Secondary Sights

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has released another one of its short training videos. This one features Mark Hanish of FNH-USA's 3-gun team talking about using secondary sights for taking shorter shots in 3-gun competition.

The one thing that struck me immediately is that having secondary iron sights canted off to the side would also work well on a home defense AR-15 or MBR especially if it was a be-all and do-all rifle. That is, if it was your only rifle and you used it for a number of things including home defense.

From The GOP Platform On Gun Rights

The Republican Party Platform has gotten a number of mentions for how pro-gun it is from both the blogosphere as well as the mainstream media. Of course, Pravda on the Potomac aka the Washington Post has to headline their story, "In wake of mass shootings, Republican Party platforms calls for expanded rights for gun owners". The new head of the Brady Campaign, Dan Gross, tells the Post that "by making these changes, Republican leaders have 'put themselves farther out of touch with their constituents.'" Dan, of course, is merely wishing that were true.

So what does the Republican Platform - We The People: A Restoration of Constitutional Government - really say about firearms and gun rights? You can see for yourself below.

The Second Amendment: Our Right to Keep and Bear Arms

We uphold the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, a right which antedated the Constitution and was solemnly confirmed by the Second Amendment. We acknowledge, support, and defend the law-abiding citizen’s God-given right of self-defense. We call for the protection of such fundamental individual rights recognized in the Supreme Court’s decisions in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago affirming that right, and we recognize the individual responsibility to safely use and store firearms. This also includes the right to obtain and store ammunition without registration. We support the fundamental right to self-defense wherever a law-abiding citizen has a legal right to be, and we support federal legislation that would expand the exercise of that right by allowing those with state-issued carry permits to carry firearms in any state that issues such permits to its own residents. Gun ownership is responsible citizenship, enabling Americans to defend their homes and communities. We condemn frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and oppose federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners. We oppose legislation that is intended to restrict our Second Amendment rights by limiting the capacity of clips or magazines or otherwise restoring the ill-considered Clinton gun ban. We condemn the reckless actions associated with the operation known as “Fast and Furious,” conducted by the Department of Justice, which resulted in the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent and others on both sides of the border. We applaud the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in holding the current Administration’s Attorney General in contempt of Congress for his refusal to cooperate with their investigation into that debacle. We oppose the improper collection of firearms sales information in the four southern border states, which was imposed without congressional authority.

With the exception of overturning the Hughes Amendment and removing silencers from the NFA, I think it hits all the high points of what we have been fighting to achieve.

The NSSF Blog which strongly endorses this platform now wonders if the Democrats will come out with a similarly strong worded platform in favor of gun rights. 

Now as the Democratic National Convention approaches, we can hope for a campaign platform statement on the right to keep and bear arms that is as straightforward, respectful of our history and of recent Supreme Court decisions as the reasonable members of that party can achieve. We will not hold our breath, but we can hope.

I'm not holding my breath either.

Leonard Embody Loses....Again

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of the case that Leonard Embody brought against Tennessee park ranger Steve Ward today.

The Court found that Embody's 2nd, 4th, and 14th Amendment Rights were not violated when he was stopped in Radnor Lake State Natural Area while open-carrying a Draco AK-47 pistol. The Draco had an 11 1/2 inch barrel and had the tip of the muzzle painted orange much like an airsoft toy.

This case has been troublesome since the start due to Mr. Embody's hubris. To be frank, he went looking for trouble, found it, was momentarily detained, and then sent on his merry way no worse the wear. In response he filed a suit in US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The end result of that was to have everyone's Second Amendment rights circumscribed due to that court's decision which misread the Heller decision.

As Judge Sutton of the 6th Circuit noted in his opinion:

For his troubles, Embody has done something rare: He has taken a position on the Second and Fourth Amendment that unites the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Second Amendment Foundation. Both organizations think that the park ranger permissibly disarmed and detained Leonard Embody that day, notwithstanding his rights to possess the gun. So do we.

Alan Gura had filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Second Amendment Foundation and the CalGuns Foundation that argued the District Court got the decision right but for the wrong reasons. It asked the 6th Circuit to affirm the decision but find that the Second Amendment didn't apply in this case. The appeals court seems to have agreed with this and said the Second Amendment didn't apply in this situation due to qualified immunity.

Sebastian at Shall Not Be Questioned has much more on the decision here. The Volokh Conspiracy also covers the decision and there is a lively discussion going on in the comments section.

Whether or not Mr. Embody decides to appeal to the Supreme Court is up to him. If he does, I'd wager house money that the Supreme Court would deny certiorari in this case.

Blame It On Bush

I stumbled across this music video by a band called The Voters. With parts of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana under water due to Hurricane Issac, it seems strangely appropriate.

From A Sam's Club Ad

Today I received an email flyer from Sam's Club which featured this week's top sellers. Some of the stuff was fairly obvious with students going back to school such as a couple of laptops and the Nexus 7 tablet.

Other stuff caught me by surprise. This included a 10kw gas-powered generator and Augason Farms Emergency Food Storage Kit which is supposed to feed four people for one year. This latter item sells for $2,774 which is a substantial sum.

I could see the generator selling with all the news about Hurricane Issac. However, the long-term storage food is a bit surprising. It does fit in with the post I did yesterday about a story from The Anchoress detailing people in her area buying firearms and stocking up on food as they don't trust Obama and his cronies.

A Reminder To the UN Programme Of Action From SAF's Julianne Versnel

For those that don't know, the Second Amendment Foundation is an accredited NGO (non-governmental organization) at the United Nations. Julianne Versnel, SAF's Director of Operations, has represented the SAF at a number of UN conferences and meeting. Today she represented them at the UN Programme of Action conference.

BELLEVUE, WA - The Second Amendment Foundation today reminded the United Nations that "if women have the right to be protected against violence, then they have the right to protect themselves against violence."

So spoke SAF's Director of Operations Julianne Versnel, whose remarks to the U.N. Programme of Action conference were unlike anything many delegates had ever heard before. The conference is seen as the first step toward rekindling discussions about an on-going process to continue development of a small arms and light weapons treaty, which earlier this summer collapsed when several nations opposed it.

Noting that she had reviewed what has already been written and said about the violence against women as it relates to the Programme of Action, Versnel emphasized that, "I am struck by what is not said."

"If there is a basic sanctity of a woman's person," she observed, "if there is a right to not be a victim of sexual or personal violence, then that right involves the right to defend one's self."

Versnel stressed that any new global gun control initiatives must "do nothing to disarm women who legitimately and rightfully want to defend themselves."

While international gun prohibitionists have been pushing a civilian disarmament agenda, Versnel's warnings may open up a new and politically uncomfortable arena. It is impossible to dismiss female victims of violence as "male American gun nuts."

"The drive for human rights is a force throughout the world," Versnel stated, "and especially here at the U.N. A woman's right to be free from violence is a fundamental human right. That fundamental right is to defend one's self. The report of this conference should state that without reservation."

CCRKBA On The Republican Platform

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms issued a statement yesterday congratulating the GOP on their strong pro-gun platform.

BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is “encouraged by the strong pro-gun rights platform” put forth at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

“This is the strongest pro-gun rights platform I’ve ever seen,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, who was in Florida this week.

The platform includes language supporting the “law-abiding citizens’ God-given right of self-defense,” and national concealed carry reciprocity. It opposes revival of a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and normal capacity ammunition magazines, and it also takes a swipe at the Justice Department over Operation Fast and Furious.

“This is strong stuff that squarely puts the GOP behind, ahead of and alongside every one of this nation’s millions of law-abiding gun owners,” Gottlieb noted. “I was delighted to see such a bold position put forth because it clearly provides a contrast between those who offer lip service to the Second Amendment, and those who live by it.”

The Republican platform also supports gun owner privacy with language supporting “the right to obtain and store ammunition without registration.”

“I think it is important to American gun owners that, even in the wake of the tragedy in Colorado, and the soaring homicide rate in Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago that the GOP platform framers can intelligently separate the acts of criminals from the civil rights of peaceable citizens,” Gottlieb stated. “Others would dredge up cliché-ridden programs that have been demonstrable failures, and that punish law-abiding citizens for the acts of social losers, thugs and lunatics.

