Doug Koenig On Speeding Up Your Draw

In the latest training video from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Doug Koenig discusses how he approaches drawing his pistol from his holster for faster times in competition. Of course, being able to quickly draw your pistol smoothly and quickly get on target would also help in a self-defense situation.

I Like The Cut Of His Jib

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is the junior senator from Texas and the former Solicitor General of Texas. He was responsible for organizing the amicus brief from 31 states in support of Heller in DC v. Heller.

Today he fired back at Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her Assault Weapons (sic) Ban of 2013.

Washington politicians shouldn’t be taking advantage of recent tragedy to try to push an aggressive gun control agenda. Real assault weapons—machine guns—are already functionally illegal, and they have been since 1934. This proposal would have done nothing to prevent the terrible murders in Newtown, but it would limit the constitutional liberties of law-abiding citizens. And gun control doesn’t work – the empirical data overwhelmingly demonstrate that strict gun-control laws consistently produce more crime and more murders.

The Second Amendment exists to ensure that law-abiding Americans can protect their homes and families, and I look forward to helping lead the fight to defeat this bill and to protect our constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

I'm glad we have such a strong Second Amendment advocate in the Senate.

S.82 - A Senate Bill On Guns That I Can Support

With all the noise created by the media over the new gun control bills introduced in both the House and Senate, pro-gun bills get a little lost in the background noise. Here is a bill that I think most pro-gun people can support. It was introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) yesterday.

S.82 - Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
A bill to provide that any executive action infringing on the Second Amendment has no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes. 
Has been read the first time but has not been referred to a committee yet.

Sample Letter Opposing Senate Gun Control Bills

One of the problems in keeping up the pressure weekly on Senators and Representatives is coming up with new ways to say "no more gun control". Below is a letter that I sent today to both of my senators. I took the approach that magazine restrictions and bans on AR-15s are anti-woman and anti-family which it is. How many Senators want to be seen as being anti-woman and anti-family?

Both the Complementary Spouse and I have North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permits. I used that in the intro to illustrate that we were the "good guys". If you have a CCW, say so. If not, leave that part out.

I sent my letters by fax to both their Washington office and one of their in-state offices. I used fax rather than the mail or email for a couple of reasons. First, due to the anthrax scare after 9-11, it takes regular mail a week at least to be delivered to an office. Second, a fax is instantaneous. Finally, I think a signed fax, since it takes a little more effort, gets more attention than an email.

The letter below can be cut and pasted into your own word processing program. I have put parantheses around the areas which can be filled in or left out. If you are a woman, I'd make sure to say so.

Senator (fill in blank)
US Senate
By fax


Dear Senator (fill in blank),

I am a responsible gun owner. (I have a North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permit which means that I’ve received training, been fingerprinted, and have had a complete background check. I’m one of the good folks out there.

This week Sen. Frank Lautenberg has introduced his bill to ban magazines with greater than 10 round capacity and Sen. Dianne Feinstein has or will introduce her bill to effectively outlaw semi-automatic firearms with ugly features.>

I vehemently oppose both of these bills.

Home invasions with multiple invaders have been rising nationwide. Placing a limitation on magazine size puts my family at risk. While someone using a firearm for offensive purposes has plenty of time to change magazines, that is not true of self-defense situations especially in the case of multiple invaders.

The AR-15 is an ideal firearm for home defense. (As a woman,) I find it is lightweight, easy to operate, and has low recoil. The .223/5.56x45 round that most use has been shown in numerous studies to be the least likely bullet to pass through a house wall and injure someone outside of it. The round falls apart when it hits the dry wall or gypsum.

I view both of these bills as anti-family and anti-woman. Passage of either or both will put more families, more women, and more children at risk from criminals, thugs, and rapists.

I urge you to oppose both of these bills. As President Obama recently said, “If it saves the live of only one child, it is worth it.” He’s right but he just had the wrong context in mind.

Sincerely,

(Your name and address)

Here are a couple of links where you can find the names and addresses of your state's US Senators. First, by state, from the US Senate's webpage. Click on the senator's name to be linked to their home page. From there you can find their fax numbers. Second, the NRA-ILA has a "write your reps" address locator. It can be found here. Either way, write them, call them, AND fax them. Moreover, do it like voting in Chicago - early and often.

Rep. Meadows' Response Is Good

I got the following response to a letter sent to Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC-11) who is my Congressman. Unlike some letters I've seen which speak of not wanting to "unnecessarily" infringing upon the Second Amendment, Meadows doesn't believe additional laws will help. Moreover, he is pushing firearms training which I endorse.

Dear Mr. Richardson:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding your concerns over the possibility of increased gun regulation in light of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Your views are very important, and I appreciate you taking the time to share them with me.

When I heard about the tragedy that took place in Connecticut on December 14, 2012, I was shocked and deeply saddened over this senseless attack on innocent children, teachers and school administrators. As a father, I cannot begin to imagine the horror that those families are going through, as they grieve the loss of their children and loved ones. My thoughts and prayers are with all of them during this difficult time.

Like most Americans, I am horrified by these crimes. The tragedy in Newtown has, once again, brought the debate over our Second Amendment rights to the forefront and has renewed assertions that more restrictive guns laws would have prevented the tragedy in Newtown and other violent crimes.

