Memorial Day 2018

This is the day that we honor those who died in service of our great country. It started out, if historians are to be believed, with Southern women decorating the graves of Confederate veterans in Warrenton, Virginia in 1861. It spread through the South during the Civil War and to the North after the war. Decoration Day, or Memorial Day as we now call it, did not become an official holiday until 1966 when LBJ signed a proclamation establishing it.

I am in the midst of reading Ian Toll's The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942-1944. It is part of his trilogy on the war in the Pacific during WWII. I have just finished the part about the battle for Tarawa. The battle for the atoll was, to steal a line from Thomas Hobbes, nasty, brutish, and short. The Marines lost over 1,000 men killed in action over the space of about three days. Much of that was due to both geography and the fierce resistance of the well-fortified Japanese defenders who died almost to the man. At the battle's end, there were only 17 Japanese left to become POWs.

What struck me as I read about the assault on the atoll was the bravery of the Marines. Many of them had to wade in to the beach through neck deep water because their landing craft grounded on the coral reef. They kept going forward exposing more and more of their bodies as men were being killed all around them. Going forward into the battle while those all around you are falling is the very definition of bravery. These are the men who I will be remembering on this Memorial Day.

If you want to see actual footage from the battle, the National Archives put together this short film from pictures and film shot by the combat photographers of the 2nd Marine Division.

A Project For A Long Weekend

Outdoor Life magazine just published a video on how to make your own ballistic gelatin. It involves Knox unflavored gelatin available in grocery stores everywhere and a loaf pan. The size shown is large enough for shotgun pellets and rimfire bullets.

This seems like a good project to do with your kids on this long Memorial Day weekend. It will be something you can do together and it will help emphasize the need for safety when handling a firearm.




Doing it yourself is certainly cheaper than buying pre-made ballistic gelatin. Prices I saw of pre-made blocks that meet the FBI 10% gelatin protocol start at over $100. Compare this to the price of a pound of Knox unflavored gelatin on Amazon which goes for $14.90.

Would A Local TV Station Obfuscate GRNC's Position On 80% Receivers? Duh!

A volunteer for Grass Roots North Carolina was interviewed by Felicia Bolton of Raleigh's CBS 17 television station about "ghost guns" for the second part of their two-part story.

If you read what was attributed to Marc Erickson, you'd think GRNC was anti-80% receivers.

Some gun rights advocates like the director of Grass Roots North Carolina Marc Erickson stated these weapons do pose some concerns.

"I represent lawful gun owners. Lawful gun owners don't have to make their own firearms," said Marc Erickson.

He also stated that he believes the law should remain the same and the focus should be on prosecuting violent offenders.

"What concerns me is that violent people obtain firearms one way or another and are allowed to pursue their violent actions," said Erickson.

Of course there is more to the story as the alert from Grass Roots North Carolina below points out. Being quoted out of context or having the meat of your argument edited out is the risk you play when dealing with the media. They want sound bites that make their point. It is why whenever you are being interviewed you should have your own recorder. Even better is to have someone with you taking video of the interview so you won't be "Couric'ed" as Katie Couric did to the Virginia Citizens Defense League.

From GRNC:

CREATIVE EDITING
OBFUSCATES TRUTH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release date: May 24, 2018

In a heavily edited interview on CBS 17 yesterday, a GRNC volunteer’s remarks were taken out of context to imply that Grass Roots North Carolina opposes the sale of 80% lower receivers. That assertion is false. The position which the reporter avoided relaying was as follows:

“If gun ban advocates are worried about 80% lowers, they should be truly alarmed by the prospect of people using 3-D printers to make guns in their basements, because each underscores the fallacy of gun control; namely, that you can somehow control the behavior of violent individuals by restricting their access to potential implements of mayhem. Prohibition didn’t work for alcohol, it isn’t working for drugs, and it won’t work for guns.”

California AG Becerra And Cal DOJ Served With Petition By Firearms Policy Coalition

I'll say right off the bat that I don't understand policies and procedures in California. While it is a beautiful state with bad roads and even worse gun laws, their legal and administrative procedures are a bit of a mystery to me. When I received the notice below from the Firearms Policy Coalition, I wondered why a petition with signatures was being served on the attorney general. After I started to read the petition - written by a North Carolina lawyer no less! - I started to understand that citizens and groups in California use petitions to put government officials on legal notice about their action. In this case, it has to do with underground and unpublished firearms regulations that the California Court of Appeals had enjoined AG Xavier Becerra (D-CA) from enforcing.

You can read the release along with the link to the petition below:

SACRAMENTO, CA (May 23, 2018) — Today, civil rights advocates at Firearms Policy Coalition have issued the following statement:

 

Recently, Attorney General Becerra said, “Here in California, we respect the Constitution and follow the law.” But neither is true. 

 

This morning, our Legislative Advocate, Craig DeLuz, served on California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and his Department of Justice a petition challenging their illegal underground regulation. This petition was also sent to the Office of Administrative Law, the state’s regulatory watchdog agency.

 

In spite of an unanimously-decided Court of Appeal published opinion issued in February, and a permanent injunction issued weeks ago, Becerra’s DOJ continues to promulgate and enforce that same illegal underground regulation. Their stunning and troubling disregard for lawful court orders is contrary to the rule of law. 

 

Becerra’s weaponized Department of Justice regularly attacks the fundamental rights and property of law-abiding gun owners in law enforcement actions, their lobbying of the Legislature, and litigation. 

 

Indeed, Becerra and his army of anti-gun DOJ lawyers and special agents ignore the text of the Constitution and California’s statutes, forcing their anti-gun agenda on millions of people—the law and civil rights be damned.

 

Becerra also recently said that, “in California, we believe our communities are safest when we have trust between our law enforcement & the communities they serve.” But such trust is impossible, and undeserved, when the state’s top law enforcement officer shows a total lack of regard for the People, their rights, and the laws he has a duty to follow and enforce fairly. 

 

If Attorney General Becerra and the Department of Justice want to build trust and be respected, they should start by being trust-worthy and giving respect to law-abiding gun owners and their fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms.

ISRA Needs Witness Slips As Illinois Gun Dealer Licensing Bill Rises Again

The gun prohibitionists in Illinois never give up. They have brought back their gun dealer state licensing plan in another form and the Illinois State Rifle Association needs Illinois residents to send in witness slips.