“The Republican platform does none of that,” he concluded. “It is clear that this platform language was crafted by people who understand that the rights of law-abiding gun owners should be expanded not eroded. Their platform recognizes gun owners as first-class Americans, not second-rate citizens.”

“I expect the crowd in power to destroy everything…” - The Anchoress

Elizabeth Scalia - The Anchoress - is a Catholic blogger who tends to blog about things like the feast days of various Catholic saints, the Catholic Church, and the intersection of religion and politics. She is a Benedictine Oblate or lay religious who has made "a promise to a monastery to live a spiritual life patterned after the Rule of St. Benedict."

Thus, when she has a blog post about people arming themselves, buying ammo, and prepping in general out of a fear of what Obama and his cronies will do to stay in power, I pay attention. Frankly, this is something I would more likely expect to read on James Wesley, Rawles' SurvivalBlog or any number of prepper forums.

Scalia describes a scene at her local beauty salon where both the stylist and his boss admit to storing food and to purchasing firearms.

In the past few weeks I’ve heard some surprising people admit they’ve been arming themselves and purchasing ammunition — one such discussion happened all around me at the hairdresser’s while I sat and listened. The stylist and his boss, they’re storing food and arming themselves. The chiropractor who popped in to say hello while taking his afternoon stroll said he is armed, too: “never in my life thought I’d have a gun in the house, now we have two.”

They’re arming, they say, because they “see it all going bad.” These same folks who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 were now asserting an idea the far-left had floated around before that election, but instead of “Bush is going to install martial law and suspend elections.” they’re saying it of Obama. “He paid off his friends and did nothing to create jobs and he wants it all to go bad, because then he can stay in power and dictate.”

 I don't know where Scalia lives but the small businesses are taking it on the chin. 30% of the businesses in her area are closed and new ones are not opening. There is a lot of economic anxiety and fear among the people she is talking with. I'm guessing it is probably somewhere in the Northeast or in the Rust Belt.

There is an absolute collapse of faith in our systems and in the guy they helped put into office. These folks who were so quick to believe the press in ’08 and to believe in “hope and change” are now willfully believing the absolute worst. While I was getting my grey washed away I heard about local goings-on that I won’t write about here until I check it out for myself, because I don’t know what is real and what is paranoid fantasy or conspiracy theory. But the thing is, the anxiety is real, the doubt is real, as is the willingness to believe the absolute worst of all of our institutions — the press, the churches, the government. These folks are utterly convinced that the only thing that is going to be installed come next January is chaos and oppression. They’ll vote for Romney (“assuming there is an election and we’re allowed to vote and the vote is actually counted…”) simply because he’s not Obama, but they’re convinced that America’s best days are over.

Maybe it is because many people have gardens and already own firearms but I'm not seeing this locally in the mountains of North Carolina. People are worried about the economy and keeping their homes but they aren't talking about a seizure of power. I asked the Complementary Spouse if she had heard anything like this where she works and she said no. She has heard people at work saying they better buy the guns they want now because of Obama but that is about it.

Scalia's post indicates to me that the fear many of us have in the gun rights community hold about a second Obama term is not unreasonable. We fear that an unfettered Obama won't be so circumspect as he has been in his current term. That said, what Scalia describes about the attitudes in her community, the fear and anxiety, and even the paranoia go far beyond that and I'm not sure what to make of it.

An Idea That I'd Like To See Spread

My friend Rob at the SlowFacts blog had a story Sunday about a trainer in Reno, NV who provides free firearms training classes to anyone who has a signed protective order.

Actions speak volumes about a person, and that is why I’m impressed with Vicki Kawelmacher. Vicki is a firearms instructor in Reno, Nevada. She specializes in teaching women. She offers free classes to students who have a signed protective order. A protective order, also called a restraining order in some other states, means these students convinced a judge there is a serious threat to them or their children. These students to learn self-defense right now. Vicki has been in that position with an attempted abduction of her daughter. Vicki knows that a piece of legal paper is ineffective without a means to back it up.

He proposes that local gun clubs, ranges, and other such organizations establish scholarship funds for those in immediate need of training and who have limited means. I agree fullheartedly with Rob that this would a charity I'd love to support. As Rob say, " If we really advocate responsible self-defense, then we should donate and volunteer to make that happen without asking instructors to teach for free." It's great that Vicki Kawelmacher is doing what she is doing but we as a community should make it so that she and others like her don't have to assume the burden.

I think Rob's idea is one that we should encourage.

Inspector General Reports Blames Locals In Fast And Furious

Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News posted a report on the draft DOJ Inspector General report on Operation Fast and Furious yesterday. The report places most of the blame on Phoenix-based ATF officials including SAC William Newell, group supervisor David Voth, and the lead case agent Hope McAllister.

Those familiar with the contents say ATF Phoenix officials shoulder much blame, including then-Special Agent in Charge Bill Newell, the lead Fast and Furious case agent Hope MacAllister, and group supervisor David Voth.

Since the controversy was first exposed, a divide has developed between the ATF staff in Phoenix who oversaw and implemented Fast and Furious; and their supervisors at ATF headquarters and the Justice Department. The Phoenix officials say higher-ups approved of the case. But the higher-ups say it was all the brainchild of rogue ATF officials in Phoenix.

Also being singled out for blame in Project Gunwalker are former US Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke, his assistant Emory Hurley, and former Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson.

The draft report is expected to be released within the next few weeks. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) has scheduled a hearing for September 11th on the report and has asked DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz to testify. In a letter sent to Horowitz on Friday, August 24th, Issa warned the DOJ about taking a longer than usual amount of time to review the draft report.

As to the conclusions of the draft report and who leaked it to Sharyl Attkission, Mike Vanderboegh had this comment:

Well, there's a big surprise. You didn't think Kevin O'Reilly's name would come up, did you? Ask yourself just one thing. Who is in a position to read and leak the contents of this report which is not yet final and hasn't been seen outside the executive branch? Someone who is interested in what the military calls, IPB -- "Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace."

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention?

Necessity is supposed to be the mother of invention. I'm sure that was the case when it comes to the AK-47 shown below. Not only does it use a guitar strap for a sling but it has a rather unique buttstock to say the least.

 

This picture is from a post on The AK Forum which was seeking unique examples of AKs for a calendar. I believe the poster called this the Poppy Farmer Special. There are a lot of other nice examples but none so unique as the one above.

Interesting Point

The Republican National Convention starts today in Tampa. The security in Tampa seems to be very tight according to this report from Roger L. Simon of PJ Media. One of the reasons security is so tight is the threat of violence by anarchists and other nihilistic lefties.

The area around the convention has been declared a "National Security Area" and Simon has some interesting thoughts about that.

If there’s one thing that has dominated the talk, not to mention the hearts and minds, of most people here in Tampa for the convention is the tremendously stringent security, far worse than what I remember from Minneapolis in 2008.

Only two routes, roughly a mile and a half apart, give you entry to the convention facilities. All other streets are blocked off with staggering numbers of security personnel – soldiers, police from various venues, secret service, other security services, private services, etc. – on horseback, motorcycle, bicycle, automobile and, of course, on foot. There appear to be vastly more of them than there are of us, media and delegates. At some angles from the convention perimeter, Tampa resembles a military encampment.

One insider in a position to know told me that over 60 security organizations were involved. What could be the reason for this? It’s hard to believe it’s the threat of those so-called anarchists who seem to be nowhere in evidence (or washed down a drain). Or could it?

(Yes, I know. According on to one report linked by Drudge, one group of 200 demonstrators, later reduced to 100, did show up somewhere – a minuscule number in a metropolitan area that approaches three million in a country of well over three hundred million. Ten times as many people are on line for pizza at Ray’s on a bad day.)

Here’s another interesting thing that same insider told me. This intense security was not instituted by the RNC or by the Romney campaign, but by the federal government that has declared Tampa a national security area. In other words, Obama’s people are in charge of the stringent security here. They instigated it. What do they fear?

