an offender. Meanwhile, a number of additional states are considering during their 2011 legislative sessions the provisions of a firearms freedom act, and they could double the number of states with such laws…
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=261893
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"Common Sense" Infringements in Delaware: Gov. Jack Markell announced a package of bills Wednesday aimed at strengthening Delaware's gun laws. Calling the legislation "common-sense bills," Markell immediately drew criticism from gun-rights advocates as well as proponents of tighter controls. Markell outlined a slate of gun-control measures during his 2008 campaign, but these are the first bills he helped draft and recruit sponsors for. As he announced the proposed legislation, Markell was flanked by state and local police, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden and several elected officials. The first-term governor insisted the bills will not affect responsible gun owners, saying he saw them as tweaks to existing laws…
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110210/NEWS02/102100356/1114/entertainment/Markell-announces-package-gun-bills?odyssey=nav|head
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Life in California: A long-term list member just submitted this:
There are about 2,350,000 residents in Riverside County, Ca. and about 625 CCW permits. (0.03%). The County Board of Supervisors recently approved a resolution urging the sheriff to grant concealed firearms permits to law-abiding residents who cite "personal defense" as the reason for wanting one. Even though this resolution passed, it is my belief that "personal defense" is not being accepted by the Sheriff as a reason for issue. I was recently approved after first being denied in 2003. I was told then that my "Good Cause" statement (GC) was not sufficient to pass muster. I believe my 2003 statement was stronger than the one I submitted a few months back but now I know it contained "poison words." Sheriff Stan Sniff has clarified the GC necessary to convince the department that the issue is "warranted" and needed. He has eased (slightly) the "requirements" for obtaining a CCW permit. While an applicant must still comply with all the standard California "Objective" criteria, the GC statement has and still is the lone "Subjective" element…While the rest of his summary does not included his own good-cause statement, if you are in Riverside County, I can forward to you what he did send or ask him if he is willing to be contacted directly.
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Oops, Wrong Church: James McAbee, pastor at the Lighthouse Worship Center on West Cardinal Drive, was prepared to defend his church on Sunday when burglars targeted the building. McAbee said he had left church and was traveling on West Cardinal Drive toward U.S. 69 at about 2 p.m. when he saw a young man punching a window out of the church's youth building. The teenager was standing on another teen's back, who was down on all fours. The pastor dialed 9-1-1 as he circled back to the church and was told by a dispatcher that a squad car would arrive in five to 10 minutes, he said. McAbee said he was content to wait on authorities, until he heard items being thrown around inside the youth center, which was being renovated. Not wanting to see the church's progress go to waste, McAbee said he told the 9-1-1 operator that he was a concealed weapon permit holder and was going to tell the men to lie down until police arrived… (All's well that ends well but Texas is more lenient than most states regarding the use of deadly force in the protection of mere property. Had things gone worse, would the potential damage to the church been worth the cost of a legal defense at trial and the pastor's reputation in the community?)
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/crime/article/Pastor-nabs-two-burglary-suspects-at-his-church-1000219.php
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Confronting Burglars: A 38-year-old man was fatally shot while trying to break into a car on the Northeastside, police said Monday. Donnell Dennis, who was homeless, was shot about 11:20 p.m. Sunday by the owner of a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban at 4057 Millersville Road, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Kendale Adams said. Adams said Dennis was armed and ordered two men to the ground. Instead, they opened fire on Dennis. Only Dennis was hit in the exchange of gunfire. The men, identified in a police report as Aaron and Matthew Arnold, both of Indianapolis, have not been charged in the shooting, but the case has been handed to the Marion County prosecutor's office for review. ((Don't assume that just because you are armed the burglar you confront is not. Is it worth the risk?)
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011102010352
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Walmart Fires Four for Disarming Shoplifter: The shoplifter smashed Gabriel Stewart up against a wall. It didn't take him long to realize that pressure against his lower back was from a loaded gun held by a desperate man who didn't want to go to jail. The gunman had a firm grip on Stewart's shoulder, telling him and three of his Walmart co-workers, "Don't make me do this." …Instantly, Shawn Ray and Justin Richins kicked into gear, spinning the gunman around. Lori Poulsen ripped the gun away and secured it. They all held onto the man until police arrived minutes later. The four Layton [UT] Walmart employees felt it was mission accomplished. Police officers told them they had done everything right. But a week later, all four were fired from their jobs. Walmart said their actions had violated company policy and put their fellow workers and shoppers at risk… (I can see Walmart not wanting employees to risk escalation by confronting those known to be armed but this was a situation of an immediate and unexpected threat. Perhaps Walmart should simply stop using "loss-prevention officers.")