Let's face it - the goal of this bill is to put the small gun dealer out of business. You may have the right to keep and bear arms but if you can't buy any arms the gun culture will shrink. That is the ultimate goal of these gun banners. Make it so hard for people to buy guns that they will just give up.

Details below:

OPPOSE BILL SB337 BY FILING A WITNESS SLIP! TO CREATE A WITNESS SLIP  Click on the following link Create a Witness Slip I. IDENTIFICATION: Enter your personal information. Enter "NA" for the Firm/Business or Agency and Title fields unless you are officially representing an organization. II. REPRESENTATION: Enter "Myself" unless representing an organization. III. POSITION: Select Original Bill and choose Opponent. IV. TESTIMONY: Select the "Record of Appearance Only" radio button. If filing manually, complete the Captcha challenge and agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement. Then click Create Slip. TO VIEW A WITNESS SLIP  Click on the following link View a Witness Slip

Will NC Republicans Let Permitless Carry Die In The State Senate?

HB 746 passed the North Carolina State House in June of 2017. Entitled the Omnibus Gun Bill, the key feature of HB 746 was permitless concealed carry. As I've mentioned before, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled back in 1922 that it was the right of North Carolinians to carry a firearm openly. Since the passage of HB 746 in the House there has been no action on the bill in the State Senate. It seems the Senate Republicans under the control of Majority Leader Phil Berger want the bill to die from inaction. They did nothing regarding the bill in 2017 and now it seems nothing more will happen regarding the bill in the 2018 short session.

It should be noted that it wasn't too long ago that both houses of the General Assembly were solidly Democratic. Thanks to the efforts of conservatives and especially gun owners, Republicans hold a super majority in both houses. Grass Roots North Carolina issued an alert this evening asking people to remind Majority Leader Phil Berger and the rest of the Senate Republicans just who brought them to the dance.

From GRNC:

GRNC Alert: Republicans Plan 2018 Snub of Gun Voters

CAMPAIGNING REPUBLICANS  SNUB SECOND AMENDMENT

Senate Republicans may be planning to sell out gun owners… again! 

Strong signals received from Senate leaders suggest that Republicans plan to wrap up 2018 without any action on pro-gun bill, HB 746! Yes, you read that right. After allowing the Permitless Concealed Carry bill (HB 746) to languish in committee for the duration of the 2017 session, Senate Republicans are now aiming to do precisely the same thing in 2018.Once again, it seems Republican Politicians have forgotten who brung ‘em to the dance.

 

They’re taking you and
your vote for granted!

2018 Campaign Promises Will Ring Hollow
As you know, 2018 is an election year. This means all the “pro-gun” Senators who are apparently planning to snub gun owners, will once again be out on the campaign trail, and as always, they’ll be leaning on the Second Amendment. Clearly, politicians have no sense of irony.

 

Should senators fail to pass HB 746 soon,
do not fall for their 2018 pro-gun campaign promises

Without obvious and immediate action where it is entirely possible and long overdue, any pro-gun campaign rhetoric can be chalked up to crafty but hollow misdirection. As candidates wistfully recall memories involving their daddy’s shotgun, they’ll be quietly hoping like heck that you didn’t read this alert and learn what they really think about protecting and expanding your right to keep and bear arms. Let’s just say, if actions speak louder than words, your gun rights are not their priority.

Don’t Let Senate Republicans Play You 
Republicans, seemingly bent on inaction, may think they have you fooled, but they don’t, and the smartest thing gun owners can do now is let them know. Below, see how you can contact Senate Republicans. Explain to them that you are aware of their plan to do nothing, and that “nothing” is not a reason for you to go out and vote for them. Insist they pass HB 746 this session, and soon.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

• EMAIL SENATE REPUBLICANS: Use the copy/paste email address lists provided below, and the copy/paste text provided under ‘Deliver This Message.’
  
• PHONE SENATE LEADERS PHIL BERGER & HARRY BROWN. PHONE YOUR REPUBLICAN SENATOR, TOO. Find phone number information below and tell the Senators this simple thing: 

Hello, I am an active voter, and I vote on gun rights. I am calling to insist that the Senate pass HB 746 this session, or I will be sitting home in November. Thank you. 

CONTACT INFO

• Sen. Pres. Pro Tem Phil Berger:    (919) 733-5708
• Sen. Maj. Leader Harry Brown:    (919) 715-3034
• If applicable, please phone your own Republican senator as well. Click here to find your state senator.

---

NC Senate Republicans copy/paste email *list(s):

John.Alexander@ncleg.net; Deanna.Ballard@ncleg.net; Chad.Barefoot@ncleg.net; Dan.Barrett@ncleg.net; Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net; Phil.Berger@ncleg.net; Dan.Bishop@ncleg.net; Danny.Britt@ncleg.net; Harry.Brown@ncleg.net; Bill.Cook@ncleg.net; David.Curtis@ncleg.net;

Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net; Jim.Davis@ncleg.net; Cathy.Dunn@ncleg.net; Chuck.Edwards@ncleg.net; Rick.Gunn@ncleg.net; Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net; Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net; Rick.Horner@ncleg.net; Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net; Joyce.Krawiec@ncleg.net; Michael.Lee@ncleg.net; Tom.McInnis@ncleg.net;

Wesley.Meredith@ncleg.net; Paul.Newton@ncleg.net; Louis.Pate@ncleg.net; Ron.Rabin@ncleg.net; Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net; Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net; Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net; Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net; Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net; Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net; Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net; Andy.Wells@ncleg.net  

*Spam filters or email program limitations may cause the need to send more than one email, to cover the entire list of recipients. If required in your case, the list above is split into three pieces, for your convenience. 

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: "Pass HB 746 Now or Lose My Vote"  

---

Dear Senator:

I am furious after learning that Senate Republicans, by all accounts, intend to allow another year to slip away while taking precisely zero action on pro-gun bill HB 746. It seems as though Republicans have forgotten who “brung ‘em” to the dance, and this is not an acceptable memory lapse.

While you are out on the 2018 campaign trail, be aware that all pro-Second Amendment rhetoric will ring hollow in the wake of the Senate’s inaction, particularly if that trend continues during the 2018 session. There are no carefully parsed words, no glossy campaign mailers, no slick radio ads that will outweigh action in the Senate where real action is entirely possible. Inaction on the other hand speaks volumes.

Pass HB 746 this session. If you don’t, you will lose my vote. And if you have any doubts about the significance of the gun vote, consider Congressman Pittenger’s narrow 2018 Primary loss, after GRNC recommended his opponent due to Mr. Pittenger’s recent anti-gun votes in the U.S. House.