I have two theories, not necessarily contradictory. One, they just want to make the Republicans look bad – police state types. Perhaps more importantly, the Obama folks don’t want anything violent to happen because they know convention violence most often comes from the left (cf. Chicago 1968). Violent left-wing demonstrators at the Tampa Republican Convention would be bad news for the Democrats.

Hmmm.

A Heckuva Way To Lose Your Firearm Rights

As most people know, being convicted of a felony - violent or non-violent - will cause a person to lose their constitutional rights to keep and bear arms. Moreover, restoration of these rights is damn near impossible nowadays thanks to people like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) who continually blocks funding for relief from disability reviews at BATFE. Thus, you just shake your head when you read about seven people charged with a third-degree felony for cheating in a fishing tournament.

From the Lone Star Outdoor News:

Some unladylike behavior in the Ladies Kingfish Tournament held in South Padre Island has left seven people facing felony accusations for cheating during the competition.

Willacy County Game Warden Oscar Castaneda was checking boats at the ramp with fellow warden Jason Duke when the suspicions first began.

“We’d had conversations with people in the area that they had possibly been cheating in different tournaments, and we both recognized the boat,” he said. “(Game Warden Jason Duke) went over for a water safety inspection, and they started unloading fish they were going to take to the weigh-in.”

The wardens noticed that some of the fish, including the trout, had red bellies, which Castaneda said raised a red flag that the fish had been kept in a basket instead of being recently caught. The wardens called ahead to the tournament directors to advise that the fish be studied carefully for legitimacy.

“About 45 minutes later we’re still checking boats, and we get a call from another game warden that said the team showed up with a flounder,” he said. “We said, ‘man, there’s no way they caught a flounder between here and there’ — she had as much as told me there wasn’t a flounder anywhere in the boat.”

An individual then came forward and told wardens that he had seen a flounder handed off in Arroyo City to Jose Cavazos, father of fishing guide Jose “Meme” Cavazos, whose boat was being used by the women for the tournament.

“For the Calcutta, you’re required to have that flounder,” Castaneda said. “The Calcutta pays out a ton, and with that fish they were tied for first and ended up second.”

The women won over $5,000 for second place.

“It’s just wrong on so many levels,” he said. “It’s the first saltwater fraud charges ever filed in the state.”

The decision to cheat has brought the defendants third-degree felony charges.

“The charge is fraud in a fishing tournament, section 66.023 of the Parks and Wildlife penal code,” said Cameron County Justice of the Peace Bennie Ochoa III.

Quote Of The Day

The quote of the day comes from Tam and her discussion of the abysmally poor marksmanship of New York's Finest on Friday.

That's gotta suck for Bloomie. What appeared to be an ideal soapbox for a little blood-dancing national conversation on how America's lax gun laws are hurting Mike's fat-free, sugar-free, low sodium gun-free paradise turns into a national conversation on why the hell can't Mike's cops shoot?

Putting The Cart Before The Horse

The gun prohibitionists were figuratively jumping for joy after the shooting in NYC outside the Empire State Building. I won't even go into Mayor Bloomberg's stupid comments.

The Violence Policy Center put the cart before the horse yesterday. They made many assumptions about the handgun used by the killer of his former boss without knowing the facts.

Washington, DC--Following the fourth high-profile shooting in little over a month, this time outside the Empire State Building in New York City and reportedly involving a 45 caliber handgun, the Violence Policy Center, a national non-profit educational organization working to stop gun death and injury, issued the following statement:

“How long are we going to ignore America's gun crisis? Today’s shooting outside the Empire State building is the fourth high-profile shooting in little over a month, following the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting, the Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Sikh Temple shooting, and a shooting outside Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. One can only guess where the next shooting will occur--but we do know that it will occur. Today's shooter reportedly used a 45 caliber handgun to end the life of a former co-worker, offering yet another example of how the ready availability of semiautomatic handguns that can be equipped with high-capacity ammunition magazines destroy lives and make everyone less safe. All Americans deserve the right to feel safe in public spaces--in theaters, their places of worship, and walking city streets. The deadly mindset propounded by the gun industry and the gun lobby that guns are the ultimate problem solver is stripping away the feeling of safety that communities across the country not only expect, but deserve. It is long past time to regulate the out-of-control gun industry that makes these horrendous public shootings possible.”

From all reports, the Spanish-made Star .45 ACP were purchased legally in Florida 20 years ago. Moreover, even assuming it was larger than the Star PD which only held 6 rounds, this pistol does not have a "high-capacity ammunition magazine." At most, the pistol used by the killer held 8 round and more likely 7.

Normally I'd suggest that VPC think before they issue such press releases. However, in this case, I'm glad that they show their stupidity.

Mass Shooting, Indeed

The following interview with NY Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is presented without comment because, let's face it, none is needed.

Quote Of The Day

Peggy Noonan is one hell of a speechwriter. While I disagree with her vehemently on occasion, she does write well. The quote of the day comes from her column in today's Wall Street Journal discussing Mitt Romney and the Republican convention in Tampa. As noted elsewhere, the Obama Administration, in a rather tasteless gesture, (and is there any other kind from their ilk) is sending Joe Biden to Tampa during the convention.

It is good that Joe Biden is going to the Republican National Convention to hold high the flag of his party. People make fun of his gaffes, of his embarrassing verbal forays, but he's no fool and he knows how to take it to the other guy. The speech he is working on, to be given in the heart of downtown, just across from the convention site, will be stirring and stentorian: "All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Tampa, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words, 'Ich bin ein Tampon.'"

I wish that were mine. It came in the mail from a Hollywood screenwriter, one of the gifted conservatives who quietly toil there.

I wonder if Joe does poorly in Tampa will they pull his string.

National Knife Day

August 24th is National Knife Day. I had hoped to have a picture of my new Cold Steel Kukri Machete so I could say, "This is a knife", but I've been lazy.

So in honor of National Knife Day, I'll let Crocodile Dundee fill in for me.




On a slightly more serious note, Knife Rights is celebrating National Knife Day by giving away a Limited Edition Knife Rights S&W folder or ESEE Izula to the person who posts the coolest picture of themselves with a knife on their Facebook Page. Their page is here. If you like having and using knives you may want to make a donation to them as well. They are, as they say, the Second Front in the battle for the Second Amendment.

Alternate Shooting Positions

The National Shooting Sports Foundation just released another of their shooting tips videos. This one features Ryan Cleckner who was an Army Ranger sniper team leader in an earlier life.

As Cleckner makes clear, you can't always shoot from the prone position and you rarely have a shooting bench when you're out in the field. He discusses and demonstrates a number of alternate rifle shooting positions including two sitting positions, kneeling, and standing using a tree as a brace. With many Southern states starting their deer seasons as early as next month, this is useful information.

OIG Report On Fast And Furious Delivered To Holder For Review

Katie Pavlich of Townhall.com and Dave Workman of the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner are both reporting that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz has delivered the Inspector General's report on Operation Fast and Furious to Eric Holder for review.

From Dave Workman:

Sources told Examiner Wednesday that the Inspector General’s report was transmitted to the Justice Department this week for “review” and one source indicated the report could be released sometime in the next two weeks. Release just before the Labor Day weekend could bury any damaging aspects, and it could become further removed from public attention by the Democrat convention in early September.

From Katie Pavlich:

According to sources, the long awaited Department of Justice Inspector General Report on Operation Fast and Furious has been delivered to DOJ "shot callers," including Attorney General Eric Holder, this morning. It will be reviewed today and in the coming weeks. No cell phones, Ipads or computers are allowed in the review room. After it is reviewed, it will be released to the public in 30 days.

Keep in mind, the DOJ Inspector General up until May was Cynthia A. Schnedar. Schnedar served under Holder during his time as the U.S. Attorney for D.C. In May, Schnedar was replaced with Michael Horowitz, who sources say is an "even handed" guy. The bulk of the IG report throughout the past 20 months was done by Schnedar. Holder called for an IG investigation into Fast and Furious in early 2011.

