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85 Days And Counting

July 15, 2025 by 1 Comment

The NRA Bylaws (Art. VIII, Sec. 3(b)) state that all petition signatures must be received within 45 days after the Nominating Committee meets. With the Nominating Committee meeting on August 23, 2025, the cut-off date to submit petition signatures is October 7, 2025 or 85 days from now. The bylaws as they stand now have no provision for the extension of this date for force majure, hurricanes, or any other thing that would make it hard to get the signatures to the Office of the Secretary on time.

Click picture for link

The other deadline that is critical is August 3rd. This is the day by which names are to be submitted in nomination to the Nominating Committee for consideration. You can nominate a candidate for the Board of Directors online. You will need both their membership number and your own membership number along with addresses, etc. Just to be on the safe side, I think a conversation with the person you are nominating would be a good first step. He or she might have other commitments that would make serving on the Board a problem.

If running by petition, a candidate needs 0.5% of the number of participating voters in the prior year’s election. For 2026 this number is 363 which is one of the lowest on record. In the past, petitions were always on paper and each signature had to be verified by hand in the Office of the Secretary. However, as the New York court mandated in the fifth point of its Final Judgment, an online version is now available. I have signed a number of these already.

The one major limitation on obtaining signatures is that they must come from a voting member. A voting member is either a Life Member or an Annual Member with five years of continuous, unbroken membership. With many Annual Members dropping their membership due to their disgust over the excesses of Wayne and his coterie of friends, it is not as easy to find voting members as it was pre-2019. I and many of my fellow petition candidates certainly ran into this problem last year.

To run by petition, a candidate needs to request the petition (and nomination) package from the Secretary’s Office. I would send an email to Laura Green, the Assistant Secretary, at lgreen@nrahq.org to request it. She will send you the packet and will set up your online link to your petition.

Judge Cohen’s order in the Final Judgment specified that the Nominating Committee was to “endeavor to identify up to 20 additional candidates” who met the required qualifications (Life Member of 5 plus years) and who did not serve more than one term on the Board prior to 2022. Judge Cohen referred to these as “New Qualified Candidates”. His goal was to expand the pool of nominees on the ballot and to bring new people and new ideas to the Board of Directors. He had noted it seemed the same people were getting nominated and elected year after year.

2025 was a watershed year in that 14 Directors were elected who had never served on the Board in the past. New directors are either Chair or Vice-Chair of five committees including critical ones such as Finance and Elections. Moreover, new directors are a majority on the Audit Committee which is a committee of the Board under NY Non-Profit Corporation Law.

Enough about the logistics.

The Board will only be as good as those nominated and elected. We need good people with the dedication to both the Second Amendment and board governance to run. We don’t need ticket punchers or resume polishers. We have had enough of those in the past! It goes beyond showing up to Board meetings three times a year. We need hard workers who will do the committee work necessary to help rebuild this 154 year old organization.

I have reached out to Buz Mills who is the chair of the Nominating Committee for skills they are seeking. I will post his response here when I get it. I can say from my own perspective that candidates with management, marketing, and finance skills, experience in non-profit governance, grass roots advocacy, and social media skills are especially welcome. I would also say that younger candidates who can reach out to millennials and Gen Z to become members are doubly welcome.

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More NRA Reform Candidates Need Your Signatures

July 13, 2025 by 7 Comments

Frank Tait has just published a list of reform candidates seeking signatures to be put on the 2026 NRA Board of Directors election ballot. Many were recruited by LtCol Robert Brown whose reform efforts got him pushed off the Board after his term ended. He was ignored by the Nominating Committee which was at the time still run by the Old Guard. I should note LtCol Brown is running, too.

Looking over the list, I see the names of many whom I know and trust to do the right thing if elected. I have endorsed Rob Beckman in June. Huey Laugesen of the Colorado State Shooting Association serves with me on the Membership Committee and is a breath of young fresh air. Charles Brown was one of two write-in candidates on the Elect A New NRA slate in the past election. Steve Schreiner is a long time Board member who has consistently been on the reform side. Randy Luth of Luth-AR was one of the first industry insiders to say enough is enough with regard to Wayne. I don’t know some of the rest but an endorsement by LtCol Brown and Frank Tait says everything that needs to be said.

Here is the list along with links from Frank’s Substack.

