Rally Against The RINOs In Raleigh

The North Carolina General Assembly is returning for a special session on August 3rd. Grass Roots North Carolina is preparing a welcome for them called Rally Against RINOs in Raleigh. It is to remind the Republicans that they only achieved their supermajority in both houses due to the efforts of gun owners. The impetus for this rally is the inability of the Republicans in the House to pass HB 746 with a veto proof majority and the refusal of the State Senate to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.

If you are in the Raleigh area or if you can be in the Raleigh area for the rally on Thursday, the details are below:

LET'S REMIND OUR REPUBLICANS WHO PUT THEM IN OFFICE.

Remember in the last election how the Republican candidates couldn't get enough love from pro-second amendment North Carolinians? Remember how they promised to be the stalwart guardians of your gun rights? As expected, they have forgotten who "brung 'em to the dance." We know this because House Bill 746 is stuck in the Senate -- the result of petty quibbling and inactivity. Politicians are always at risk of becoming complacent (especially when their party holds a supermajority in both the house and the senate), and they sometimes need to be reminded of who they work for. Worse yet: we know that Michael Bloomberg's out-of-state money has been hard at work in North Carolina, with a few well-paid operatives whispering fear and doubt into the ears of our elected leaders. This isn't a new game for them, since they prognosticate doom about every pro-Second Amendment measure that comes up ... and when these pro-gun bills are passed into law, their fears of doom are proven to be completely unfounded. Still, we want to make sure that responsible, law-abiding gun owners are being seen and heard by their elected leaders. Let's remind them that rich New Yorkers and a few paid minions don't speak for us in our state legislature. The General Assembly returns for a special session on Thursday August 3, and we've planned a gun rights rally for the mall area between the Legislature and the Legislative Office Building. Most importantly: we need YOU there to join the chorus of North Carolina's law-abiding, responsible gun owners. Together, we can encourage our leaders to move House Bill 746 in this special session. The demonstration will take place on Thursday August 3 at 11:00 AM. This will be a safe, fun, family-oriented event where we will introduce a new figure to North Carolina's political scene: Squish the Magic RINO!

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

RSVP on the GRNC website and let us know that you can attend the rally (https://www.grnc.org/august-3-demonstration). Attend the rally! It will be located on the grass mall just north of the Legislative building at 16 W. Jones St., Raleigh. The rally will begin at 11:00 AM, but it's wise to get there early to alleviate parking concerns. Please make sure that you dress for the press. We encourage professional attire. Please, no inflammatory slogans on clothing or signs. We want to show everyone that North Carolina's gun owners are the most civil, respectful, law-abiding citizens!

A Modest Proposal

The Complementary Spouse and I were watching Sharyl Attkisson's Full Measure news program this morning. She had a story on about waste and fraud in the rebuilding of Afghanistan and its security forces. That is irrelevant to my modest proposal. However, seeing Afghan police carrying AK-47s got me to thinking - why are they carrying ComBloc firearms when they could be carrying firearms made in the good old USA.

The US firearms industry has an inventory problem. They overbuilt before the 2016 election on the presumption that we would have a President Hillary which would cause a mad rush to buy while the getting was good. Instead we have President Trump and the pipeline is full of ARs that manufacturers and distributors are trying to clear out. Tam called it a "gun glut" today in a post.

You only have to see the emails and flyers from companies like Palmetto State Armory and CDNN to see that prices have plummeted.  The subreddit /r/gundeals is full of posts about great buys on anything AR. The deals are not just on any old no-name AR. They include stuff like the Colt LE6920 for $799 and the S&W MP15 for $499. Conversely, it doesn't look like the prices of AKs have fallen anywhere as much. Romanian Wasrs are still over $600.

President Trump campaigned on "buy American" and issued an Executive Order  in April which seeks to maximize the procurement of American-made products by Federal agencies. The Department of Defense and the State Department both provide security assistance to Afghanistan.

While it is somewhat counter-productive to my own selfish interests, I would propose that DOD and the State Department begin buying up much of this surplus inventory at these bargain prices. It would then be used to replace those ComBloc AKs with good, American made, semi-auto AR15s. While as a consumer I would miss being able to buy good quality AR lowers for $50 or less, I also recognize that I have a greater interest in seeing firearms companies - especially the smaller specialty ones - survive as going concerns. The average Afghani cop isn't going to care if he is issued a Del-Ton, a Colt, or a Spike's Tactical. He's just going to be happy that he has a new rifle. Reequipping the Afghanis with AR15s will also provide opportunities for training companies to instruct the Afghanis on the use, care, and maintenance of their new rifles.