William LaJeunesse of FoxNews also has more on the Inspector General's report:

The new allegations come as Holder reviews the long-awaited internal report detailing what happened in -- and who is to blame for -- Fast and Furious, in which the U.S. knowingly let some 2,500 weapons slip into the hands of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, failing to track the guns as planned.

Sources tell Fox News the Office of Inspector General delivered the report to the Department of Justice on Tuesday. Under existing protocols, the department has a month to respond to the report's findings, after which, the inspector general typically releases the document to the public.

The allegations that LaJeunesse refers to involve former ATF Assistant Deputy Director William McMahon. It appears that McMahon was given a paid leave of absence until December of this year to allow him to get his full pension. In the meantime, McMahon is working in the Philippines for JP Morgan Bank as a highly-paid security consultant. There are Federal regulations that would prohibit this sort of double-dipping.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter today to Acting ATF Director B. Todd Jones asking for answers.

Don't Bring A Knife To A Gun Fight

A young robber in Burke County, North Carolina learned quickly that you don't bring a knife to a gun fight.That is because the 63-year old clerk that he had pulled the knife on had a gun and wasn't afraid to use it.

According to the story and video from WSOC-TV, the clerk not only fought back while he had a knife to his throat but he got three shots off at the robber. There is no report on whether or not the robber was shot.

Burke County Sheriff Steve Whisenant said the clerk had every right to protect himself and the business. He did add that someone could have been hurt.

Often in these situations, the clerk who defended him or herself is fired by their employer for being armed and fighting back. Fortunately, that does not seem to be the case here.

Assistant Manager Teresa Huffman is more nervous than ever working behind the counter at the Fast Track in Hildebran but supports what her co-worker did on Sunday night.

“As long as he can protect himself, I'm all for that,” she said. “I think he did the right thing in protecting himself, being as he was alone anyway.”

UPDATE: The Burke County Sheriff's Department has arrested the suspect in this robbery. They say that the clarity of the video allowed them to identify the man and his knife.

Xiong Ta Kong Moua, 25, of Amherst Road was charged with attempted armed robbery with a dangerous weapon Monday. Police suspect Moua to have been the primary subject involved in a holdup at a Hildebran Fast Track convenience store Sunday night....

Whisenant said Tuesday that he believes video surveillance provided by the Fast Track store was tremendously helpful in the investigation, allowing authorities to match not only the blade wielded by the suspect, but the suspect’s identity as well.

“We used technology to pull through databases searching for the suspect’s physical description and found evidence that matched the suspect in video surveillance from the store,” the sheriff explained Tuesday afternoon. “We actually spoke with his family and found that his father actually crafts the kind of knife that you see in the video.”

And in what will be no surprise to regular readers of An NC Gun Blog, Xiong Ta Kong Moua is a convicted felon. He has five felony convictions for forgery.

Another Shot Across The Bow By An Illinois State's Attorney (Updated)

Ronald Dozier, State's Attorney for McLean County, IL, today fired a shot across the bow of those opposing concealed carry in Illinois. He sent out a press release today regarding Illinois laws and the Second Amendment. In that press release, he said that as of today his office won't enforce Illinois laws relating to the FOID Card Act, the Unlawful Use of Weapons, and Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons as they appear to contravene the Supreme Court's rulings in Heller and McDonald.

What makes this even more interesting is Mr. Dozier used to be Judge Dozier. He served as State's Attorney of McLean County from 11 years before being named a Circuit Judge in 1987. He served in that position for 19 1/2 years before retiring in 2006. He was reappointed to the position of State's Attorney for McLean County to serve out the term of the previous State's Attorney who was made a judge.

As Todd Vandermyde, the NRA lobbyist for Illinois, said in an email to me, "it looks like the dike is beginning to break." If you have State's Attorneys - what many other jurisdictions call District Attorneys - saying that they will not enforce what they see as unconstitutional laws, it is monumental.

Ronald Dozier's full press release is below:

August 21,2012


PRESS RELEASE


Re: 2ND Amendment and Illinois gun laws


A) “I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of States Attorney…according to the best of my ability.” [55 ILCS 5/3-9001]

B) The duties of the State’s Attorney include:
“1) to commence and prosecute all actions,…civil and criminal, in which the people of the state or county may be concerned.” [55 ILCS 5/3-9005]

C) “The duty of a public prosecutor is to seek justice, not merely to convict.” [Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.8. See also Berger v. U.S., 295 U.S. 78, 55 S.C. 629, U.S. Supreme Court, 1935]

D) “The State’s Attorney is not merely a ministerial officer but is vested with a large measure of discretion. In the exercise of that discretion, he has the responsibility of determining what offense should be charged.” [Marcisz v. Marcisz, 65 Ill.2d 206, Illinois Supreme Court, 1976]

E) “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” [Second Amendment, United States Constitution]

Every State’s Attorney is expected to prosecute persons who violate the criminal laws of the State of Illinois within his or her jurisdiction. However, there are literally thousands of criminal laws on the books, ranging in seriousness from extremely minor to extremely serious. Because of both budgetary and time limits, every State’s Attorney must set priorities on which cases to prosecute and which to not prosecute. The pursuit of a just result and the wise use of taxpayer dollars are major factors in setting those priorities.

By law and precedent, State’s Attorneys have great discretion in choosing to file or not file charges, which charges to file, and which charges to reduce or dismiss. In those decisions, the Courts have the power to limit that discretion in a few exceptional situations, but the primary check or balance on the power and authority of the State’s Attorney is the power of the people to vote him or her out of office.

It is a basic principle of the legal process that all laws are presumed to be constitutional – that no lawmaker would intentionally choose to pass an unconstitutional law. However, that is a rebuttable presumption and, throughout our nation’s history, many laws have been found to be unconstitutional (though only a tiny fraction of all laws passed).

For years, anti-gun legislators and judges have interpreted the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to apply only to the right of States to arm their National Guard troops, or some other force which they equated to a government militia, based on the first phrase of the Amendment. But in 2008, in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court held that the word “militia” in the Second Amendment referred to all (male, at that time) citizens who possessed the ability to use firearms. Specifically, the Court held that the Amendment applies to ordinary citizens who wish to keep and bear arms for personal defense.

The response of the anti-gun authorities was that Heller only applied to the federal government (the District of Columbia being a federal enclave, not a State). That argument was put to rest two years ago in the case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, Illinois (decided June 28, 2010), when the Supreme Court held that “the Second Amendment right is fully applicable to the States.” So, the highest court in the land has ruled that we ordinary people have the right to keep (i.e. possess) and bear (i.e. carry) firearms for personal defense. Granted, no constitutional rights are absolute. The old saying that “your right to swing your fist ends just before my nose” still applies. States have the right to enact reasonable laws on the keeping and carrying of firearms, so long as those laws do not “infringe”, i.e. unduly burden, the exercise of our right.

What has been the response of the State of Illinois to the Supreme Court? So far, the City of Chicago and the State have done everything possible to defy, obfuscate and ignore the Court’s substantive rulings. Illinois remains the only State in the Union to deny its citizens the legal right to “bear” firearms, either open or concealed, for personal defense. We are the only State to have a draconian FOID law that makes criminals out of ordinary citizens who have done nothing wrong except exercise their constitutional right to own a gun.

We have a law called “Unlawful Use (emphasis added) of Weapons” which criminalizes people for merely possessing (not using or threatening to use) a firearm in the wrong place or wrong kind of container. We have State and Federal laws which allow authorities to seize all the firearms of persons who are charged with certain felony and even misdemeanor offenses – offenses which may not involve the use, possession of, or threat to use a firearm or cause bodily harm in any way, prior to a trial, i. e. before guilt or innocence is determined. We also penalize citizens of neighboring states who possess or carry firearms in complete obedience to their state laws, but don’t stop at the border of Illinois and switch the guns and ammunition around to accommodate our more stringent firearm laws.