Rob Beckman https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/836e1142-b049-47d9-81b9-2fa4e2fcd426

Here are the other endorsed petitions as the original post had broken links

Col Brown https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/281d7f0c-6ac4-41e5-b5b5-dbecc9a95709

Sgt. (Ret.) Jerry Kraus https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/a445f9d6-4672-4ffd-9e69-195aece128c3

Major General (Ret.) Ken Bowra https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/51919442-e375-448b-a960-7712eea24bd2

Major (Ret.) William Askins https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/1f52f5f3-b301-4277-b836-2fd567758ba5

Huey Laugesen https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/c1cb1f95-9d72-4df2-9be4-935a07d2e6e6

Randy Luth https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/c4ef9324-28ec-4c74-9d2e-4058a88f1f2f

Lt. Colonel (Ret.) William Bailey https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/8a8fe04c-ca03-4b25-b131-e5d92519cb7e

Steve Schreiner https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/349aa059-59c9-45e1-9118-a32bcdf3777a

Charles Brown https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/10875a27-b29b-459f-8831-f046eeea9cd6?

Please sign the petitions!

As a reminder, to be eligible to sign the petitions you have to be a Life Member or an Annual Member with five years of continuous, unbroken membership. Each of these petition candidates will need a minimum of 363 valid signatures to be placed on the ballot.

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Suggestions For The NFA Tax Savings

July 12, 2025 by 3 Comments

Now that the One Big Beautiful Bill has been passed and signed the $200 tax on suppressors, short barreled rifles and shotguns, and NFA any other weapons will disappear as of January 1, 2026. Many suppressor retailers such as Silencer Central and Silencer Shop will more than likely be running promotions between then and now where they will pay the $200 tax.

Despite the tax being gone, all the other onerous provisions of the National Firearms Act on these suppressors and weapons will still be in effect. This will include background checks requiring fingerprints and photos, restrictions on taking SBRs and SBSs across state lines, and, of course, registration with the government.

The rationale for the legitimacy of the National Firearms Act going back to the 1930s was that it was a tax with associated regulations as opposed to regulations with a fee attached. Now that the tax will be zero as of January 1, 2026, that legitimacy will be called into question. Two different coalitions will file or have filed suits in Federal court challenging the NFA on these grounds.

The coalition composed of the Silencer Shop Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, B&T USA, Palmetto State Armory, SilencerCo, Gun Owners Foundation, and Brady Wetz have filed suit in the Northern District of Texas as of July 4th. Their attorneys are Stephen Stamboulieh and the DC firm of WileyRein LLP. This lawsuit contends that the NFA’s registration and transfer requirements exceed Congress’ Article I powers with regard to untaxed firearms. Thus, it seeks a declaratory judgment that this portion of the NFA is unconstitutional along with a permanent injunction against the ATF and the Department of Justice on enforcement of any part of the NFA pertaining to untaxed firearms.

The second coalition is composed of the NRA, the Second Amendment Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, and the American Suppressor Association. It is my understanding that they hope to be filing suit early this coming week with the well-known 2A law firm of Cooper & Kirk representing them. I am hoping that it actually will be Monday as that is Bastille Day which celebrates that storming of the gates of the Bastille in Paris. Instead of storming the gates of the Bastille, this lawsuit would storming the gates of an unconstitutional law.

Litigation is expensive. It is an unfortunate fact of life especially if you challenging the Federal government in court. Herein comes my suggestion on using part of the tax savings to support this litigation.

Take half your tax savings or $100 and send it to NRA-ILA to help support the litigation. Make sure to put “litigation” in the memo field. That will designate it specifically for litigation and I’m assured by NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford that it will be used for litigation. Mail that check to NRA-ILA, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Alternatively, if you want to support the other coalition’s lawsuit, Palmetto State Armory is doing a special run of AR-15 stripped lowers marked “GOA-15”. $25 of each one sold at $59.95 will go to GOA to help fund that coalition’s litigation against the NFA. They are hoping to raise $250,000 this way.

My preference is to send the money to NRA-ILA. While I am a NRA Director, my preference is based upon the fact that I already have a number of stripped AR lowers in my gun safe and, more importantly, that 100% of the money will be used for litigation.

What to do with the remaining $100 in tax savings? I have some ideas about that as well.