I'm sure the media would portray this as a sop to the NRA and the firearms industry. Nonetheless, it helps an American industry, it fulfills a campaign promise to buy American, it ties the Afghanis to us for training, spare parts, etc., it could be done at bargain prices, and it helps preserve the smaller companies. My modest proposal is, at least to me, a win all around.

Interesting Test Of Pencil Barrels

The original M16/AR-15 from Colt was produced with a pencil barrel. Later iterations of the rifle and carbine had a heavier and thicker barrel because it was found that the pencil barrel would flex when it got hot. The barrel flexing resulted in a change in the point of impact. The practical effect of this barrel flexing for the military was that shots ostensibly on target were missing the enemy at longer ranges.

You can see the difference in thickness between a pencil barrel and a "government" profile barrel in the pictures below. Both of these barrels (and the pictures of them) are from Faxon Firearms.

Faxon 16" pencil barrel

Faxon 16" M4 government profile barrel

Ian and Karl at InRange TV are doing a series called "What Would Stoner Do". The latest in their WWSD series tests the effect that heat can have on pencil barrels and the point of impact. They tested both a modern Faxon barrel and an original Colt SP1 barrel. Faxon claims that their proprietary method of building in stress reliefs mitigates the significant change in point of impact caused by heat. Part of Ian and Karl's reasoning behind testing pencil barrels is that a pencil barrel is a quick way to reduce the weight of the rifle.




I found this highly interesting as I am in the process of assembling parts to make a lightweight AR using this same Faxon pencil barrel. I got a great deal on one at the recent NRA Annual Meeting and decided that I "needed" another AR. I am also in the process of putting together a retro styled clone of the M16A1 using a mix of original and modern parts. This latter rifle uses a 20" barrel from Green Mountain Rifle Barrels which has the original 1 in 12" twist. My dad qualified Expert with such a rifle back in the 1960s and the build is partly meant to honor him.

While I Was Away - No. 3

The National Rifle Association's Youth Education Summit (YES) starts today in Washington, DC. It is a seven-day educational experience for selected students from around the country. They will be visiting various places in our nation's capital, will participate in discussions related to current events, and will have the opportunity to win college scholarships. The goal of the program is to promote active citizenship.

Congratulations to those selected from around the country.

From the NRA on the summit:

FAIRFAX, Va. – The National Rifle Association is pleased to announce the students selected to attend the 2017 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.), a seven-day educational experience in Washington, D.C., scheduled for July 24-30, 2017.  

As part of Y.E.S., students from across the United States learn the significance of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the importance of being an active citizen as they visit memorials and monuments throughout the nation’s capital. Scheduled stops include the Capitol Building, the National Museum of American History, and the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the National Archives, the Newseum, Mount Vernon, and a safe introduction to the shooting sports at NRA Headquarters. Students will also participate in discussion about current events to have them learn from each other, to learn more about new topics. Additionally students will be assigned a team debate topic, which is meant to foster teamwork abilities, research capabilities, and leadership skills. 

Students who excel in the week’s activities through demonstrating strong leadership, public speaking, and debate skills will be awarded up to $15,000 in college scholarships at the summit’s closing ceremony. Following Y.E.S., an additional $25,000 in scholarships will be made available through the Y.E.S. Grand Scholarship, which encourages attendees to create a portfolio detailing the promotion of NRA programs, like Eddie Eagle GunSafe® and Refuse To Be A Victim®, in their communities.  

Any high school sophomore or junior in the United States is welcome to apply to Y.E.S. The summit’s application process includes a written essay on the Second Amendment, personal statement, transcript affirming a minimum 3.00 grade point average, and three personal recommendations. This year’s class of 46 was selected from hundreds of qualified applicants. This year we are excited to have students from 35 states, including both Alaska and Hawaii! 

The National Rifle Association launched the Youth Education Summit in 1996 (The state-level program started in 2002) to encourage America's youth to become active and knowledgeable citizens at both the national and local levels. More than $500,000 in scholarships have been awarded throughout the program’s 20-year history. Funding for Y.E.S. is provided through The NRA Foundation from monies raised by Friends of NRA, a grassroots fund-raising program in support of the shooting sports.