Even the courts in parts of this State refuse to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling, going so far as to hold that the Second Amendment gives citizens only the right to keep and bear arms within our houses! Can any person honestly say he or she believes our forefathers intended the Second Amendment to allow U.S. citizens to protect themselves only while inside their houses?

Proponents of the status quo continue to argue that such laws as these are “reasonable” restrictions on our Second Amendment rights. But as pointed out in McDonald, “Chicago Police Department statistics reveal that the City’s handgun murder rate has actually increased since the ban [which was struck down by the Supreme Court] was enacted and that Chicago residents now face one of the highest murder rates in the Country and rates of other violent crimes that exceed the average in other comparable cities.”

In fact, the result of most gun control laws is that law-abiding citizens go defenseless while criminal thugs are armed.

I believe these facts to be incontrovertible:
1) No State that has gone from no-carry to concealed-carry or open-carry of firearms has experienced a significant increase in firearm violence.
2) Any evil or deranged person who is intent on killing others will find a way to do so, no matter how strict our laws.
3) Murder is already against the law and carries very serious penalties. If that is not enough to deter someone from committing the crime, why would they be deterred by laws against gun possession?
4) The police can’t be everywhere to protect us. Only on rare occasions is a policeman present to prevent a violent crime. Mostly they arrive after the fact, to investigate and apprehend the offender if possible.

People who don’t like guns—who don’t want to own or carry a gun for protection, have the right to rely on the government to do that for them. They do not have the right to require everyone else to do so. The Supreme Court has so decided.

As the State’s Attorney, I have to make a choice. Do I continue to enforce laws that I believe to be unconstitutional, a belief that is supported by decisions of the highest court in the land, or do I continue to prosecute citizens who run afoul of State gun laws but have no evil intent or purpose in mind? Certainly the more cautious approach to such controversial issues is to keep enforcing the law, whenever possible in the least harmful way, until enough higher court cases are resolved against them that the anti-Second Amendment folks are forced to change. I’m not willing to do that anymore—too many good people will be harmed.

In fact, since I was appointed State’s Attorney last December, I have been quietly changing our policies to bring them in accordance with the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court. Now I am announcing publicly that the McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office will no longer enforce those parts of the following Illinois statutes relating to firearms: Firearm Owners Identification Card Act (430 ILCS 65), Unlawful Use of Weapons (720 ILCS 5/24-1), Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons (720 ILCS 5/24-1.6) and provisions of any other statutes that appear to be in contravention of the Heller and McDonald decisions.

The questions we will seek to answer in determining whether or not to file charges are:
1) What appears to be the reason or purpose for the person’s possession of carrying a firearm?
2) Was the firearm actually displayed, or used, for an improper purpose or in a reckless manner?
3) Was the person under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or have illegal drugs on his or her person or in their vehicle?
4) If the person is not an Illinois citizen, was the weapon possessed or carried in accordance with the laws of the State of his or her residency?
5) Is the person a member of or affiliated with any gang known to engage in illegal activities?
6) Has the person been convicted of a felony offense? If so, how long ago and for what offense(s)?

Other questions may arise as we continue to improve our policy.

At this point, I must remind everyone that I am just the State’s Attorney of McLean County and can only enforce the laws within McLean County. I am not urging anyone to disregard the laws of the State of Illinois or of the Federal government with regard to firearms. The penalties for doing so can be very harsh. Additionally, I have no right and no intention of telling local law enforcement agencies when or under what circumstances to make arrests for firearms offenses. Officer safety must remain the highest priority, and departmental policies must be followed.

My purpose is to send a message to the Governor and legislators of this State who continue to ignore the U.S. Supreme Court decisions, and who continue to oppose reasonable legislation that would bring Illinois into compliance with the Second Amendment. I know that other State’s Attorneys share my views and am hoping they will join in this effort.

Our message is this: we will no longer use the power and authority of our office to criminalize and punish decent, otherwise law-abiding citizens who choose to exercise the rights granted to them by the Second Amendment of the United States’ Constitution to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and their families.



Date: 08/21/12
Ronald C. Dozier
McLean County State’s Attorney

UPDATE: It seems that CSGV is all butt hurt that a State's Attorney might actually follow the Constititution. Sebastian has the link here.

The local newspaper in McLean County, The Pantagraph, has a couple of stories on Dozier's position and announcement.

First, Jason Chambers who is running unopposed in November for McLean County State's Attorney, calls Dozier's position "reckless". Chambers then goes on to say that he supports concealed carry.

“Doing things in this manner is reckless. The job of the state’s attorney is to enforce the laws of the State of Illinois,” said Chambers.

Chambers said he has heard from two assistant state’s attorneys who do not intend to follow Dozier’s policy to pass on charges that might otherwise be filed against people who possess weapons and may be carrying them in violation of existing Illinois law.

Dozier’s response to Chambers comments: “He’s entitled to his opinion.”

If I were Dozier, I'd be looking for two new assistant State's Attorneys. Given the job market for new law grads nowadays, I'm sure he could find some very good prospects.

Second, it appears that local law enforcement will still arrest otherwise law-abiding people who are carrying. The police chiefs of Bloomington and Normal both stated that they will order their officers to arrest people who are in violation of the current Illinois state law. The Normal chief added that it will be up to the State's Attorney's office on whether to charge the individual or not.

McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery stated that his department will continue to make similar arrests.

“Many share the same belief as our state’s attorney, including me. However, until the governor signs legislation creating CCW, all firearms have to be unloaded and cased and for transport to be legal and the owner must possess a FOID card. I advised sheriff’s office law enforcement staff that we will not change our enforcement policies and that we shall continue to enforce the laws of the state of Illinois as they currently exist,” Emery told The Pantagraph.

Paul Ryan Is A Bitter Clinger

Yesterday in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the presumptive GOP vice-presidential nominee, reprised Barack Obama's remark about bitter clingers. From The Hill:

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) began resurrecting some of President Obama's most famous gaffes on the campaign trail Tuesday, reminding a crowd assembled at a Pennsylvania steel plant of the president's remark four years ago that some voters are "clinging to their guns and religion."

"Remember this other time when he said people want to cling to their guns and religion?" Ryan said. "Hey, I'm a Catholic deer hunter, I'm happy to be clinging to my guns and religion."

I remember Carnegie well because that is where we stayed while attending the 2010 NRA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh. I seem to remember that many of the people staying at our motel were bitter clingers as well. Not to mention we took this picture on the way home from it.

You can see Ryan's comments in the video below.

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Cal Bureau of Firearms Slapped Down For Unlawful "Underground Regulation"

The California Office of Administrative Law just slapped down the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Firearms for their "underground regulation" of "assault weapons". The Bureau of Firearms was refusing corporations permits to own so-called assault weapons and .50 BMG rifles contending only individuals could obtain these permits.

I'll let the release from Cal-FFL complete the story:

Reference: CA OAL determination at http://www.scribd.com/doc/103439872/Cal-FFL-2012-OAL-Determination-re-DOJ-Corporation-AW-Permits

MORGAN HILL, CA – In a significant decision for firearms manufacturers, dealers, and purchasers throughout California, the State of California's Office of Administrative Law (OAL) determined that the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Firearms’ prohibition against the issuance of “assault weapon” permits to corporations and other entities to be an unlawful “underground regulation." Jay Jacobson of Franklin Armory petitioned the Office of Administrative Law after being informed by the Bureau of Firearms that only "individuals" could apply for permits.

“As a California businessman, I strive to comply with all requirements of the law – and so must DOJ,” said Jacobson. “Companies in the firearms industry, like ours, often face a dilemma of whether to stand up and challenge the regulatory agency that holds licensing authority over them or just accept and submit to unlawful policies. We chose to act in favor of a final resolution and, thankfully, had the support of the firearms community and Cal-FFL.”