Large numbers have a power all their own. An organization with a large membership will, all things being equal, have greater influence with politicians than smaller one. Despite the growth of the other Second Amendment organizations such as GOA, FPC, SAF, and even NAGR, the National Rifle Association still remains the largest even despite its past problems. If you have read my past posts, I take a Laswellian approach to politics and who gets what, when, and how is quite often determined by size.

Let’s set aside $50-70 to buy memberships in the NRA for friends and relatives. For example, you could buy five Associate memberships for $50. Conversely, we on the Membership Committee have been discussing creating a $25 digital membership where you are a full member but get the magazine in a digital format and are not sent any welcome trinkets. You could buy two of those for $50. Even now, you can find a regular NRA Annual membership for $35 if you search. Given that over 10 million people think they are NRA members but aren’t, imagine if even one-third actually became members. That would double the membership of the NRA overnight and return fear as a component of the NRA’s relationship with politicians. Being feared by politicians is a good thing.

With the remaining $30-50, I suggest buying a box or two of subsonic ammo.

Alternatively, you could get a carbine-length buffer tube kit and a carbine stock to convert your AR pistol into a SBR. I certainly will be considering this if the regulations were to go away.

The stark reality is that it is going to take money to get the NFA regulations on untaxed firearms to go away. Even if we win in US District Court, there is nothing to say a win won’t be appealed and then appealed again. I say spend the potential savings now so we can get what we really (really!!!!) want.

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More Amazon Prime Days Deals

July 9, 2025 by 2 Comments

My first pair of “good” binoculars was from Maven. I took a pair of their 8×30 binoculars with me to the Eastern Cape of Africa last year. While not quite to the standard of Leica or Swarovski, they were excellent little binos.

Amazon Prime Days has some excellent pricing on the Maven C1 binoculars. The Maven C1 8×42 is $280 while the 10×42 C1’s are $297.50. These prices are $20 less than what is being offered to hunting guides and almost $150 less than MSRP. If I were going to Limpopo in the north of South Africa, I’d go with the 8×42 while I would want the 10x42s in the Eastern Cape as distances are longer there. In my opinion, these are some of the best buys out there for Prime Days. You can never go wrong with a good set of binoculars.

If you are looking for an ultra lightweight binocular harness, I can recommend the Rick Young Outdoors bino harness. It can be worn over one shoulder or it can be worn so that the binoculars are center on your chest. Both ways work. I use mine actually as a camera strap. I wanted to be able to take pictures at the SHOT Show and have my camera readily available. It definitely works.

There are some good deals on Magpul products. The Daka Kit Bag (3.5 liter) is one of them at $22.75

The Magpul Daka Flat Zippered Pouches in a variety of sizes are also on sale starting at $15.97 for the smallest.

The Magpul MS1 Two-Point Quick-Adjust Sling in basic black is available for only $17.04 which is 57% off.

When you need a good flashlight, you need a good flashlight. The Streamlight MicroStream is available in both AAA battery and USB rechargeable versions. I like the idea of a rechargeable flashlight but I also know what it is like to be without power for days which would give the nod to AAA battery version. What the heck, get one of each! The AAA battery version in red is $24.26 while the USB rechargeable version in black is $25.82. Prices vary by color so make sure to look for the lowest cost version. I don’t think the color of a small flashlight stuck in your pocket really matters that much.

Next up is for any one traveling and especially if traveling with a firearm on a plane. I put an Apple AirTag in both my gun case and my primary suitcase when I went to Africa. I was able to see on my iPhone that my guns had been transferred from one terminal to the next and would make it on my flight. It would have sucked to have arrived in Johannesburg with ammo and no rifle. I will say from my own experience that the AirTag works and it works well. Additionally, the battery is easily replaceable so the AirTag is not like those old flashlights where the battery couldn’t be replaced. The price is $19.99 for one or even greater savings on a four-pack at $64.99. The normal price is $25 or so per AirTag.

A good first aid kit is always needed. This one comes with many of things you will need from band-aids to bandage scissors. For $23.96, you get the beginnings of a good kit for the price of a pouch.

As I noted, it comes with the beginnings of a good kit. There are some things I would add to complete it. These Israeli compression bandages would come in handy.

It goes without saying that you should have a tourniquet. I took the Swat-T tourniquet with me to Africa in my first aid kit as it took up so little space. Alternatively, a tourniquet with a windlass is never a bad choice if you have the room.