2017 Y.E.S. Participants

Alaska: Grayson Davey

Alaska: Sophia Puliafico

Arkansas: Alex Henry

Arizona: Kira Dean

Arizona: Cristian Lee

California: Emily Cupp

California: Brent Hinchcliff

California: Isabella Orozco

Colorado: Gage Paris

Florida: Dennis Hull

Florida: Peter Leonard

Georgia: Sawyer Williams

Hawaii: Iceley Andaya

Illinois: Krzysztof Gajda

Illinois: Natalie Seaman

Indiana: Matthew Burton

Kentucky: Andrew Sisson

Kentucky: Allen Slaughter

Louisiana: Canlin Dionne

Louisiana: Jonah Finley

Massachusetts: Amby Tierney

Maryland: Madeleine Sateri

Minnesota: Therese Minwegen

Missouri: Mary (Mikey) Schad

Montana: Hanna Antonsen

North Carolina: Jared Lockhart

Nebraska: Jamison Sapp

New Jersey: Zelan Von Kaenel

New Mexico: David Velez

New York: Reade Ben

New York: Gianna Guzzo

Ohio: Quinton Taylor

Oklahoma: Jonathan McCormick Jr.

Oregon: Owen Vredenburg

Pennsylvania: Lauren Klima

South Carolina: Brad Lehman

Tennessee: Lincoln Dillman

Texas: Kaitlyn Callaway

Texas: Stephen Garner

Texas: Denise Shaffer

Utah: Marlie Root

Virginia: Rylie Pennell

Washington: Simon Sefzik

Wisconsin: Emily Rasmussen

West Virginia: Katelyn Sette

Wyoming: Kaden Gaukel

While I Was Away - No. 2

Continuing on with the things I missed while at the beach are these two announcement from the Firearms Policy Coalition regarding bullet buttons and proposed ammo regulations in California. The FPC is a multi-state coalition of gun rights groups headquartered in California. They have been keeping a close eye on the regulations being developed for the enforcement of recently enacted firearms laws and propositions.

When you are headquartered in a state where the progressives have a monopoly on virtually everything, you have to fight back anyway you can. Showing that they have learned Alinsky's Rules for Radicals and especially Rule No. 4, the Firearms Policy Coalition is making the California Department of Justice live up to all those progressive laws dealing with public notice and freedom of information.

On bullet buttons:

SACRAMENTO, CA (July 21, 2017) — Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) has obtained a copy of the newest version of the California Department of Justice (DOJ) “assault weapons” regulations. FPC has published the regulations at BulletButtonBan.com, a Web site it established in 2016 for tracking the new California assault weapon laws and regulations.

“FPC’s Regulatory Watch program has once again proved its value in ensuring that the State of California does not advance its gun control agenda behind closed doors,” said FPC President Brandon Combs. “Without this program, countless gun-owning Californians would be in the dark about their future.”

Last December, the DOJ submitted its first attempt at “assault weapons” regulations under the California Office of Administrative Law’s (OAL) “File & Print” process, which means that the DOJ believed the regulations were not subject to public notice or comment. However, thousands of FPC members and Second Amendment supporters sent letters opposing the secret process through FPC’s grassroots tools and, without further comment, the DOJ withdrew the regulations near the end of OAL review period.

In May (a quarter of a year later), the DOJ re-submitted regulations under the same “File & Print” process. It took numerous legal demands to DOJ and OAL to finally get OAL to provide FPC with a copy of the proposed regulations. Following DOJ’s numerous attempts at hiding firearm regulations from the public, Craig DeLuz, FPC’s Legislative Advocate, and FPC filed a legal action against DOJ (DeLuz, et al. v California Department of Justice) in order to ensure that in the future DOJ complies with the California Constitution and Public Records Act.

In the end, these proposed regulations were summarily rejected by OAL a little more than a month later. And now DOJ has submitted almost the same exact regulations, appearing only to have changed the implementation date from January 1, 2018 to July 1, 2018. This new date was established by AB 103, a recently approved budget trailer bill.

“At first glance, the DOJ’s latest package of ‘assault weapons’ regulations are as awful as their first two attempts,” noted DeLuz. “It appears that DOJ keeps submitting the same proposed regulations, over and over again, expecting different results. Isn’t that the definition of insanity?”

The second announcement has to do with California's proposed ammunition regulations and the hearings seeking feedback.

SACRAMENTO, CA (July 20, 2017) — Adding to the growing list of its legal woes, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) was forced to issue a new regulatory notice and postpone a hearing regarding their recently-submitted regulations concerning new ammunition vendors and licenses. Many new ammunition laws were passed last year in Gavin Newsom’s so-called “Safety for All Act” (Proposition 63) and in Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León’s Senate Bill 1235 (SB 1235).

As part of its California regulatory watch program, which holds the State accountable for the improper implementation of various gun control laws, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) recently discovered the new DOJ ammunition sales regulations. That new regulation was officially published in the State’s Friday, July 14 Notice Register, but wasn’t clearly accessible to the public until the morning of Monday, July 17.