The gun vote makes a difference, and gun owners pay attention to GRNC’s recommendations. Pass HB 746, or face a loss in November. I will be closely monitoring your actions on this issue through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Respectfully, 

Document Of The Day

After the murders in Sutherland Springs, Texas by the former airman, the only record you could find about his court martial was a two page summary  The former airman was a prohibited person but the US Air Force neglected to forward the records on to the FBI's NICS System. As I noted at the time, if he had been charged with this crime in a civilian court not only would his records have been sent to the FBI but it was highly likely that he'd still be in prison.

Thanks to the efforts of David Codrea and attorney Stephen Stamboulieh the Air Force was forced to release the entire 610 page court transcript. Codrea had made a request for it under the Freedom of Information Act but the Air Force and the Department of Justice refused to release it. He sued in US District Court for the District of Columbia with the aid of Stephen Stamboulieh. The suit was filed in January of this year and the Air Force has finally released a record of the trial proceedings.

As Codrea noted in an article about the release:

The refusal to comply with the FOIA, forcing the filing of a complaint to obtain requested documents, points to a desire to cover up a record that shows the Air Force knew his crimes rose to the level of required reporting. (An attached motion alleging “illegal pretrial confinement and punishment” is also something they probably weren’t eager to see come to light).

This was clearly a damaged, a violent, and of relevance, a guilty young man, and as we’ve seen in similar cases, the government knew about him. They nonetheless failed to report to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, allowing the killer to purchase firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee without the system flagging him.

What this and similar reporting failures acting as catalysts for “Fix NICS” and other legislation fail to account for is that ultimately, being a “prohibited person” cannot stop anyone so inclined from obtaining a gun. If it could, we wouldn’t see regular headlines about “gun violence” from places like Chicago.

I would urge readers to go to Ammoland and read the whole article. Then they should start scanning the trial transcript. It makes for interesting reading.

As a refresher, David Codrea and the late Mike Vanderboegh were the citizen journalists who broke the story on the Obama Administration's Operation Fast and Furious which allowed firearms to go to Mexican cartels and which resulted in the deaths of two Federal law enforcement officers and untold numbers of Mexican nationals.

SCI Honors NC State Senator Bill Rabon

Safari Club International recognized NC State Senator Bill Rabon (R-Bladen, Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender) as their 2017 State Legislator of the Year. He was recognized for his work to preserve and protect hunting and especially for his role in expanding Sunday hunting.

From their release:

Safari Club International has recognized North Carolina State Senator Bill Rabon as SCI's 2017 State Legislator of the Year. We are appreciative of Senator Rabon's efforts to advance legislation promoting and protecting our outdoor heritage and tradition of hunting, our Second Amendment rights, and the valuable role hunting plays in wildlife management and conservation.

"We congratulate Senator Rabon for his outstanding leadership in the North Carolina State Senate, particularly for his tireless efforts to expand Sunday hunting in North Carolina and we are honored to present him with SCI's 2017 State Legislator of the Year award," said SCI President Paul Babaz. "Senator Rabon's work has resulted in great victories for sportsmen and women and we are proud to have him as a leader for SCI and for all hunters in the Tar Heel State."

Since his election to the North Carolina State Senate in 2010, Senator Rabon has been a champion for all sportsmen and women. He has advocated for countless pieces of legislation and has supported hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts – including expanding and repealing North Carolina's Sunday hunting laws and working to make the right to hunt and fish a part of the state's constitution.

"The rights of hunters are increasingly threatened and maligned today, but those rights are inextricably linked to the conservation of wildlife across the world," stated Senator Rabon. "Teddy Roosevelt said it best: 'In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen... the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.' It's more important than ever to stay aggressive and diligent as we fight to protect hunters' rights. No one has done that as reliably and successfully as Safari Club International. I've long been proud to be a member, and today I'm tremendously honored to receive this prestigious award."

As Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, Sen. Rabon was instrumenting in getting H559 passed which expanded Sunday hunting to include public lands.

Sen. Rabon is also a stalwart advocate for the Second Amendment and gun rights. He is rate 4 stars by Grass Roots North Carolina and has a 100% voting record on gun rights.

Boulder City Council Sued In Federal Court

Tuesday, May 15th, the Boulder City Council unanimously passed a ban on semi-automatic rifles with cosmetics they didn't like, a ban on standard capacity magazines, and bump fire stocks.

As the Denver Post reported:

The ordinance prohibits the sale and possession of assault weapons, as defined by the city. Also outlawed are magazines with high-capacity magazines and bump stocks.

Owners of the latter two items will have until July 15 to dispose of or sell them. Assault weapons will be grandfathered in; those in possession of such firearms have until the end of the year to receive a certificate proving prior ownership.

The grandfather clause was an olive branch to gun owners, said Councilman Sam Weaver, as was the abandonment of an early proposal to establish a registration system for assault weapons in the city.

Colorado has a state firearms preemption law that, on the face of it, forbids cities from adopting regulations which "prohibits the sale, purchase, or possession of a firearm that a person may lawfully sell, purchase, or possess under state or federal law." Firearms law is considered a matter of state concern. Denver, so far, is the only city in the state whose firearm regulations were upheld because it was considered a "special case" due to its size.

At the meeting where the Boulder City Council adopted their ban, representatives from the Mountain States Legal Foundation vowed that they would oppose the measure in court. They have kept their word.

In a release sent out late last night, the Mountain States Legal Foundation announced that they had filed suit in US District Court for the District of Colorado. The lead plaintiff is Jon Caldara who is a member of the Boulder Rifle Club. In addition, Caldara is the president of the Independence Institute, a libertarian think tank, based in Denver.

More on the lawsuit including a link to the complaint is below:

May 16, 2018 – DENVER, CO.  A group of Boulder residents who face heavy fines and jail time for the mere possession of firearms that are legal throughout Colorado and the United States filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging the Boulder City Council’s actions.  Represented by Mountain States Legal Foundation, the plaintiffs are taking a stand against the city council’s unconstitutional passage of a broad-sweeping ban of the most popular and widely-owned firearms and magazines in America.  In a blatant act of discrimination against a political minority, the city council also unconstitutionally raised the minimum age for firearm possession in Boulder city limits to twenty-one.  The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Denver, Colorado.