As reported by Cal-FFL in April, the DOJ had held steadfast by its opinion that only “individuals” are able to obtain permits to sell “assault weapons” or “.50 BMG Rifles”. However, the express text of Penal Code section 16970 states that “any entity” within the definition of “persons” may obtain such permits. Franklin Armory argued that the DOJ policy conflicted with the express language of the Penal Code, which defines “person” for the purposes of the Assault Weapon Control Act as “an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, or any other group or entity, regardless of how it was created.” In spite of the clear language of the Code, DOJ disagreed, arguing that the language does not permit corporations to obtain the requisite permits to manufacture and sell such firearms. OAL's determination put the matter to rest.

“This has been an issue for years,” said firearms and civil rights attorney Jason Davis. “We had requested that this policy be abandoned in 2003, but the previous administrations refused and the underground regulation was perpetuated. Until Franklin Armory decided to take action, with Cal-FFL's support, the willingness within the firearms industry to challenge DOJ on this issue simply didn't exist.”

OAL received comments in support of Franklin Armory's petition from Brandon Combs of California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees, Inc., as well as attorney Clinton B. Monfort of Michel and Associates, P.C.

“This action should eliminate the burden, both financial and procedural, that law-abiding businesses face in this segment of the fast-growing firearms market,” said Brandon Combs of California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees, Inc. “Though we often find ourselves on opposite sides of issues, we appreciate the DOJ's professionalism throughout the process and look forward to working closely with their representatives to ensure a smooth application of this determination.”

The OAL Determination is captioned as 2012 OAL Determination No.8 (OAL FILE NO. CTU2012-0207-01) and can be viewed at http://www.scribd.com/doc/103439872/Cal-FFL-2012-OAL-Determination-re-DOJ-Corporation-AW-Permits.
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California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees (www.calffl.org) is California's premier non-profit industry association of, by, and for firearms manufacturers, dealers, collectors, training professionals, shooting ranges, and others, advancing the interests of its members and the general public through strategic litigation, legislative efforts, and education. For more information or to join, please visit Cal-FFL.

Franklin Armory (www.franklinarmory.com) is part of a California corporation that has been in operation for over 20 years and specializes in producing legal firearms for restrictive jurisdictions such as California. They also build full feature firearms for “free” states. Every firearm produced at their facility in Morgan Hill, California, is made with 100% American made parts & materials.

Defacto Concealed Carry In Edwards County, Illinois

State's Attorney Mike Valentine of Edwards County, IL is refusing to prosecute residents of that county for carrying concealed firearms so long as they are otherwise law-abiding citizens. Moreover, it looks like other Illinois State's Attorneys might be joining the bandwagon.

But Bloomington's McLean County, population 170,000, may soon announce a similar policy.

State's Attorney Ronald Dozier told us he's already sent a legal memo to other Illinois prosecutors explaining his belief that it's unconstitutional to ban the carrying of loaded firearms in public. Some are outraged.

The usual suspects are "outraged" but a spokesperson for Attorney General Lisa Madigan says that they "are not the boss of state's attorney" noting that they are independently elected.

According to the FoxChicago story, one Chicago area state house member, State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) is proposing a Faustian alternative. He would agree to let individual counties set their own policy regarding concealed carry in exchange for banning "assault weapons".

If I were an Illinois resident I would tell Mr. Ford that his Devil's pact doesn't cut it. Not only would it ban the most popular rifle in America but it would create a patchwork of conflicting laws designed to snare the unwary. There is a reason most states have state pre-emption statutes.

Chicago News and Weather | FOX Chicago News

Summer's Over; School Begins Again

Tonight my summer comes to a close.

Classes begin for the fall semester today and I begin another school year teaching financial planning and retirement planning. My syllabus is done and printed. I have my first lecture done and have their homework assignment prepared. I don't have new school clothes but I'm a bit old for that anyway!

After teaching the same class for six years, things begin to get a little stale and you find yourself going through the motions at times. That is why I'm glad that they've revamped my intro course to open it up to non-Finance majors. The class title has gone from "Introduction to Financial Planning, Risk Managment, and Insurance" to "Managing (Your) Money for Financial Success."

Instead of just prepping Finance majors to be advisors and planners, I'll be trying to give undergraduates some life skills. It is not that the former isn't important - it is - but getting college students started on the right track financially is more important. I'll be lecturing on things like credit card debt and FICO scores as well as investments and insurance.

The only downside is that I'll be stuck in a officially-mandated by state law gun-free zone. Before it is suggested that I ignore this, under NC General Statutes § 14‑269.2. it is a felony for me to knowingly possess a firearm on campus. The only defense I have is to be in a state of heightened awareness - and to know where to find a fire extinguisher.

Ben Stein On The Need For Gun Control...Or Not

Economist, lawyer, and actor Ben Stein provides an occasional editorial comment on CBS's Sunday Morning. Today's topic was gun control. Contrary to what one usually gets on guns from the mainstream media, this was actually good.

Stein felt the calls for more gun control as well as the attempts to demonize the NRA are misplaced. He pointed out that in places like Chicago, LA, and DC which have strong gun control laws there are many more shootings than in a place like northern Idaho where carrying guns is quite common. While Stein is not sure what the correct answer is, gun control isn't it.




We know that gun control is a failure and that it will never stop madmen. If we want to prevent the aberrant shootings like Virginia Tech and Aurora, Colorado, I think the answer lies in the mental health realm. This is what Clayton Cramer has been saying for a while now and I think he is correct.

A Dukakis Moment?

There must be something in the water up in Massachusetts. I can't think of anything else to explain the propensity of liberal Democrats to sit atop heavy metal to prove their toughness.

First, there was former Gov. Michael Dukakis who rode on a M1A Abrams tank in 1988. That image plus the Willie Horton ads probably doomed his presidential campaign as much as anything.

Now we have Harvard Law professor and US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren pictured astride a Harley. You can almost hear her saying, "Vroom, vroom!" It was tweeted by Emily's List which seeks to support liberal female candidates. However, it was pretty stupid as people are already calling it her Dukakis moment.

Rather than calling it a Dukakis Moment, I think Fauxcahontas just wants to be like JayG of the gun blog MArooned.


H/T Legal Insurrection

CBS This Morning Notices Rising Gun Sales

In a relatively balanced report, CBS's Tammy Leitner discusses the rise in new gun sales in the United States for CBS This Morning. Interviewed for the story that aired yesterday are a Los Angeles mom who wants to protect herself and her kids and Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation.

CBS attributes the rise in gun sales to a bi-fold fear of rising crime and fear of the gun control measures a second Obama Administration might push. I don't disagree fear is one of the driving factors behind rising gun sales. However, I don't think it is the only factor in the growth of gun sales. Other factors that didn't make the story is that shooting is fun as well as the desire by many to take responsibility for their own safety. Taking responsibility does not have to be driven by fear. It is more akin to buying property and casualty insurance. You hope that you never have to use it but it is smart risk management to protect against great loss.

Ruger's suspension of new orders is referred to but erroneously states that they are still refusing the new orders.  They resumed taking new orders on May 29th.

Happy Airborne Day - A Day Late

I didn't realize that yesterday was the officially designated National Airborne Day. The first official Army airborne jump was made on August 16, 1940. Thus August 16th was the day was designated by Congress in 2001 to honor those who have or are serving in the US Army Airborne.

So while it is a day late, I'd like to recognize two fellow gun bloggers who served in the 82nd Airborne Division: Kurt Hoffman and Sean Sorrentino. They, much like the Airborne is to the Big Army, are at the forefront of the fight to preserve our Second Amendment rights.

So to them and all the others who served in the various Airborne divisions, brigades, and other such units, thank you for your service.

If I have missed other gun bloggers who are airborne vets, let me know in the comments.

Wow! Just Wow!

With the 2012 Paralympics scheduled to start in less than two weeks in London, I came across this from Mathews Archery. It is about Matt Stutzman who was the top qualifier for US Paralympic Archery Team. He was born without arms and uses his feet to hold his bow.

They call him the "Inspirational Archer" and they are right!

University Of Colorado Provides Safe Zones For Thugs And Rapists

While the University of Colorado System may disagree with that headline, this is essentially what they have just done with their new housing policy. The University is using housing contracts to segregate those with concealed carry permits from those without permits.