“In order for citizens and interested groups to be given an opportunity to advocate for their rights and policy preferences, the DOJ must follow the law,” said Craig DeLuz, a lobbyist and spokesperson for the Firearms Policy Coalition. “We are here to make sure they do.”

On July 17, FPC delivered a letter to DOJ advising them that they had not sent any notification about this proposed rulemaking using the DOJ’s e-mail based notification system it established and solicited participation in for that express purpose. The FPC letter also noted that none of the regulation documents that were discussed in the DOJ’s notice could be found on the Attorney General’s Web page listed in the Notice Register. FPC concluded that the public did not receive proper notice and demanded that DOJ remedy the defects.

Just two days later, on July 19, DOJ e-mailed their entire regulatory notice list -- which they had initially failed to do -- and said that the hearing for public comment, which was originally scheduled to take place August 28, had been pushed back to September 12 -- allowing more time for the public and advocacy organizations like FPC to analyze them and weigh in. Additionally, DOJ updated the public notice to reflect a different Web page that contained a working link to the proposed new regulations and forms.

“When law-abiding citizens and small businesses risk fines and jail time for not following the law, the least the DOJ can do is follow the law themselves,” commented DeLuz. “While their latest move is a step in the right direction, they still have a long way to go. We’ll be keeping an eye on them.”

At www.DOJregwatch.com and its companion page, www.bulletbuttonban.com, FPC tracks DOJ firearm-related rulemakings and provides the public with links to the documents and updates. FPC’s goal is to ensure that the regulations proposed are legal, available to the public, and follow all public notice and comment requirements in the California Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and applicable laws.

So far, FPC has so far been successful in repeatedly thwarting DOJ’s attempts to create law by executive fiat under the guise of the regulatory process. Previously, DOJ was forced to withdraw its proposed “large capacity magazine” and “Bullet Button Assault Weapon” regulations. More recently, the Office of Administrative Law rejected DOJ’s second attempt at issuing “Bullet Button Assault Weapon” regulations.

While I Was Away - No. 1

We got back from our multi-family vacation to the beach on Saturday night. A good time was had by all. I will try to get back into the swing of things with a series of posts on thing I missed reporting on last week.

Paul Valone, President of Grass Roots North Carolina, is now be hosting a terrestrial radio show on WFBT, FM 106.7, out of Wilmington, NC. The show entitled "Guns, Politics, & Freedom" will air on Sundays at 5pm Eastern. The aim of the show is to give gun rights advocates new ammunition in our fight for these rights. Four episodes have broadcast and archived shows can be found here.

Paul has more details in his release about it below:

Drawing on 23 years as a leader in the gun rights movement, F. Paul Valone is hosting a new show entitled “Guns, Politics & Freedom” on Sundays at 5:00 PM Eastern as part of the “Sunday Night Political Power Block” on conservative talk station WFBT, 106.7 (Wilmington, NC), which streams live nationally at www.WilmingtonBigTalker.com

Recent shows have included interviews with self-defense legal expert Andrew Branca (“The Law of Self-Defense”) and constitutional law professor Greg Wallace (“The Second Amendment in the courts: What comes after Heller?”). Upcoming shows will feature internationally renowned defensive firearm guru John Farnam and widely published concealed handgun researcher Dr. John R. Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center.

SAF Sues On Behalf Of Foster Parents In Michigan

While posting will be sporadic this week as I'm on vacation with my family, I did come across this from the Second Amendment Foundation. They are suing the state of Michigan because of their policies regarding firearms and foster or adoptive parents.

From SAF:

The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a federal lawsuit against the head of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on behalf of four Michigan residents, alleging civil rights violations under color of law for enforcing restrictions on the Second Amendment rights of people who want to be foster or adoptive parents.

SAF is joined in the lawsuit by William and Jill Johnson and Brian and Naomi Mason. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, alleges that MDHHS caseworkers told Mr. Johnson, a 100-percent disabled Marine Corps veteran who sought custody of his grandson that he would have to give the agency the serial numbers of all of his firearms. When he questioned this, the caseworkers allegedly told him, “If you want to care for your grandson you will have to give up some of your constitutional rights.” This was after the state asked the Johnsons to be foster parents to their grandson.

Two weeks later, the lawsuit alleges, a Gogebic County Court judge told the Johnsons that if they wanted their grandson placed in their care, “We know we are violating numerous constitutional rights here, but if you do not comply, we will remove the boy from your home.”