Jon Caldara, a well-known, pillar of the community; the Boulder Rifle Club, which has been in existence since 1889; Bison Tactical, a small business in Boulder city limits; and Tyler Faye, a member of the University of Colorado Shooting Team, all seek to defend their rights and the rights of their fellow Boulder residents against the illegal, unconstitutional, and discriminatory actions of the City of Boulder.

“This ban is tantamount to Boulder attempting to stop drunk driving by banning Subarus,” said Cody J. Wisniewski, attorney with Mountain States Legal Foundation representing the plaintiffs.  “It accomplishes nothing other than making criminals of law-abiding citizens.”

“The West wasn’t won with a registered gun,” said William Perry Pendley, Mountain States Legal Foundation’s president.  “Colorado is not California; these laws have no place here.”

On May 15, 2018, the Boulder City Council passed Ordinance 8245, amending the Boulder Revised Code to ban many rifles, shotguns, pistols, and standard-capacity magazines, as well as raising the minimum age for firearm possession to twenty-one, within Boulder city limits. The ordinance was passed by a unanimous vote despite an overwhelming number of public comments, telephone calls, and emails expressing concerns with and opposition to the ordinance.  Mountain States Legal Foundation will be seeking a preliminary injunction to suspend enforcement of the ordinance pending the outcome of the litigation.  Without such an injunction, Boulder residents may be subject to up to $1,000 in fines and ninety (90) days in jail per violation.

Mountain States Legal Foundation, founded in 1977, is a nonprofit, public-interest legal foundation dedicated to individual liberty, the right to own and use property, limited and ethical government, and the free enterprise system. In 2012, Mountain States Legal Foundation, on behalf of its clients, prevailed in the Colorado Supreme Court in Regents of the University of Colorado v. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. The Court’s unanimous decision in that case confirmed the right of concealed carry permit holders to possess concealed firearms on the public university’s campus.

For more information:  Caldara v. City of Boulder

Ryan Cleckner On Head And Scope Position

Ryan Cleckner is the author of the Long Range Shooting Handbook and a former Ranger sniper. His book is an excellent primer on getting started in long range shooting.

In this video for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Cleckner discusses the proper positioning of your head and scope for prone long range shooting. He makes an excellent point when he says if it isn't right, change it. The scope and stock should adjust to you and not the other way around.

Illinois Governor Issues Amendatory Veto Of Assault Weapons Bill

Gov. Bruce Rauner (R-IL) issued an amendatory veto of Illinois HB 1468. An amendatory veto is when the governor replaces language in a bill passed by the Illinois General Assembly with his own language. The General Assembly has three options. First, do nothing and the bill will die. Second, override the veto with a three-fifths vote in each house and the original language becomes law. Finally, pass the law with the amended language with a simple majority.

IllinoisCarry has an extensive post on the amendatory veto which I am posting below. It does contains things that would be objectionable in a more pro-gun state but are seen as a compromise in Illinois. This would include things like a bumpstock and trigger crank ban as well as 72 hour waiting period on all gun sales.

From IllinoisCarry with links to their discussion forum and Gov. Rauner's veto message:

Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto yesterday of HB1468. The bill sent to the Governor's desk 60 days ago with a veto proof majority would have codified into law, for the first time in IL history, a broad brush definition of 'assault weapons'. As we had hoped, he stripped the 'assault' language out of the bill and instead opted for a 72 hr. waiting period on all gun sales rather than risk law abiding gun owners getting caught up in a felony trick bag set up by anti-Second Amendment democrats. In a surprising move, the amendatory veto also included instituting the death penalty for mass killers, freed up local revenue to fund resource officers and mental health workers in our schools, a ban on bump stocks, and set the framework for limiting people who are a danger to themselves or others from having access to firearms. 

With the veto, the Governor protects Illinois gun owners from a  gun grabbing scheme which would have made firearm restraining orders easy to obtain, virtually no-penalty for false testimony, and taking firearms away from nearly anyone by almost anybody for any reason. With the amendatory veto, it becomes a roadblock with a  felony penalty for false testimony,  prevents vindictive grudges being used to take firearms from lawful gun owners while providing a process to curb mentally ill respondents - like the Parkland High School and Waffle House killers - who are a danger to themselves or others from legally possessing firearms . It also provides a clear and timely process for restoration of  rights when a person is no longer a danger.

The full text of the veto can be viewed here.  Discussion of the veto can be found on IllinoisCarry's discussion forum.

Ken Hackathorn On The M1 Carbine

Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons just published an interview with the legendary Ken Hackathorn. It is a quite interesting interview dealing with the myth versus the reality of the firearm. Ken said the WWII and Korean War veterans who actually used the M1 Carbine in combat generally liked it. They did acknowledge that the magazines were flimsy and they made a conscious effort to replace them on a regular basis.

I have an IBM-made M1 Carbine and love it. It is light and accurate. However, Hackathorn notes that many of the manufacturers had quality control problems in making these firearms. While the most common, the Inland Division of GM made carbines tended to be the most reliable. That somewhat surprised me.

The interview runs about 19 minutes and is really interesting especially if you like old US military firearms like I do. Now if I could only find a RockOla-made M1 Carbine with an Elmer Keith inspected cartouche like the one Hackathorn has, I'd be set.

No Changes To What Ruger Makes And Sells

A shareholder proposal put forth by Catholic Health Initiatives and the Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment for a vote by Ruger shareholders passed. The proposal which was opposed by the board of directors requires the company to prepare a report on "on how it tracks violence associated with its firearms, what kind of research it is conducting related to so-called smart gun technology and its assessment of the risks that gun-related crimes pose to the company’s reputation and finances."

The measure was spearheaded by Colleen Scanlon who is the chief advocacy officer for Catholic Health Initiatives which is an organization of over 100 Catholic run hospitals.

From CNN Money:

The proposal was spearheaded by Colleen Scanlon, senior vice president and chief advocacy officer for Catholic Health Initiatives, a system of hospitals and academic institutions. Her organization was one of four shareholders who spoke at the meeting, and all of them asked the Ruger executives what they were going to do about gun violence and gun safety.

"We as shareholders are saying that gun violence is significant enough that you, as a gun company, need to address what your responsibility to gun safety is," said Scanlon to CNNMoney.

She said that hospitals within the Catholic health system have treated many patients with gunshot wounds, and she wants Ruger to focus on smart gun technology. She said that her institution was one of 11 religious shareholder organizations to draft the proposal

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to see them leading an effort about making a smarter gun, like fingerprint activated guns and tracking systems for finding lost or stolen guns, like with iPhones?" she said. "We know that gun owners are responsible and sensible people, but we know that guns can end up in the wrong hands."