Chest seals would be helpful as well.

As a reminder, this blog is an Amazon Associate and commissions are earned on products my readers purchase. It helps support the blog and I do appreciate it.

UPDATE: Today is the last day of Amazon Prime Days.

Here is something I wish I had last night. I was in the middle of a conversation with a friend at 9p and boom – everything went black. Duke Energy said it was an equipment issue. I had a flashlight on my desk so I wasn’t stumbling around. That said, something like these little lanterns would have been easier to light whole areas. Places like the bathroom! With the Etekcity Camping Lanterns for Power Outages 4 Pack you can light multiple places around the house.

If you travel and have any sort of electronic devices, keeping track of cords, connectors, and chargers can be a hassle. I saw this case just minutes ago and ordered the medium sized one.

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Amazon Prime Days

July 9, 2025 by 0 Comments

July 8th through 11th are Amazon Prime Days and there are some good deals out there. As I am a Amazon affiliate, I do earn a commission on items ordered through postings on this blog. However, it does not cost you any more. I cannot say I’ve used all the products but I do try to be careful about what I’d recommend.

First on the list is the Pelican Vault V770 gun case. It is a 51 inch case with rollers. At $135.96 it is a good deal. Indeed, I paid a fraction less for one sold by Harbor Freight. I did see many hunters last year at the Johannesburg airport with these exact gun cases. If they can handle international flights and baggage handlers, they will do a great job protecting your prized rifle(s). If you need a longer case, the 56 inch V800 is available for $183.96.

I am a big believer in the need to stay hydrated. For this, I really like the wide mouth Nalgene bottles that hold a quart of water or other liquids. I have a number of them and they last forever. During Prime Days, the Nalgene bottles are $13.30 or a bit more which is about $4 cheaper than places like REI. In addition, you have your choice of 32 colors. Personally, I like a clear neon colored bottle so I don’t misplace it.

Speaking of water and staying hydrated, you can never go wrong with the LifeStraw. It protects against 99.999999% of bacteria (including E.coli, Salmonella), 99.999% of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium), 99.999% of microplastics, dirt, sand and cloudinessProtects against 99.999999% of bacteria (including E.coli, Salmonella), 99.999% of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium), 99.999% of microplastics, dirt, sand and cloudiness. Looking at the prices, it is cheaper to buy the LifeStraw individually than in multi-packs. The price is only $9.95.

Storage of gear is always a consideration. I have a number of these Plano Storage Trunks. They roll, they are lockable, they are stackable, and they hold up. I know I have had mine for upwards on 8-10 years. I have stored everything from tactical gear to books in them along with everything in between. $32.29 is a good price for them. During the Prime Days, this is a good $10 less than from Walmart.

Hearing protection is an always useful item to buy when on sale. While I have used the Howard Leight electronic muffs for years, they aren’t on sale this year. That said, I don’t think I could go wrong with the Walker’s Razor Slims. If you don’t mind buying teal, the price is $29.33. The Complementary Spouse needs a pair and I know she wouldn’t mind wearing teal. If you insist on other colors, they are only a few dollars more. I like their slim design and their 23 db noise reduction rating. (Update: I ordered a pair of these headphones for the Complementary Spouse. They will pair well with her Women for Gun Rights aka DC Project t-shirt.)

Speaking of hearing protection, wearing noise canceling headphones made both of my 16 hour flights to Africa last year bearable. I used these Soundcore Anker Life Q20 headphones which had both Blue Tooth and noise cancellation. I found them comfortable and the battery lasted to Africa and back. There are more expensive noise canceling headphones like these from Bose but the Soundcore worked just fine for me. At $37.99, they are a deal. For a case, I used this one which is under $8. It has protected my headphones and has a place to keep both the charging and plug in jack cords.

What would the end of a day be without your “sundowner”. If in Africa, it is often a gin and tonic. In my experience, the key to a really good gin and tonic is not the gin but the tonic water. I love both Fever Tree and Q. During Prime Days, you can get a full case of Q tonic water with real quinine and organic agave for only $17.18. If you do a subscription, it is even cheaper. Compare this to the price at your local supermarket. Q tonic water comes highly rated and after two plus cases of it drunk myself, I’d agree.

That does it for tonight. As I find more deals, I will be posting them. In the meantime, I think I’ll be having a late sundowner made with Q tonic water.