“The statements from the caseworker and judge are simply outrageous,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “This amounts to coercion, with a child as their bartering chip. I cannot recall ever hearing anything so offensive and egregious, and we’ve handled cases like this in the past. Blatantly telling someone they must give up their civil rights in order to care for their own grandchild is simply beyond the pale.”

The lawsuit asserts that “the policy of the MDHHS, by implementing requirements and restrictions that are actually functional bans on the bearing of firearms for self-defense, both in and out of the home, completely prohibits foster and adoptive parents, and those who would be foster or adoptive parents, from the possession and bearing of readily-available firearms for the purpose of self-defense. This violates Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights under the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.”

The Johnsons and Masons reside in Ontanogan, a small community on the north shore of the Upper Peninsula, on Lake Superior. Mr. Mason has been the Pastor at the Ontonagon Baptist Church in Ontonagon for nine years. He is also the Chair of the Ontonagon County Department of Health and Human Services Board.

“This is a case we simply must pursue,” Gottlieb said. “State agencies and the people who work in those agencies simply cannot be allowed to disregard someone’s civil rights.”

Redneck Science

I came across this video thanks to Twitter. The host, 22Plinkster, is engaging in what he calls "redneck science". He is seeking to find out how many butane lighters a CCI .22 LR Velocitors will travel through. The answering is a little surprising.

Head Of Vista Outdoor Exits

Mark DeYoung, CEO of Vista Outdoor, suddenly retired from his executive position as well as the Board of Directors yesterday. The report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (see below) notes that he won't be staying on in any role with the company. DeYoung was CEO of ATK (formerly Alliant Technologies) when it split into two companies after merging with Orbital Sciences. He made the decision to go with the sporting and outdoor portion of the company rather than the aerospace and defense related portion.

Vista Outdoor is the parent holding company for Savage Arms, Stevens, Federal ammunition, Speer, RCBS, Weaver and Redfield scopes, and a large number of other well-known brands.

From their 8-K filing:

On July 10, 2017, the Board of Directors of Vista Outdoor Inc. (“Vista Outdoor” or the “Company”) announced that it has elected Michael Callahan, the Company’s current Lead Independent Director, to serve as interim Chairman and Chief Executive Officer effective July 11, 2017, replacing Mark W. DeYoung. Mr. DeYoung has elected to retire from the Company’s Board of Directors and role as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 11, 2017 (the “Retirement Date”).

Mr. Callahan, age 67, has more than 40 years of experience in the sporting goods industry, and has served as Lead Independent Director of Vista Outdoor since the Company spun off from ATK in February 2015. He has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Aspen Partners, a Utah-based consultant to the outdoor sporting industry, since 2008. From 1990 until his retirement in 2008, Mr. Callahan served in various merchandising, marketing, management and senior executive positions with Cabela’s, Inc., most recently as Senior Vice President Business Development & International Operations where he was responsible for M&A and spearheaded Cabela’s expansion into Canada. Mr. Callahan is a member of the Board of the Midway USA Foundation and formerly served as a member of the Board of Bushnell Outdoor Products, Chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and Vice Chairman of the Outdoor Business Council of the US Sportsmen’s Alliance.

In connection with Mr. DeYoung’s retirement, the Company has entered into a Waiver and General Release Agreement with Mr. DeYoung (the “Agreement”). In exchange for his waiver of claims against the Company, the Agreement provides Mr. DeYoung a lump-sum cash payment in an amount equal to his current base salary ($1,081,500); a pro-rata portion of his annual bonus (based on the Company’s actual performance for the entire fiscal year); accelerated vesting of his outstanding time-based restricted stock, restricted stock unit and stock option awards that would have vested had he remained employed by the Company for 12 months following his Retirement Date; a pro rata portion of his performance-based long-term incentive awards that would have vested on the next vesting date based on actual performance; company-paid COBRA premiums under Vista Outdoor's health and welfare plans until 18 months following the Retirement Date; and the ability for Mr. DeYoung to participate in the Company’s Employee Purchase Program as if he remained an employee of the Company. The Employee Purchase Program allows all employees of the Company to purchase Company products at a discount. The foregoing description of the Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement filed as exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

At the time of filing, the Company has not finalized a compensatory arrangement with Mr. Callahan in connection with his appointment to the position of interim Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The entry of the Company of any such material compensatory or other arrangements with Mr. Callahan will be filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

I'm not sure why Mr. DeYoung suddenly retired as he was slated to stand for election to the Board of Directors in August. However, Vista Outdoor's stock price is now about half what it was merely one year ago. According to the conference call today, the Board and Mr. DeYoung decided to "accelerate his retirement".  Mr. Callahan has said he will not be a candidate for the permanent CEO position. They are denying that there is anything to read into the fact that the announcement of his retirement was very sudden. At least that is what they are saying.