You can read the shareholder proposal here along with the rationale given for its passage. I would note that any supporting documentation that relies on the Violence Policy Center is suspect. The firm Institutional Investor Services which advises on shareholder proposal urged passage which I assume is the reason some of the major institutional investors vote for it.

Ruger sent out an email this evening with their response to the passage of the shareholder proposal.

The same coalition that pushed this anti-gun nonsense on Ruger will be attempting to do the same thing to American Outdoor Brands Company aka Smith & Wesson. This is the danger that we should come to expect in the future for firearms companies and those that do business with them. I foresee a time in the not too distant future when you will see most of these public companies going private to avoid having to deal with this.

I think it is important that you know just which religious orders are behind these proposals. I'm Catholic but I'll be damned if I agree with any of these nuns. I certainly wouldn't be making any contributions to their orders.

Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment

• Adrian Dominican Sisters
• Benedictine Sisters of Cottonwood, Idaho
• Benedictine Sisters of Mt Angel
• Congrégation des Soeurs des Saints Noms de Jésus et de Marie
• Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace
• Jesuits West
• PeaceHealth
• Providence Health & Services
• Northwest Women Religious Investment Trust
• Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S. Ontario Province
• Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province
• Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
• Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
• Tacoma Dominicans

Catholic Health Initiatives


Thirteen congregations of women religious either founded or later joined Catholic Health Initiatives. These congregations support and influence the mission of Catholic Health Initiatives and its public juridic person, Catholic Health Care Federation. Each Congregation appoints a person to represent them at semi-annual meetings with the Board of Stewardship Trustees.

Esther Anderson, OSF, PhD
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Alice Armata, OP
Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena
Taos, New Mexico

Nadine Heimann, OSF
Sisters of St. Francis of Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Joanne Klinnert, OSF
Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota
Little Falls, Minnesota

Joan Elizabeth Cook, SC
Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

Sharon Ford, RSM
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, West Midwest Community
Omaha, Nebraska

Sally Marie Kiepura, CSFN
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
Des Plaines, Illinois

Mary Jo Lewis, MD
Associate Member
Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Fargo, North Dakota

Ann Marie Friederichs, OSF
Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Heart of MaryHankinson, North Dakota
Hankinson, North Dakota

Susan Gatz, SCN
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
Nazareth, Kentucky

Francis Schumacher, OSB
Benedictine Sisters of Mother of God Monastery
Watertown, South Dakota

Diane Traffas, OP
Dominican Sisters of Peace
Columbus, Ohio

Sr. Mary Jon Wagner, OSF
Sylvania Franciscans
Sylvania, Ohio

Representative of Partnering Congregations

Sr. Nancy Miller, OSB
Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery
Bismarck, ND

UPDATE: The full transcript of the Ruger annual meeting can be found here. You will note some of the nonsensical questions posed to Ruger CEO Chris Killoy by "religious leaders".

UPDATE II: For an excellent summary of the shareholder proposal accomplished, please read this editorial by Jim Shepherd of the Outdoor Wire. He compared it to a fly buzzing around a cow. It is pestering rather than the steering claimed by proponents.

What Does It Say When Even Hi-Point Drops You As A Customer?

Today's Shooting Wire contained a release from MKS Supply, LLC saying they would no longer do business with Dick's Sporting Goods and its Field and Stream subsidiary. MKS Supply is the exclusive distributor for Hi-Point Firearms and Inland Manufacturing.

In recent months, Dick's Sporting Goods and its subsidiary, Field & Stream, have shown themselves, in our opinion, to be no friend of Americans' Second Amendment. We believe that refusing to sell long guns to adults under age 21, while many young adults in our military are not similarly restricted, is wrong. We believe that villainizing modern sporting rifles in response to pressure from uninformed, anti-gun voices is wrong. We believe that hiring lobbyists to oppose American citizens' freedoms secured by the Second Amendment is wrong. Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream, in purportedly doing all of these things, have demonstrated that they do not share our values.

MKS Supply, Hi-Point Firearms and Inland Manufacturing are standing by the American people by refusing any further sales to Dick's Sporting Goods & Field & Stream. We are proud of our products, we are proud of our customers, and we are especially proud of the freedoms secured by our great U.S. Constitution. We are committed to all three.

As I reported last week, Springfield Armory severed their ties with Dick's and the NSSF had expelled them from membership.

This afternoon it was announced that Mossberg was refusing any future orders and evaluating their current contractual agreements with Dick's and Field and Stream.

O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., a leading American firearms manufacturer, announced today its decision to discontinue selling products to Dick’s Sporting Goods, and its subsidiary, Field & Stream, in response to their hiring of gun control lobbyists in April 2018.

Effective immediately, O.F. Mossberg & Sons will not accept any future orders from Dick’s Sporting Goods or Field & Stream, and is in the process of evaluating current contractual agreements.

“It has come to our attention that Dick’s Sporting Goods recently hired lobbyists on Capitol Hill to promote additional gun control.” said Iver Mossberg, Chief Executive Officer of O.F. Mossberg & Sons. “Make no mistake, Mossberg is a staunch supporter of the U.S. Constitution and our Second Amendment rights, and we fully disagree with Dick’s Sporting Goods’ recent anti-Second Amendment actions.”

Consumers are urged to visit one of the thousands of pro-Second Amendment firearm retailers to make their purchases of Mossberg and Maverick® firearms. Firearm retailers can be found through the Mossberg Dealer Locator by visiting http://www.mossberg.com/dealers/.

Dick's might not be hurt by this but Field and Stream is going to miss both Springfield and Mossberg. The average Field and Stream store devotes about one-third of its overall space to hunting and shooting. A few more of these announcements and they can kiss the hunting and shooting business goodbye.

Finally, when even a low-end producer like Hi-Point wants nothing to do with you, it says you suck and big time.

Ollie North To Be New NRA President

An alternative headline might be "The Triumph of the Staff".

While I think Ollie North is an OK guy and a believer in the Second Amendment, I just don't think he is the right person to be the next president of the National Rifle Association. In the release below he is being compared to Charlton Heston. In other words he will be a figurehead. What the NRA needs is not a figurehead but an effective leader in the corporate chairman of the board mold who will hold the hired staff - Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox - accountable. An effective president (or chairman of the board) would have slapped Wayne and Chris down when they sandbagged the board by suggesting regulation of bump fire stocks without consulting the board.