From the Denver Post:

The University of Colorado Boulder and University of Colorado Colorado Springs are amending their student housing contracts, segregating students who possess a valid concealed-carry permit.

The university said Thursday morning that both campuses will establish a residential area for residents over age 21 with a permit. In other residential areas, students will not be permitted to carry a concealed weapon, the new policy states.

The new housing policy does two things. First, it seeks to use contract law to negate the ruling of the Colorado Supreme Court which stated that the University of Colorado did not have the power to ban concealed carry on campus. Second, and more insidiously, it points out to thugs, rapists, and other criminals areas on campus where they will be relatively safe. That is, by creating obvious gun-free zones, the University System has put a big red target on the back of all those students living in traditional undergraduate student housing.

The University of Colorado-Boulder is a bit more explicit about how they plan to segregate students.

The University of Colorado Boulder today announced it is amending housing contracts to ask students who live in undergraduate residence halls and hold a Colorado concealed carry permit, or CCP, to forgo bringing a handgun to campus. The campus also will accommodate those who hold a CCP in a graduate student housing complex off the main campus, provided the permit holders store their weapon in a safe within their dwelling when they are not carrying it.

The university also is asking residence advisers and faculty who live in university housing to sign the same housing agreement as a condition of their residence in these facilities.

According to the University's "analysis", only 0.6% of faculty, staff, and students possess a Colorado Concealed Carry Permit as if this makes a difference. About the only reasonable thing the University does do is allow students who are in undergraduate student housing and who obtain a permit to be let out of their housing contract without a penalty.

Checking the housing contract, it doesn't seem to have been amended to reflect the new university policy. It refers on to the residence hall weapon policy and makes no mention of the above exception for getting out of the contract without a penalty. The residence hall weapon policy can be found here. It still states that "Firearms, explosives, ammunition, and dangerous weapons or materials are not permitted within or upon the grounds, buildings, residence halls, or any other facilities of the university." This would seem at odds with the Colorado Supreme Court ruling.

One last note on the Boulder campus' weapon policy, they ban squirt guns and Nerf guns as "dangerous weapons". I would wager that fewer people will be injured on the Boulder campus with either a squirt gun or a Nerf gun than will be hurt by their explicit demarcation of locations where one can and cannot live while possessing a concealed carry permit.

UPDATE: The student newspaper at the University of Colorado-Boulder, the Daily Camera, interviewed attorney Jim Manley of the Mountain States Legal Foundation about the new policy. Jim won the Colorado Supreme Court case which is forcing the university to allow concealed carry on campus. He is also a 2008 graduate of the University of Colorado Law School.

The new rules announced Thursday are troubling to James Manley, the attorney from the Mountain States Legal Foundation, who represented the student gun-rights group that brought the original lawsuit against CU's gun ban.

"We're going to take a hard look at the language, and if it conflicts with the concealed-carry act ruling of the Supreme Court, all options are open to us, including continuing the litigation that CU lost in March," Manley said.

Hickok45 On The Savage 99

Greg Hickok - Hickok45 - reviews the Savage 99 and the .300 Savage cartridge. I don't own any lever actions but I have been enamored of the Savage 99 and Savage 1899 for a long time now. It is probably because it is different from other lever guns and it is available in a number of calibers that aren't traditionally found in lever actions. The internal rotary magazine allowed the Savage 99 to use spitzer bullets. Thus, you can find the now-discontinued Savage 99 in such calibers as the .243 Winchester, the .308 Winchester, and the .22-250 Remington.

As all collectors say at one time or another - one of these days.... 

HuffPo Isn't Totally Worthless

While I may think that Arianna Huffington is a parasite whose political leanings change with the wind and that her Huffington Post is usually full of tripe, it does have its uses. For example, in a story about a local Tea Party group, I found out that they are having a machine gun social.

I have shot at Bear Arms a number of times and it is a really nice range. Moreover, the prices for shooting the MP5 are cheaper than a lot of places that I've been. Sadly, I won't be able to attend it as I'll be at the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Orlando on that day.

It is instructive to read the comments. For people who profess peace and love and gun control, they are amazingly violent in their thoughts and rhetoric.

From Sushigirl:

Oh how quaint. I have an idea, blindfold all of them and let them shoot away.
Actually I don't mean that, I don't want anyone to be hurt. But how stupid can these people be. Disgusting.

From FredSanders who has 1910 fans which must mean he comments a lot:

I hope they all blow themselves away defending each other from each other.

 From Cacey with the tagline "ignore rudeness, honor discussion":

How boring is Asheville if this is the best fund raiser they came up with. A boring event for obviously boorish people.

You get the idea. I'm glad Cacey thinks Asheville is boring because it will mean one less tourist clogging the streets with their Obama bumpersticker-covered Priuses.

Is This Due To Obama's 700 Billion Cuts In MediCare Funding?

Alex Jones' Infowars is reporting that the Social Security Administration has issued a RFQ or request for quotation for 174,000 rounds of .357 Sig 125 grain bonded hollow points.

The synopsis to the solicitation adds that the ammunition is to be shipped to 41 locations within 60 days of purchase. A separate spreadsheet lists those locations, which include the Social Security headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland as well as major cities across the country including Los Angeles, Detroit, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

The article speculates about civil disturbance and the Federal government's preparations for it. I'm not sure about that.

While I'm sure there is a perfectly logical reason behind this RFQ for 174,000 rounds of ammunition by the Social Security Administration, I prefer to think of it as preparations for dealing with all those Gray Panthers who realize that the Obama Administration just screwed them with ObamaCare.

UPDATE: The Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General responded in their blog to the reports questioning this purchase. I wonder how those Special Agents respond to an 80-year old Korean War vet with this M-1 Garand telling them to "get off my lawn."?

We launched the “Beyond the Numbers” blog more than two months ago to open a conversation with you, whether you are a Social Security beneficiary, or you know a family member or friend who receives Social Security payments.

If you think about it, the Social Security Administration’s programs touch almost all of us at some point in our lives. That’s why we have opened several social media channels to the public, as we strive to be a transparent and accountable government organization for all of our stakeholders.

With those goals in mind, we thought it would be appropriate to address recent media reports regarding the organization’s purchase of ammunition for our special agents’ duty weapons. We should first state that the OIG follows all Federal procurement rules when arranging these purchases.

As we said in a recent post, our office has criminal investigators, or special agents, who are responsible for investigating violations of the laws that govern SSA’s programs. Currently, about 295 special agents and supervisory special agents work in 66 offices across the United States. These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests.

Our investigators are similar to your State or local police officers. They use traditional investigative techniques, and they are armed when on official duty.

Media reports expressed concerns over the type of ammunition ordered. In fact, this type of ammunition is standard issue for many law enforcement agencies. OIG’s special agents use this ammunition during their mandatory quarterly firearms qualifications and other training sessions, to ensure agent and public safety. Additionally, the ammunition our agents use is the same type used at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Our special agents need to be armed and trained appropriately. They not only investigate allegations of Social Security fraud, but they also are called to respond to threats against Social Security offices, employees, and customers.

As we explained in another post, SSA is processing more applications than ever, which means more traffic in SSA offices. Employee and visitor safety is the highest priority for OIG, which, together with the Federal Protective Services and local law enforcement, has jurisdiction over SSA workplaces.

If you would like to comment on this subject, please refrain from making derogatory or inflammatory remarks. Any comments that include abusive or vulgar language, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, or similar content will not be posted, and repeated submission of such posts may result in the user being blocked from future commenting. We reserve the right to determine which comments are acceptable for posting.

CalGuns Alert On SB 249 - Is It Dead Yet?

There were reports yesterday that California State Sen. Leland Yee's SB 249 was dead. However, the CalGuns Foundation warns that it may be dead but there still are a few more days left before it can be conclusively called dead.

They released this about the bill and urged those in opposition to keep up the pressure.