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Stupid Tweet Of The Day

July 7, 2025 by 0 Comments

There are stupid tweets and then there is this which is extra stupid.

Yes, Keith Olbermann is a leftist shill but even so I would expect better from someone with his supposed education.

According to his bio, Olbermann is a graduate of the Hackley School and of Cornell University. The former is a highly regarded prep school that sends a number of its graduates to the most highly selective universities. The latter, Cornell, is one of the Ivy League universities which US News ranks at the 11th best in the United States.

Now I didn’t have a prep school and Ivy League education. Nonetheless, I did have a very decent one at my small Catholic high school and my little Quaker liberal arts college. I also know that both my favorite English teacher in high school, Chuck Sullivan, and my favorite English instructor in college, Mildred Marlette, would have looked at me like I was stupid if I had said such a thing. Fortunately, I never gave them much reason to think that.

Given Olbermann and I are rough contemporaries who were educated in a time before grade inflation and with higher classroom standards, he either thinks his followers are that stupid or he is suffering from some sort of brain eating amoeba. That is the only way I can explain this level of idiocy in a tweet.

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“In Congress, July 4, 1776”

July 4, 2025 by 7 Comments

This is a document that I think every American should read at least once a year. As I said when I first started posting in the first year of this blog, it explains why we are citizens and not subjects. I have posted this every year since this blog was founded in 2010.

This year as I re-read it I am struck by how some of the offenses listed by Jefferson could almost be said of today’s US and state governments. The phrase “sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance” could apply to everything from the IRS to BATFE to virtually any Federal agency with regulatory powers. It is hoped that the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo which overturned Chevron deference will help restrain the Leviathan.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:


For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

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The Mecklenburg Declaration and Resolves (Reposted)

July 4, 2025 by 2 Comments

I originally posted this on July 4th of 2010. I am reposting it as I have every year since to recognize these early North Carolina patriots from Mecklenburg County. Despite all the changes in the Queen City since then, there are still many there or from there who continue the fight for liberty and especially our Second Amendment rights.

Before there was a Declaration of Independence of 1776, there were the Mecklenburg Declaration of May 20, 1775 and the Mecklenburg Resolves of May 31, 1775. While there is significant controversy over the authenticity of the former, there is none regarding the latter. There is controversy about the Mecklenburg Declaration because the original copy is reputed to have been destroyed in a fire and mention of it then only comes to light in 1819. Nonetheless, May 20, 1775 is the date enshrined on both the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina and the State Flag. Even the state flag used during the Confederacy had those dates on it.

Both the Declaration and the Resolves were adopted in Charlotte Town in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Charlotte Town is now known as Charlotte. The area had been settled by the heavily Presbyterian immigrants from Northern Ireland and Scotland known as the Scotch-Irish. Upon hearing of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, they had been outraged and the Declaration was the result.

The Mecklenburg Declaration

  1. That whosoever directly or indirectly abetted or in any way, form or manner countenanced to unchartered & dangerous invasion of our rights as claimed by G. Britain is an enemy to this County – to America & to the inherent & inaliable rights of man.
  2. We the Citizens of Mecklenburg County do hereby desolve the political bands which have connected us to the Mother Country & hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British crown & abjure all political connection, contract or association with that nation who have wantonly trampled on our rights & liberties & inhumanely shed the innocent blood of American patriots at Lexington.
  3. We do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people – are & of right ought to be a sovereign & self-governing association, under the controul of no power other than that of our God & the general government of the congress, to the maintainence of which independence civil & religious we solemnly pledge to each other our mutual cooperation, our lives, our fortunes & our most sacred honor.
  4. As we now acknowledge the existence & controul of no law or legal officers, civil or military, within this County, we do hereby ordain & adopt as a rule of life, all, each & every of our former laws – wherein nevertheless the crown of great britain never can be considered as holding rights, privileges, immunities, or authority therein.
  5. It is also further decreed that all, each & every military officer in this County is hereby reinstated in his former command & authority, he acting conformably to these regulations. And that every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer, viz. a Justice of the peace in the character of a ‘Committee-man’ to issue process, hear & determine all matters of controversy according to sd. adopted laws – to preserve peace, union & harmony in sd. County & to use every exertion to spread the love of country & fire of freedom throughout America until a more general & organized government be established in this province. A selection from the members present shall constitute a Committee of public safety for sd. County.
  6. That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by express to the President of the Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, to be laid before that body.
    Ephraim Brevard
    Hezekiah J. Balch
    John Phifer
    James Harris
    William Kennon
    John Foard
    Richard Barry
    Henry Downs
    Ezra Alexander
    Charles Alexander
    Zaccheus Wilson
    Waightstill Avery
    Benjamin PattonMatthew McClure
    Neil Morrison
    Robert Irwin
    John Flennegin
    David Reese
    William Graham
    John Queary
    Hezekiah Alexander
    Adam Alexander
    John Davidson
    Richard Harris
    Thomas Polk
    Abraham AlexanderJohn McKnitt Alexander