My second objection is North's age. He is 74 years old. I'm sure he is a very vigorous 74 years old but it reinforces the notion that the NRA is old, white, conservative, and bit out of touch. That's not the truth of many of the members but appearances matter. As Sebastian notes, "Exciting for whom?"

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Third, I think the gun control industry is jumping up and down with glee over the selection of Ollie North. Even though his convictions for gun running in the Iran-Contra scandal were thrown out, he will still be painted as a gun runner. This doesn't help our cause.

Finally, his attendance record at NRA Board meetings is not stellar. For the eight meetings from January 2015 through May 2017, North only attended three meetings. He had excused absences three times and two unexcused absences. Let's face it, it sucks.

The NRA has been in reactive mode since Parkland. We have lost more than we've gained since then and this is no way to win the war for the Second Amendment. We need to be proactive and I just don't see the elevation of Ollie North to the presidency of the NRA as going in that direction.

I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But the reality that I'm seeing on the ground right now seems to be saying I'm not wrong.

The full announcement of the North selection:

DALLAS – Lt. Colonel Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) will become President of the National Rifle Association of America within a few weeks, a process the NRA Board of Directors initiated this morning.

“This is the most exciting news for our members since Charlton Heston became President of our Association,” said NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre. “Oliver North is a legendary warrior for American freedom, a gifted communicator and skilled leader. In these times, I can think of no one better suited to serve as our President.”

North said he was eager to take on this new role as soon as his business affairs were put in order. North is retiring from Fox News, effective immediately. “I am honored to have been selected by the NRA Board to soon serve as this great organization’s President,” North said. “I appreciate the board initiating a process that affords me a few weeks to set my affairs in order, and I am eager to hit the ground running as the new NRA President.”

The NRA Board acted quickly to begin the process for North to become President, after former NRA President Pete Brownell announced this morning that, in order to devote his full time and energy to his family business, he had decided not to seek election to a second term. In his letter to the Board, Brownell wholeheartedly endorsed North for President.

“Discussing this with Wayne LaPierre,” Brownell said in the letter, “he suggested we reach out to a warrior amongst our board members, Lt. Colonel Oliver North, to succeed me. Wayne and I feel that in these extraordinary times, a leader with his history as a communicator and resolute defender of the Second Amendment is precisely what the NRA needs. After consulting with NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox, First Vice President Childress and Second Vice President Meadows, I can report there is extraordinary support for Lt. Colonel North.”

“Pete has served the NRA with great courage and distinction,” LaPierre said. “I am grateful that he joined me in enthusiastically recommending Oliver North to the Board of Directors.”

After the announcement, NRA First Vice President Richard Childress informed the board that he had multiple commitments in the next several weeks and was unable to be immediately available to serve as interim President. The Board then selected Second Vice President Carolyn Meadows to serve as its interim President. Meadows will step aside in a few weeks, when Lt. Colonel North is prepared to take on his new role as NRA President.

LaPierre congratulated the NRA Board for its action. “The board acted quickly and with great vision,” LaPierre said. “Oliver North is, hands down, the absolute best choice to lead our NRA Board, to fully engage with our members, and to unflinchingly stand and fight for the great freedoms he has defended his entire life.”

“Oliver North is a true hero and warrior for freedom,” LaPierre said, “and NRA members are proud to stand with him.”

FASTER Program In Colorado

My friend Laura Carno helped bring the FASTER program to Colorado in an effort to protect students there. Kelsey Harkness of The Daily Signal traveled to Colorado to find out more about their program. She produced a video of what she found out with interviews with Laura, a SWAT commander, and a charter school founder. I think it is a great overview of what they are doing in Colorado to protect students where school boards will allow it.

NRA Annual Meeting Attendance Sets New Record

Thank you, Texas!

The attendance figures released for the 2018 NRA Annual Meeting have been released. 87,154 people attended this year which broke the record set in Houston in 2013.

New record attendance for #NRAAM: 87,154 law-abiding attendees over the three-day weekend in Dallas. #2A

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) May 7, 2018

Bitter at Shall Not Be Questioned posted a very good graph showing attendance at NRA Annual Meetings since 2004.

I was there each day and it didn't feel crowded. I think this might have to do with the layout of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. I will say the line to get into the Leadership Forum to see President Trump and VP Mike Pence was very, very long.

NSSF Expels Dick’s Sporting Goods

The National Shooting Sports Foundation Board of Governors voted to expel Dick’s Sporting Goods from membership in the organization.  They were expelled for “conduct detrimental to the best interests of the Foundation.” The conduct was hiring a firm of anti-gun lobbyists to push more gun control.  If a company wanted to push away the hunters and shooters in their customer base, Dick’s is doing a damn good job of it.

The full release is below:

NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries, Board of Governors today unanimously voted to expel Dick’s Sporting Goods from membership for conduct detrimental to the best interests of the Foundation.

Dick’s Sporting Goods recently hired a Washington D.C.-based government affairs firm, for “[l]obbying related to gun control.” Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Edward W. Stack announced earlier this year the retail chain would end sales of modern sporting rifles, voluntarily raise the age to 21 to purchase firearms in their stores and called for more restrictive legislation. Dick’s later announced they would destroy the remaining modern sporting rifle inventory. NSSF responded that business decisions should be individually made, but was nonetheless disappointed and the decision does not reflect the reality of the vast majority of law-abiding gun owners.

NPR Interviews “A NRA Member”

NPR covered the Leadership Forum at the NRA Annual Meeting today. In addition to the speeches by the various politicians, they sought out individual NRA members.. My friend and roommate at the NRA Annual Meeting Liston Matthews agreed to be interviewed. Liston gave what I think was a great, reasoned interview even though there were some “gotcha” questions by Mary Louise Kelly.

You can hear the whole interview embedded below.

Kudos to Liston for doing such a good job.

NRA AM 2018 Begins

My first impressions of the NRA Annual Meeting is that there are a lot of people here. Moreover, there are more press and media here than normal. I had to wait about 45 minutes to get my media credentials this morning. In all the years since 2011 when I first got media credentials, I’ve never, ever had to wait to pick up my credentials.

I was in line with gun bloggers, a reporter from HuffPo, and lots of local media outlets. I don’t know whether it is because of President Trump being here or because of the potential for demonstrators post-Parkland but they are here.

Springfield Armory Severs Ties With Dick’s

Springfield Armory issued a press release today saying that they will be severing all ties with Dick’s Sporting Goods as well as their Field and Stream subsidiary. The move comes as a result of Dick’s hiring anti-gun lobbyists to push for more gun control.