NICS Checks Down For June

The National Shooting Sports Foundation adjusted figure for June 2017 shows a 10.9% decline from the same month in 2016.

From NSSF:

The June 2017 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,016,213 is a decrease of 10.9 percent compared to the June 2016 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,140,088. For comparison, the unadjusted June 2017 FBI NICS figure 1,888,266 reflects an 11.1 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,123,334 in June 2016.

You can see that graphically below:

However, if you study that graphic and read the numbers you should realize that the sky isn't falling. It is the second highest June on record and the NSSF-adjusted NICS number is still over 1 million checks. Gun sales are probably down from last summer when it appeared that anti-gun Hillary Clinton was going to ride into office after defeating what the media and the experts considered a weak and absurd Republican nominee. Of course we know now that she was the weak candidate and that Donald Trump wasn't that weak of a candidate.

As with all reports of NICS figures it should be remembered that they do not have a perfect correlation with firearm sales. In many states a carry permit substitutes for a NICS check. Moreover, the NICS check system is also used by many states for permit background checks and rechecks. The NSSF allows for these checks and rechecks when making their adjustments to the reported monthly NICS figures.

Want To Buy A Shockwave Or Tac-14 In Oregon?

If you want to buy a Mossberg Shockwave or a Remington Tac-14, you may have to wait a while. According to the Oregon Firearms Federation, the Oregon State Police who are tasked with background checks in that state have put a "hold" on all transfers involving those two firearms. They are now waiting on a ruling from the Oregon Department of Justice.

As you will remember, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has decided that these 14 inch firearms built on shotgun receivers having an overall length of greater than 26 inches, and with a bird's head grip are not shotguns but rather generic firearms.

More on this from the Oregon Firearms Federation:

Oregon law describes “short barrel” shotguns as:

“a shotgun having one or more barrels less than 18 inches in length and any weapon made from a shotgun if the weapon has an overall length of less than 26 inches.”

However, Oregon law does not define what a “shotgun” is.

Under Federal law, these are not shotguns at all since they are not designed to be fired from the shoulder. These firearms are not considered to have been “made from a shotgun” either since they come from the factory configured with no stock.

While Oregon law prohibit shotguns with barrels shorter than 18 inches, it provides for an “affirmative defense” if the shotgun “was registered as required under federal law.”

Of course, these guns cannot be “registered” under Federal law because they are not regulated under the NFA.

As you may know, many of these guns have already been transferred with OSP approval. OSP has no word on what will happen to people who bought them legally prior to this new policy. OSP has promised to provide a copy of whatever determination the Department of Justice makes on these guns. If we receive it we will provide it.

 In some states such as North Carolina, there is a definition of any other weapon that more restrictive than the federal law. For example, NCGS § 14-288.8(c)(2) states that a weapon other than a shotgun with a bore greater than 1/2 inch is considered a "weapon of mass death and destruction" unless it is registered under the NFA. This would seem to preclude the sale of the Shockwave and Tac-14 in North Carolina. However, Oregon law has no such definition. Any move to ban their transfer would be stretching the law for political purposes. Unfortunately, given the state of affairs in Oregon in recent years that would not be shocking.

Finally Confirmed - S&W Buys Suppressor Maker Gemtech (Updated)

In what has to be considered the worst kept secret on the Interwebs, it was finally confirmed today that Smith & Wesson division of American Outdoor Brands Corp. is buying suppressor maker Gemtech (Gemini Technologies). The Firearm Blog announced it as breaking news on Sunday, July 2nd, and many people posted this to Facebook including myself.

Given that AOBC is a public company, SEC Regulation FD requires "companies to distribute material information in a manner reasonably designed to get that information out to the general public broadly and non-exclusively." A purchase of this magnitude would certainly have been "material". I kept looking for a news release on AOBC's investor relations website as well as for a 8-K filing on the SEC's website regarding this purchase. 8-K filings usually are simultaneous with new releases though a company has up to four business days to make the filing. I could not find anything official on the purchase of Gemtech.

While I assumed that there was indeed a transaction that was going to take place, not having official confirmation told me one of two things. First, that the transaction wasn't a done deal yet and maybe there was a snag in the negotiations. Second, it could have meant - and I think this is what happened here - that someone, somewhere jumped the gun on the announcement and violated a non-disclosure agreement.