While there still exists much controversy on the authenticity of the Declaration, none exists with regard to the Resolves adopted on May 31, 1775. Captain James Jack of Charlotte was sent with a copy of the resolves and a letter to the North Carolina delegates to the Continental Congress requesting their approval by Congress.

The Mecklenburg Resolves

This day the Committee of this County met, and passed the following Resolves:
WHEREAS by an Address presented to his Majesty by both Houses of Parliament in February last, the American Colonies are declared to be in a state of actual rebellion, we conceive that all Laws and Commissions confirmed by, or derived from the Authority of the king or Parliament, are annulled and vacated, and the former civil Constitution of these Colonies for the present wholly suspended. To provide in some Degree for the Exigencies of the County in the present alarming Period, we deem it proper and necessary to pass the following resolves, viz.
1. That all Commissions, civil and military, heretofore granted by the Crown, to be exercised in these Colonies, are null and void, and the Constitution of each particular Colony wholly suspended.
2. That the Provincial Congress of each Province, under the Direction of the Great Continental Congress, is invested with all legislative and executive Powers within their respective Provinces; and that no other Legislative or Executive does or can exist, at this Time, in any of these Colonies.
3. As all former Laws are now suspended in this Province, and the Congress have not yet provided others, we judge it necessary, for the better Preservation of good Order, to form certain Rules and Regulations for the internal Government of this County, until Laws shall be provided for us by the Congress.
4. That the Inhabitants of this Country do meet on a certain Day appointed by this Committee, and having formed themselves into nine Companies, to wit, eight for the County, and one for the Town of Charlotte, do choose a Colonel, and other military Officers, who shall hold and exercise their several Powers by Virtue of this Choice, and independent of Great-Britain, and former Constitution of this Province.
5. That for the better Preservation of the Peace, and Administration of Justice, each of these Companies do choose from their own Body two discreet Freeholders, who shall be impowered each by himself, and singly, to decide and determine all Matters of Controversy arising within the said Company under the Sum of Twenty Shillings, and jointly and together all Controversies under the Sum of Forty Shillings, yet so as their Decisions may admit of Appeals to the Convention of the Select Men of the whole County; and also, that any one of these shall have power to examine, and commit to Confinement , Persons accused of Petit Larceny.
6. That those two Select Men, thus chosen, do, jointly and together, choose from the Body of their particular Company two Persons, properly qualified to serve as Constables, who may assist them in the execution of their Office.
7. That upon the Complaint of any Person to either of these Select men, he do issue his Warrant, directed to the Constable, commanding him to bring the Aggressor before him or them to answer the said Complaint.
8. That these Eighteen Select Men, thus appointed, do meet every third Tuesday in January, April, and October, at the Court-House in Charlotte to hear and determine all Matters of Controversy of Sums exceeding Forty Shillings; also Appeals: And in Cases of Felony, to commit the Person or Persons convicted thereof to close Confinement, until the Provincial Congress shall provide and establish Laws and Modes of Proceeding in Such Cases.
9. That these Eighteen Select Men, thus convened, do choose a Clerk to record the Transactions of the said Convention; and that the said Clerk, upon the Application of any Person or Persons aggrieved, do issue his Warrant to one of the Constables, to summons and warn the said Offender to appear before the convention at their next sitting, to answer the aforesaid Complaint.
10. That any Person making Complaint upon Oath to the Clerk, or any Member of the Convention, that he has Reason to suspect that any Person or Persons indebted to him in a Sum above Forty Shillings, do intend clandestinely to withdraw from the County without paying such Debt; the Clerk, or such Member, shall issue his Warrant to the Constable, commanding him to take the said Person or Persons into safe Custody, until the next sitting of the Convention.
11. That when a Debtor for a Sum below Forty Shillings shall abscond and leave the County, the Warrant granted as aforesaid shall extend to any Goods or Chattels of the said Debtor as may be found, and such Goods or Chattels be seized and held in Custody by the Constable for the space of Thirty Days; in which Term if the Debtor fails to return and discharge the Debt, the Constable shall return the Warranty to one of the Select Men of the Company where the Goods and Chattels were found, who shall issue Orders to the Constable to sell such a part of the said Goods as shall amount to the Sum due; that when the Debt exceeds Forty Shillings, the Return shall be made to the Convention, who shall issue the Orders for Sale.
12. That Receivers and Collectors for Quitrents, Public and County Taxes, do pay the same into the Hands of the Chairman of this Committee, to be by them disbursed as the public Exigencies may require. And that such Receivers and Collectors proceed no farther in their Office until they be approved of by, and have given to this Committee good and sufficient Security for a faithful return of such Monies when collected.
13. That the Committee be accountable to the County for the Application of all Monies received from such Officers.
14. That all these Officers hold their Commissions during the Pleasure of their respective Constituents.
15. That this Committee will sustain all Damages that may ever hereafter accrue to all or any of these Officers thus appointed, and thus acting, on Account of their Obedience and Conformity to these Resolves.
16. That whatever Person shall hereafter receive a Commission from the Crown, or attempt to exercise any such Commission heretofore received, shall be deemed an Enemy to his Country; and upon Information being made to the Captain of the Company where he resides the said Captain shall cause him to be apprehended, and conveyed before the two Select Men of the said Company, who, upon Proof of the Fact, shall commit him the said Offender into safe Custody, until the next sitting of the Convention, who shall deal with him as Prudence may direct.
17. That any Person refusing to yield Obedience to the above Resolves shall be deemed equally criminal, and liable to the same Punishments as the Offenders above last mentioned.
18. That these Resolves be in full Force and Virtue, until Instructions from the General Congress of this Province, regulating the Jurisprudence of this Province, shall provide otherwise, or the Legislative Body of Great-Britain resign its unjust and arbitrary Pretentions with Respect to America.
19. That the several Militia Companies in this county do provide themselves with proper arms and accoutrements, and hold themselves in constant Readiness to execute the commands and Directions of the Provincial Congress, and of this committee.
20. That this committee do appoint Colonel Thomas Polk, and Doctor Joseph Kennedy, to purchase 300 lb. of Powder, 600 lb. of Lead, and 1000 Flints; and deposit the same in some safe place, hereafter to be appointed by the committee.
Eph. Brevard, Clerk of the Committee.
Singed by Order of the Committee.