As a strong defender of the Second Amendment, I will always fight to secure the right of law-abiding citizens to purchase and bear personal firearms. I believe that the best way to prevent acts of violence is to resolutely enforce our criminal laws and to give our citizens proper guidance and training so that they are familiar with firearms and prepared to defend themselves should the need arise. I am working hard with local school officials and sheriff’s departments to figure out what additional measures we can take to ensure that our schools are as safe as possible.

The bottom line is that criminals and individuals who intend to do harm to others are not deterred by additional rules and regulations prohibiting gun ownership. Restricting the ability of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and their families against harm by enacting strict gun-control laws would only further expose the innocent to violent crime.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome. It is an honor to serve as your United States Congressman. If you have not done so already, please visit my website – www.meadows.house.gov – and sign up for my eNewsletter.

Sincerely,
Mark Meadows
Member of Congress

MM/pf

Wouldn't This Make Them "In Common Use"?

The Fontana School District is buying 14 Colt Model LE6490 AR-15s to equip school police officers. They will be stored at school police headquarters to be used in case of an active shooter situation.





I won't even touch up on the level of firearms ignorance espoused by the opponents of the police being armed with AR-15s.

However, as SayUncle pointed out yesterday, he doubted that the most popular rifle type in America is "unusual" taken in the context of the Heller decision. Sebastian takes this a step further.

I’ve also advocated that the courts should consider police use when making a determination about “common use.” If a type of weapon is part of ordinary police equipment, it can’t be dangerous and unusual, and ought to be defined as in common use, even if it’s only in common police use.

I agree with both SayUncle and Sebastian that the AR-15 is in common use. One could argue that the move by the Fontana School District and their police force puts the "normal" AR-15 into common use in California. There is no mention of the police having to have bullet buttons or reduced capacity magazines in the report from CBS Los Angeles. This is something to bear in mind if the California Assembly tries to adopt even more draconian gun laws.

Sounds Like Someone Is Taking Re-Election Seriously

Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) is one of those Senate Democrats who is expected to be at serious risk for losing here seat in 2014. Indeed, Moe Lane of Redstate.Com said on her chances, "Kay Hagan is likewise well-advised to start planning for her retirement." When Hagan was first elected in 2008 she rode the coattails of Barack Obama to the Senate. Fast forward four years and North Carolina is solidly a red state again.

It was against this backdrop that I read the announcement from Hagan's office that she has been named a co-chair of the Congressional Sportsman's Caucus.

Working to Support North Carolina's Sportsmen and Women

This week I announced that I have been named Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, which includes more than 300 members of Congress from all 50 states. After serving as Vice-Chair since January 2011, I'm proud to become the Co-Chair with my colleague from South Dakota,Republican Senator John Thune.

The Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus was established in 1989 and works to protect the interests of America's hunters, anglers and trappers. Approximately 1.4 million sportsmen call North Carolina home, and hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing are economic drivers in our state.

In fact, the Outdoor Industry Association found that outdoor recreation contributes more than $7.5 billion annually to North Carolina's economy, supports 95,000 jobs across in the state, generates $430 million in annual state tax revenue, and produces $6.1 billion annually in retail sales and services across North Carolina.

It's evident that North Carolina is among the best places to hunt and fish in the country, and I'm honored to continue working to protect our rich outdoor heritage in my leadership role with the Sportsmen's Caucus. I grew up in a family of lifelong hunters, and some of my favorite activities are hiking and fishing with my family across our state.

I'm excited to co-chair the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides the aisle to advance policies important to sportsmen and women.

Given that Sen. Hagan is now the Co-Chair of the Congressional Sportsman's Caucus, there are a number of bills that I think she should be supporting or sponsoring on topics like shooting ranges, the EPA and lead, and the like.  Conversely, I think if she wants to get re-elected she needs to realize that sportsmen and women care about the Second Amendment and encroachments upon it. One needs only look at the blowback that Reed Exhibitions has gotten from hunters over their decision to ban modern sporting rifles at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show to see this confirmed. I hope she and her staff are listening.

House Legislation Filed On Jan. 22nd

Three more bills dealing with firearms were filed in the House of Representatives yesterday. The first from Pennsylvania Republican Mike Fitzpatrick encourages state's to provide better records for the NICS system, the second from California Democrat Adam Schiff is an attack on the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, and finally, the third is from Georgia Republican Phil Gingrey which would mandate that the BATFE videotape their tests of firearms and ammunition.

HR 329 - Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
To amend the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to encourage States to provide records to the National Instant Background Check System.
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee

HR 332 - Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Co-Sponsors:
Rep Cartwright, Matthew A. [D-PA] - 1/22/2013
Rep Cicilline, David N. [D-RI] - 1/22/2013
Rep Ellison, Keith [D-MN] - 1/22/2013
Rep Honda, Michael M. [D-CA] - 1/22/2013
Rep McGovern, James P. [D-MA] - 1/22/2013
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY] - 1/22/2013
Rep Moran, James P. [D-VA] - 1/22/2013
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC] - 1/22/2013
Rep Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY] - 1/22/2013
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [D-NY] - 1/22/2013
Rep Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] - 1/22/2013
To provide victims of gun violence access to the same civil remedies as are available to those injured through other means.
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee

HR 339 - Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) Co-Sponsors:
Rep Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] - 1/22/2013
Rep Roe, David P. [R-TN] - 1/22/2013
Rep Stockman, Steve [R-TX] - 1/22/2013
Rep Westmoreland, Lynn A. [R-GA] - 1/22/2013
To require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to make video recordings of the examination and testing of firearms and ammunition, and for other purposes. 
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee and to the House Ways and Means Committee