I think the timing is right for both companies involved. S&W competitors Ruger and SIG both now produce their own suppressor lines. So, too, does Remington with their AAC division. The purchase of Gemtech now allows S&W into the game at a significant level without having to start from scratch. It may also signify a vote of confidence on the part of AOBC and S&W that the Hearing Protection Act will pass as either a stand alone bill or as part of the SHARE Act.

According to Gemtech's website, they have been in the suppressor business since 1976. While I don't know how the ownership of Gemtech is structured, I'm guessing that what we are seeing here is a situation similar to that of Crimson Trace. The founder(s) have reached a point where they want to relax a bit and this gives them the opportunity to cash out while still maintaining a presence. Thus, the purchase of Gemtech by S&W becomes a win-win situation for all involved.

The official release is below and notes that the current CEO of Gemtech, Ron Martinez, will stay on as General Manager.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American Outdoor Brands Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: AOBC), a leading manufacturer of firearms and a provider of quality accessory products for the shooting, hunting, and rugged outdoor enthusiast, today announced that its firearms business, Smith & Wesson Corp., has agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of Gemini Technologies, Incorporated ("Gemtech"), a provider of high quality suppressors and accessories for the consumer, law enforcement, and military markets.

James Debney, President and CEO of American Outdoor Brands, said, "Gemtech is widely recognized for producing some of the finest rifle and pistol suppressors in the market. Gemtech's strong product development capabilities, combined with our experience in brand management and our manufacturing expertise, will help us to efficiently develop both firearms and suppressors, minimizing our time to market for both product categories. We view this acquisition as opportunistic, allowing us to enter the suppressor category, which resonates strongly with our core firearm consumer, at a time when the market is particularly soft. These elements combine to make Gemtech an excellent fit with our long term strategy."

The company intends to complete the acquisition of Gemtech utilizing cash on hand and expects the transaction to close this summer. Ron Martinez, President of Gemtech, will continue in his leadership role as General Manager, heading up the company's strong team located in Eagle, Idaho.

UPDATE: On Monday I had written Liz Sharp, VP for Investor Relations at AOBC, inquiring why there was no release on the purchase of Gemtech and asked if the info had leaked prior to the official release. I got a response back last night after I had written this post. It seems that since AOBC didn't buy Gemtech but just their assets it was not considered "material".

Hello, John, and thank you for the inquiry. Yes, Smith & Wesson will purchase the assets of Gemtech in a transaction that we plan to close this summer. Since the transaction is an asset purchase and not deemed to be material, we announced the transaction internally to our employees prior to the holiday, and externally via a press release this morning. ... We believe this is a great fit with our strategy. Please let me know if I can help further, and thanks again for the inquiry.

Happy Free Fishing In North Carolina Day

The North Carolina General Assembly authorizes one day a year as "free fishing day". That day is always July 4th. It allows residents and non-residents alike to fish anywhere in the state without a fishing license or trout license for free.

From the NC Wildlife Resource Commission:

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 20, 2017) — July 4 is “free fishing day” in North Carolina where everyone — residents and non-residents alike — can fish in any public body of water from 12:01 a.m. to 11: 59 p.m., without having to purchase a fishing license or additional trout privilege license.

While anyone 16 years and older can fish recreationally in all public waters, including saltwater, without a license on July 4, all other fishing regulations, such as length and daily possession limits, as well as bait and tackle restrictions, apply.

To make “free fishing day” more enjoyable, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks a variety of fish in public, inland waters across the state throughout the year to give anglers a better chance of catching fish. Cool mountain waters are stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout, as well as walleye and muskellunge. In warm waters, Commission staff stocks largemouth bass, American shad, striped bass, channel catfish and sunfishes.

In addition to stocking fish, the Commission has interactive fishing and boating maps on its website to make finding a spot to fish easier.

Authorized by the N.C. General Assembly and enacted in 1994, North Carolina’s annual free fishing day always falls on July 4. On all other days of the year, a fishing license is not required for anglers 15 years and younger, but anyone age 16 and older must have a fishing license to fish in any public water in North Carolina, including coastal waters.

One Way To Fight Dead Of Night Gun Regulations

The California Department of Justice submitted a series of regulations relating to "assault weapon bullet button" laws to the Office of Administrative Law. They wanted these regulations to go into effect with no notice and no public comment. When Craig DeLuz of the Firearms Policy Coalition got wind of this he went to the DOJ's office and asked to inspect these regulations. While this seems reasonable to most people, he was denied.