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=14319284
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Oops, Wrong Trail – Some Background: A 15-year-old Cordova [TN] teen who was shot to death last Thursday was killed while participating in a robbery, investigators said Monday. Demario Burnett was found just after 3:30 p.m. Thursday, suffering from a gunshot wound, in front of a home in the 2600 block of Breezy Ridge Trail. Burnett was taken to Saint Francis-Bartlett, where he later died. Monday, police said Burnett was participating in a robbery at the time he was shot… After the case was reviewed by the MPD's Homicide Bureau, and presented to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, it was determined that no charges would be filed in his death. According to police, 18-year-old Avian Jackson shot-and-killed Burnett. Investigators said Jackson agreed to buy a gun from Burnett for $130. But when they met up Thursday afternoon, Burnett put a gun to Jackson's head and robbed him. Jackson told investigators he pulled his own gun and squeezed of five shots, hitting Burnett three times - once in the right arm, once in the right side of his chest, and once in the right side of his back. He will not be charged with a crime, and has been released from jail, after police determined the shooting was "justifiable homicide." …
http://cordova.wmctv.com/news/people/teen-killed-shooting-was-participating-robbery/52013
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Rule Four Reminder: He was on the hunt for pesky birds in the rafters. One landed on the floor. The plant manager allegedly got down, lay low, fired bird shot from a rifle but missed the bird. However, according to a River Falls [WI] police report and a criminal complaint, an employee was hit in the back of the head. A felony charge for injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon was filed against the 29-year-old plant manager of Best Maid Cookie in the River Falls industrial park… The victim is a 28-year-old Baldwin man who had just started working at Best Maid. He claimed he was about ready to toss some cookie dough into a bin when he felt something like a bee sting above his ear. He also claimed to extract a tiny piece of lead from his head. The alleged shooter, the plant manager, was unaware of what happened. He thought he'd just missed the stray bird and walked off. The injured employee said he remained at his post for almost another hour because he wasn't allowed to leave his cookie machine unattended… (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it. It sounds as though this mishap occurred with a pellet gun.)
http://www.rivertowns.net/event/article/id/97645/publisher_ID/19
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Ten Way Burglars Check if You're Home: Burglars prefer to break into a home when no one is at home. To determine whether the owners are home or not, burglars have come up with several tricks for finding empty homes to burglarize. If homeowners can eliminate some of these telltale signs of an empty house, they may decrease the chance of being burglarized when they are gone…
http://www.lewrockwell.com/rep2/burglar-tricks.html
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Federal Recalls .45 ACP Ammo: Various products are affected: American Eagle® (AE45A, AE45N1, or AE45A250), Champion™ (WM5233), GoldMedal® (GM45B), Hi-Shok® (45C, 45D) and Federal® Personal Defense® (C45C, C45D). Affected lots are 38X628 through 38X765 and 38T401 through 38T414.
http://www.federalpremium.com/pdf/45_Auto_warning.pdf
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Sabre Defense Indictments: A federal grand jury charged Nashville-based gun manufacturer Sabre Defence Industries and five company officers with illegal international arms trafficking. Sabre's largest customer was the U.S. military until the company shuttered operations late last year… In July 2004, Savage displayed his frustration with United States regulators in an e-mail to Hill and Shearon cited in the indictment: "This Iraq situation has companies banging on our door for M16s because we are the only supplier outside the U.S. since the State Department has a lump of granite up their asses with exporting machine guns to anywhere. … I'm not prepared to have bureaucrats in another country tell me how to run my business in the UK, which is incidentally their only reliable ally on the planet." Multiple subsequent e-mails cited in the indictment show company officials openly discussing skirting authorities…
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110209/NEWS03/102090366/2066/NEWS03/Nashville-gun-maker-Sabre-charged-illegal-arms-trafficking
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But Why?: Gun Digest presents a video of the Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge revolver carbine. I see no point is firing shot shotshells down a rifled bore and, if I wanted a carbine chambered in .45 Colt, would take a look at Rossi's replicas of the 1892 Winchester – with the caveat that they probably will require smoothing of the internal parts. As to the Winchester buck-and ball loads, I'd rather use a .45 Colt, out of a revolver or a carbine, or a 20-gauge shotgun. No mention is made of placing your ears closer to the barrel-cylinder gap. As H.L. Mencken observed, no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people. If you want one as a toy, at least have the honesty to label it as such.
http://www.gundigest.com/firearm-gun-reviews/video-gun-review-rossi-circuit-judge
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Arizona Gun Laws Debated: … Already some of the least restrictive in the nation, there are now moves to make it easier to carry guns into more places. Arizona State Sen. Steve Gallardo opposes many of the bills now before the legislature; he'll explain why. Also joining us Hildy Salzo, president of Arizonans for Gun Safety, and Alan Korwin, a national gun-law expert. We will take a look at a recent undercover investigation by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg into one Arizona gun show. Bloomberg would like sellers at such shows to do background checks on all potential buyers… (This video clip runs about 11½ minutes. In my opinion Korwin fails to point out that the majority of gun-show transactions involve licensed dealers and that a private citizen can lawfully sell a firearm without a background check at home or any other location in Arizona. I'm not that impressed with the argument for stricter enforcement of existing laws when there are so many bad ones on the books.)
http://www.azfamily.com/news/politics/politics-unplugged-arizona-gun-laws-115295064.html
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