I say more firearms companies need to do like Springfield Armory.

From their release:

GENESEO, IL, (05/03/18) – Springfield Armory is severing ties with Dick’s Sporting Goods and its  subsidiary, Field & Stream, in response to their hiring a group for anti-Second Amendment  lobbying.This latest action follows Dick’s Sporting Goods’ decision to remove and destroy all modern sporting rifles (MSR) from their inventory. In addition, they have denied Second Amendment  rights to Americans under the age of 21. We at Springfield Armory believe that all law abiding American citizens of adult age are guaranteed this sacred right under our Constitution.It is clear where Dick’s Sporting Goods and its subsidiary, Field & Stream, stand on the Second Amendment, and we want to be clear about our message in response. Their position  runs counter to what we stand for as a company. At Springfield Armory, we believe in the right  and principles fought for and secured by American patriots and our founding forefathers,  without question. We will not accept Dick’s Sporting Goods’ continued attempts to deny  Second Amendment freedoms to our fellow Americans.

Win Guns!

Aaron at The Weapon Blog has posted his monthly list of contests giving away firearms. I see such items as the hot new Sig P365, the Glock 19X, the new Springfield 911, and a Scar 16S

Remember like they say about the lottery, you can't win if you don't play. Somebody has to win one of those nice new shiny guns. Why not you?

Thanks to Aaron for this monthly service. I know keeping up with all of these is a chore.

The Truth Is Scary To The Gun Prohibitionists!

The cult of personality known as Giffords sent out a fundraising email this afternoon. They called attention to the NRA Annual Meeting in Dallas and, in particular, to a seminar put on by Dr. John Lott regarding the false and misleading claims made by the gun control industry.

This weekend, the NRA gathers for its annual convention in Dallas, Texas.

And on Sunday morning, at 11 am, one of the most important events happens in two combined meeting rooms, D163 and D165, on the ground floor of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Conference Center. It’s titled:

“The War on Guns: Arming Yourself Against the False Claims That Will be Made Against Guns During the Election”

Here’s the truth: the American people are wise to the game. They know that if more guns made America safer, we would be the safest nation on the planet.

But change will never happen until candidates and elected officials understand there is more to fear from all of us than what’s happening in Dallas this weekend.

They are correct about two things: the NRA gathers this weekend in Dallas and John Lott's message is important. If Dr. Lott's message, facts, and figures were not valid and not important, they would not have brought attention to it. If they didn't consider it a threat, then they wouldn't have attacked it.

Notice their sleight of hand in saying "if more guns made America safer, we would be the safest nation". The former is comparative while the latter is superlative. Thus, in their false comparison used to attack gun ownership, one more firearm would make the US the safest country in the world. No one in the gun rights community has makes that argument.

Jonathan Sullivan aka Linoge at the blog Graphical Represention and its predecessor Walls of the City looked the gun control argument of more guns equal more deaths.  He found a negative correlation between the two. Moreover, he has replicated this study for a number of years as new data has become available. Using both firearms/death per capita and total firearms/deaths, he found a negative correlation. While it can't prove that more guns equal less deaths, it can be used to show that more guns does not more deaths.

Read Sullivan's work and read Dr. Lott's work. Both have delved into the numbers and found the arguments of the gun prohibitionists and their gun control industry lacking.

If You Are Conservative At The NY Times, Do You Get A Brain Transplant?

When Bret Stephens was a columnist and deputy editorial page editor for the Wall Street Journal, he was fairly reasonable in a country club Republican sort of fashion. He became a "NeverTrumper" in 2016 and then departed for the New York Times in 2017 to be one of their pet conservatives. Somewhere along the way, I swear his brain was sucked out and he was transformed into a Stepford conservative. That is, servile, compliant, and submissive to the progressive orthodoxy at the Times while maintaining his bland Republican ostensibly conservative face.

Yesterday, he did a joint "conversational" column with Gail Collins, a reliable lefty gun hater, on Donald Trump. In it, Stephens was asked if he still wanted to repeal the Second Amendment.

Bret: Yes, and you ought to join me in it.

Gail: Repealing the Second Amendment is totally impossible and talking about it just gives the N.R.A. another paranoia point to exploit. I say focus on the reforms that could actually happen. Like banning assault rifles. Tightening background checks.

Bret: I’m a believer in advocating supposedly impossible ideas, at least editorially. If not us, with the fantastic freedom and reach that The Times gives us as columnists, then who? Anyway, it’s not as if the N.R.A. will ever lack for paranoid fantasies about the deep state coming for their guns. So, if nothing else, starting a serious movement to repeal the Second Amendment might scare them into accepting the kind of sensible restrictions you advocate.

Gail: Instead of giving the N.R.A., um, ammunition to claim we’re out to take away every hunting rifle, I’d rather demand they defend teenage gun purchases and their “open carry” Eden in which every Applebee’s patron is packing heat.

They then return to their conversation regarding the firing of the House Chaplain by Speaker Paul Ryan.

It is kind of amazing when the 72 year old die hard lefty makes more sense that the younger pet conservative. Like I said, I swear his brains were sucked out when he joined the Times.

Adam For 76th Director

I endorsed Adam Kraut for the NRA Board of Directors before the balloting started. The other two people I endorsed - Julie Golob and Tim Knight - made it on the board but Adam came up a bit short. He has let me know that he will be running again for the 76th Director position. It is a one-year post and ALL members are eligible to vote for this director. You don't have to be a Life Member or a 5-year continuous member to vote on this position. However, you must vote in person at the NRA Annual Meeting in Dallas.

As Adam posted on his Facebook page:

You didn't think we were giving up did you?

Who can vote - ALL NRA Members
Where to vote - Outside Exhibit Hall A
When to vote - Thurs. 2 PM to 6 PM, Fri. 8 AM to 6 PM and Sat. 8 AM to 4 PM.

Last year we lost by only 60 votes. Bring everyone with you to cast a ballot.

If you are going to be at the Annual Meeting, I would urge you to vote for Adam. We need young blood like him on the Board of Directors now more than ever. 

Vista Outdoor Ditching Guns In "Strategic Business Transformation Plan"

Vista Outdoor announced plans today to sell off its Savage and Stevens line of firearms along with stuff like bike helmets and paddle boards. According to the announcement on their website, they are engaging in a strategic business transformation plan to emphasize products core to business. This will include their ammunition business which is their largest core business.