As a result of this denial, DeLuz, the Firearms Policy Coalition, and the CalGuns Foundation filed suit in California state court on Friday alleging a violation of both the California state constitution and the Public Records Act. Alinsky's 4th rule for radicals says to make the opposition live up to its own book of rules and FOIA/Public Records Act laws are (or used to be) a darling of progressives.

From the FPC on the lawsuit:

SACRAMENTO, CA (June 30, 2017) — Today, Sacramento resident Craig DeLuz, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), and The Calguns Foundation (CGF) have announced a new legal action intended to ensure that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) cannot hide its proposed regulations from the public. The action was filed after DeLuz and two civil rights advocacy organizations sought access to DOJ regulations on so-called “assault weapon” firearms so that they could review them and inform the public, but were denied.

The petitioners are represented by Paul Nicholas Boylan, an attorney based in Davis specializing in records access and government transparency issues.

In May, the Department of Justice submitted to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) a set of regulations relating to the “Bullet Button Assault Weapons” laws that were passed and signed into law in 2016. Notably, the DOJ had submitted the regulations under the OAL’s “file & print” process, which means that the DOJ wanted the regulations to be put into law without any public notice or comment as would usually be required under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

When that action was discovered, DeLuz went to the DOJ’s office and asked to inspect them so that he could let California gun owners know what they contained and pass information back to the groups’ legal counsel for review. But the Department turned him away at the door, claiming that the documents were “draft regulations” and “not available for public inspection” — effectively, keeping the regulations secret from 39 million Californians even though they could have become law.

“My clients recognize that the work the Department of Justice performs directly affects the rights of millions of people,” Boylan said. “The people of California have a constitutional right to examine how and why public agencies make decisions that impact other fundamental rights, and the DOJ is no exception.”

“If a record relates to the public's business, then the public agency that holds the record must be provided to anyone who wants to see it. That's the law, and the DOJ must follow it,” Boylan concluded.

“When the Department of Justice denied us access to their submitted regulations and told me that they were not available for public inspection, I was outraged and insulted,” said Craig DeLuz, FPC’s California lobbyist and a spokesperson for the organizations. “Those who claim to enforce the law should be expected to follow it.”

“The California Constitution and Public Records Act make it clear that people have a right to access and inspect information concerning the conduct of the people's business,” said Brandon Combs, the president of FPC and executive director of CGF. “We know that the Department will have more firearm and ammunition regulations coming out over the coming months, and we will not allow them to use bad faith tactics to deny the people information about these important issues.”

To help inform law-abiding gun owners about the status of the “assault weapons” laws and regulations, Firearms Policy Coalition has established a Web site at BulletButtonBan.com where it posts news and information about the issue.

Picture Of The Day

This past Thursday, US District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez issued a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of the State of California's ban on the possession of standard capacity magazines which was set to go into effect on Saturday, July 1st. Legal scholar Dave Kopel does an excellent job in analyzing Judge Benitez's decision in the case of Duncan et al v. Becerra.

In celebration of Judge Benitez's injunction, one California gun owner, Archibald68 on Instagram, was pictured in front of the California State Capitol holding a 30-round magazine while wearing a "banana clip" t-shirt. Gotta love it!

Great pic from @firearms.unknown of @archibald68 celebrating the right to possess common magazines while repping BRD's Banana Clip tee at the CA State Capitol🙌🏼 ______________________________________ Today, July 1st 2017, would have been the last day for Californians to transfer out of state, sell out of state, or turn over their 10+ mags to law enforcement for destruction without facing criminal charges that would have lead to a fine and suspension of their 2A Right as well seizure of all their firearms, in essence, a backdoor confiscation of weapons. This was via the passage of Prop 63, which was opposed by law enforcement. ______________________________________ U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez, who is based in San Diego, issued a preliminary injunction Thursday, June 29, that found the law was likely unconstitutional because it prevented people from using firearms that employed “whatever common magazine size he or she judges best suits the situation.” The law would have barred people from possessing magazines containing more than 10 cartridges. ______________________________________ BLK RFL DIV called Judge Benitez's office (619) 446 3589 and, while not personally available, left a message thanking him for protecting the Rights and property of Americans. If you wish to do the same, do it, thank those that stand between us and the statists who wish to criminalize law abiding folks, stand with those who honor their Oath.

A post shared by BLK RFL DIV (@blk.rfl.div) on Jul 1, 2017 at 9:34am PDT

Happy Canada Day!

Or as I grew up knowing it, Happy Dominion Day. It celebrates the confederation in 1867 of the British provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia with the Province of Canada which subsequently was divided into Ontario and Quebec.

So in honor of Canada's sesquicentennial, I give you O Canada as sung by Sarah McLachlan.