SB 249 MAY BE D.O.A.; STOP SB 249 CAMPAIGN URGES CONTINUED OPPOSITION PRESSURE

Cal-FFL, Calguns Foundation opposition letters cited in official Committee analysis that may be the final straw in breaking SB 249

For Immediate Release: August 14, 2012

Reference: Assembly Appropriations Committee Analysis at http://stopsb249.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/sb249_approps_analysis.pdf

SAN CARLOS, CA, AND MADERA, CA – In spite of bill author Senator Leland Yee’s many assurances to the contrary, even the Assembly Appropriations Committee legislative analysis found that the SB 249 gun ban presents California taxpayers with significant cost impacts.

The analysis determined that, among other major costs, SB 249 would impose “[o]ne-time special fund (Dealer Record of Sale Fund- DROS) costs, likely in excess of $200,000 (the AG's office estimates about $400,000), for the AG to conform existing regulations regarding the definition of assault weapon to the definition of detachable magazine proposed by this bill.”

Implicit in the Committee’s analysis is that SB 249 is a material legislative change to the Penal Code, which would require new DOJ regulations. Senator Yee and his staff have spent considerable time representing SB 249 to be a “clarification of existing law.” We now have further evidence in the Legislative record supporting our argument that SB 249 would harm California gun owners by creating an entirely new standard for “detachable magazine” firearms.

Up-to-the-minute information acquired by Cal-FFL lobbyist Matt Gray of Capital Alliance and Cal-FFL president Brandon Combs suggests that, while SB 249 may not succeed in passing the Appropriations Committee due to the substantial costs issues, it is premature to consider the bill a non-threat to gun rights.

“SB 249 has been proven to be an outrageous attack on hundreds of millions of dollars of legal private property and law-abiding gun owners. We’re encouraged that the Appropriation Committee’s analysis has affirmed our view that California simply cannot afford Senator Yee’s misguided bill,” said Combs. “We urge all of our members and supporters to continue vigorously opposing SB 249 by calling the members of the Appropriations Committee and using the Take Action tools at our StopSB249.org campaign website.”

The STOP SB 249 Take Action page is located at at http://stopsb249.org/takeaction.

Danville, North Carolina?

I knew the state of North Carolina was expanding but I only thought it was expanding its population. According to the Vice President of the United States, the esteemed Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr., North Carolina has now annexed the south-central Virginia city of Danville and made it part of the Old North State.



The mapmaker who made the map below clearly shows Danville to be in Virginia. He or she must not have taken their cartography training from the Vice-President and is clearly wrong because Joe Biden doesn't make mistakes.

Or does he?


H/T Gateway Pundit

Pelosi Is Losing It

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has a fertile imagination. Either that or she is losing it. Given that she is now 72, the latter is unfortunately a distinct possibility. Having watched my Mom suffer from dementia I wouldn't wish it on anyone and that includes Pelosi.

Pelosi is firmly convinced that the attempts by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to get Attorney General Eric Holder to honor their lawfully issued subpoena is nothing more than a Republican attempt at voter suppression. The first paragraph of her statement on the filing of a civil lawsuit today by the Oversight Committee is below:

“This partisan lawsuit wastes taxpayer dollars and resources, and is a distraction from the urgent business before Congress: acting to create jobs and grow our economy. It is also designed to distract the Justice Department from its critical job of challenging state laws designed to restrict the rights of Americans to vote.

It is as if 300 dead Mexican nationals and 2 Federal law enforcement officers are just collateral damage in the effort to win elections by hook or by crook.

Quite A Find In Syria

Just looking at the contents of this shipping container is enough to get most collectors and Crufflers drooling. I can't imagine what a full container of Sturmgewehr-44s was doing in Syria.





ForgottenWeapons.com notes that these StG-44s could only be imported as parts kits to the United States. What a shame! I like their suggestion for the Syrian rebels to trade these antiques for a larger number of modern firearms.

Cummings Issues Mealy-Mouthed Statement On Lawsuit Against Holder

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has stayed true to form and issued a statement accusing Republicans of playing politics.

Cummings Issues Statement on Issa Suit Against Attorney General Eric Holder

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 13, 2012) – Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after Chairman Darrell Issa announced plans to file a federal lawsuit today against Attorney General Eric Holder for documents related to the subpoena on Operation Fast & Furious.

"It seems clear that House Republican leaders do not want to resolve the contempt issue and prefer to generate unnecessary conflict with the Administration as the election nears," said Cummings. "Unfortunately, the American public suffers as House Republicans disregard the real work that needs to be done."

I guess the best thing that you can say about Rep. Cummings is that he is consistent in his defense of Eric Holder and the Obama Administration. Cummings give truth to the Emerson quote that "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds; adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines".

PMC Starfire .45 ACP: A Review

Russ at LuckyGunner.com recently sent me two boxes of PMC Gold Starfire ammo to test out. I finally had a chance to give it a test yesterday afternoon.

PMC Gold Starfire is made by Poongsan Corporation in Seoul, South Korea. The Starfire bullet was designed for PMC Ammunition by Tom Burczynski who is also the designer of other self-defense hollowpoint bullets such as the Federal Hydra-Shock and HS2, the Quik-Shock, and the Expanding Full Metal Jacket bullet.

The ammo I tested was the PMC Gold Starfire 230-grain .45 ACP with the Starfire bullet. According to the manufacturers specs, it has a muzzle velocity of 850 ft/sec. and generates 369 foot-pounds of energy.

As I don't have access to a chronograph I couldn't test the above specs nor could I test how it performs on penetration tests. However, I did test the ammo for how well it shot and how well it fed. The latter is, in my opinion, a critical test for any carry ammo.

The test guns for this test were the 5" Ruger SR1911, the 4.25" Colt LW Commander, and the 3.5" Para-USA CCO LDA. My feeling is that this would test the full spectrum of 1911 models.

Before I tested the PMC Gold Starfire ammo, I ran a full magazine of .45 230-grain ball ammo through each of the test guns to make sure they all were feeding properly. I had no failure to feeds in any of the test pistols. The magazines used were all factory original magazines.

My first test was to attempt to fire a full magazine through each pistol to see how it fed the PMC Gold Starfire ammo. I put two full mags through both the SR1911 and the Colt LW Commander with no failures to feed. However, I could not get the ammo to feed in the Para CCO for love or money.

Was this the ammo's fault? The answer is, of course, an unequivocal no. It has more to do with angle of the feed ramp of the Para CCO than anything else. I haven't tried other hollow-point ammo in this particular pistol and I didn't have any with me to see if it would work. The advice to test a few boxes of your intended carry ammo before actually carrying it is good advice.

My second test was to see how the ammo shot. This is probably not too valid a test as I wasn't shooting from a rest. Moreover, I haven't been shooting in at least a month or so. Shooting is a perishable skill and my results prove it. My groups suck. That said, they are all center mass.

I shot six rounds from both the Ruger SR1911 and Colt LW Commander at 5 and 7 yards respectively. I did have one failure to feed in the Colt but no further troubles after I cleared it. I shot a total of 40 rounds of the PMC Gold Starfire and had no duds in the bunch. The felt recoil seemed to be consistent throughout. Checking my brass I didn't see any bulged primers or any other indication of excess pressure.

The cost of the PMC Gold Starfire ammo is $17 for a box of 20. This compares quite favorably to other self-defense ammo such as Hornady's Critical Defense, Remington's Golden Saber, Speer's Gold-Dot, and, of course, the Federal Hydra-Shock with its Tom Burczynski designed bullet.

Would I use this ammo as an everyday self-defense carry load? The answer is maybe. The bullet is a solid design and the cost is definitely right. As my experience with the failure to feed in the Para CCO makes clear, I'd have to test the round in whatever gun I was carrying but one should do that anyway.

One of the things holding me back from a definite yes is that PMC is not a member of SAAMI - the Small Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute. The advice that is often given to not carry handloaded ammo due to overzealous prosecutors and ambulance chasing lawyers has been expanded in some quarters to include the advice to only carry rounds manufactured by SAAMI members. The thinking is that ammunition from SAAMI members is more likely to conform to their specs and that the load will be consistent from batch to batch. Whether this is a valid concern or not, I'll leave up to you.