From their release, in part:

Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO) today announced its strategic business transformation plan, designed to allow the company to focus resources on pursuing growth in its core product categories. The plan is a result of a comprehensive strategic review, which began in November 2017.

"Our review identified product categories that are core to the company's long-term business strategy," said Vista Outdoor Chief Executive Officer Chris Metz. "We believe future investment should focus on categories where Vista Outdoor can achieve sustainable growth, maximize operational efficiencies, deliver leadership economics, and drive shareholder value."

In conducting the strategic review, Vista Outdoor management defined several criteria to evaluate whether individual product categories are part of the company's core. Vista Outdoor evaluated brands within its current portfolio based on their ability to do the following:

• Serve the company's target consumer – the outdoor enthusiast
• Create cross-selling and other similar synergy opportunities
• Achieve market leading positions and leadership economics
• Demonstrate omni-channel distribution capabilities

As a result of this evaluation, and with support from its board of directors, Vista Outdoor will focus on achieving growth through its market-leading brands in ammunition, hunting and shooting accessories, hydration bottles and packs, and outdoor cooking products.

"Vista Outdoor is excited about the potential of each of our core businesses, particularly ammunition, which is our largest core business." said Metz. "An increased focus on our heritage ammunition business will manifest itself in more innovative and breakthrough new products introduced over the next few years. We also anticipate that by prioritizing this business, we will be able to invest more capital to further enhance and expand our global leadership position."

The company plans to explore strategic options for assets that fall outside of these product categories, including its remaining Sports Protection brands (e.g. Bell, Giro, and Blackburn), Jimmy Styks paddle boards, and Savage and Stevens firearms. Vista Outdoor expects that the execution of this process will significantly reduce the company's leverage, improve financial flexibility and the efficiency of its capital structure, and provide additional resources to reinvest in core product categories, both organically and through acquisition.

"This transformation plan is a significant first step toward creating a portfolio of brands that is laser-focused on our target consumer and leverages the strengths of our combined platform," said Metz. "This renewed focus will allow us to invest in these categories and their natural adjacencies. Coupled with our previously announced sales and marketing reorganization to drive a founder's mentality back into our brands, this strategic orientation will also allow us to accelerate our efforts to expand e-commerce capabilities and increase our emphasis on market-leading product innovation. The end result will be a Vista Outdoor that lives up to the potential envisioned three years ago when the company was formed. We intend to begin the portfolio reshaping immediately, and anticipate executing any strategic alternatives by the end of Fiscal Year 2020."

Savage had only been a part of Vista Outdoor and its predecessor ATK since May 2013 when ATK bought Caliber Company.

In comments made to the Wall Street Journal, CEO Chris Metz said:

Chief Executive Chris Metz, who joined the company in October, said brands built up through a series of acquisitions by the previous management team had failed to gel, denting sales and margins over the past two years. Vista Outdoor has seen two-thirds of its market value wiped away over the past two years as industry oversupply and bankruptcies among retailers have hit the broader shooting-sports industry...

Mr. Metz said the Savage Arms business remained “close to our core,” but Vista Outdoors wasn’t prepared to make the investment needed to make it a full-service firearms maker.

He added that they were in no hurry to sell these assets. While I don't care what they do with paddle boards or bicycle helmets, I don't want to see a venerable firearms company which still makes an excellent product just dumped on the market. I don't know if they can get the $315 million they paid for Savage back in 2013 but time will tell.

UPDATE: Attached are two slides from the Vista Outdoor analyst presentation today which show the before and after of the potential spin-off of Savage and the others.

BEFORE

AFTER

Backdoor Gun Registration?

While some states such as Illinois, New York, and California have registration of either gun owners or firearms, there is no such registration at the Federal level. Indeed, Congress has passed legislation forbidding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives from even computerizing the paper records of out of business FFLs.

The Wall Street Journal ran a story today regarding preliminary discussions by banks and credit-card companies to identify purchases of firearms, ammo, and accessories.

The financial companies have explored creating a new credit-card code for firearms dealers, similar to how they code restaurants or department stores, according to people familiar with the matter. Another idea would require merchants to share information about specific firearm products consumers are buying, some of the people said.

Such data could allow banks to restrict purchases at certain businesses or monitor them. The talks, which are informal and might not lead to any action, have occurred against the backdrop of the national debate around guns in the wake of the Parkland, Fla., high-school shooting, which left 17 dead.

The move has the support of Everytown for Gun Safety (sic) whose spokesman Nicholas Suplina said to the Journal:

"Knowing where the customers are shopping isn’t a slippery slope to anything, it’s just one data point. I don’t think anybody’s asking financial institutions to determine whether a transaction is good or bad, but it may very well be a good idea for them to understand risks inherent in firearm sales."

It may be merely a data point to Mr. Suplina but the implications to privacy and government intrusion are much more serious. You would have non-governmental agencies using their financial might to interfere with a constitutional right enumerated in the Bill of Rights. Moreover, what is to prevent financial regulators from passing data from these transactions to other government agencies. Public policy which impacts everyone should not be set by private actors. It is a legislative matter that should be conducted in broad daylight where everyone concerned has their say.

One of the rationales for this potential move is to remove the anonymity from "online" transactions. My friend Dave Cole of Black Man with a Gun pointed out the fallacy of this in a post yesterday on Facebook.

This is actually pretty funny when you think about it. On one hand, the antis want to end online purchases of guns and ammunition, because it's too "anonymous." And now they want to make it more difficult to use credit cards for those purchases?

You think it's hard for Big Brother to monitor sales of guns and ammo now, just wait until they reduce us to having to walk into a brick-and-mortar gun shop and pay cash. If they really want to track this stuff, they ought to be encouraging people to buy all their gun stuff online with credit cards. Hell, they ought to have a rewards/points system for all your gun purchases with your BoA/Citi "Gun Nut" branded Mastercard.

Dave is correct. Many will return to paying cash at their local gun stores. Moreover, postal money orders might take longer to get to a non-local dealer but you are the one to put the payee on the face of it and not the postal clerk. Again, privacy.

If your senator is on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, you might want to contact him or her regarding this. Likewise, if your representative is on the House Financial Services Committee, do the same. I'd go even further and say contact your representative and senators even if they aren't on the committee. Even if they are a gun-hating lefty, you can still hit them with the privacy angle and make some logical extensions to other products such OTC birth control, LGBTQ publications, etc. Privacy is privacy.