This document was printed in the North Carolina Gazette on June 16, 1775, and the Cape-Fear Mercury on June 23, 1775. There was a slight variation in wording in the two newspapers.

 So on this day as we honor the Nation’s Founders and the Declaration of Independence of 1776, let us also honor these men from a provincial North Carolina backwater who recognized that our future lay in independence from Great Britain.

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Happy 136th Birthday, FN

July 4, 2025 by 0 Comments

Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre was formed on July 3, 1889 to make military rifles for the Belgian government. Formed in Herstel, Belgium, their first rifle was the Model 1889 Mauser.

The rifle was chambered in 7.65×53. It was not until New Year’s Eve in 1891 that the first of 150,000 of these rifles were delivered to the Belgian Army.

According to their history, the company diversified into making ammunition and later bicycles to get them through slow times. It was this last endeavor that led to a fortuitous partnership with none other than John Moses Browning.

In 1897, FN sales manager Hart O. Berg traveled to America to learn about bicycle technology developments. While in Hartford, Connecticut, he ran into a past coworker, one John Moses Browning, who was still working with Colt, and wanted help manufacturing a new self-loading pistol.

As I said, a fortuitous partnership without which we would not have such classics as the Auto-5 shotgun, the Model 1900 semi-auto pistol, and the Browning Hi-Power as perfected by Browning’s protege Dieudonné Saive.

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It Is Only A Matter Of Time

July 3, 2025 by 4 Comments

The One, Big, Beautiful Bill passed the House today and will be sent to President Trump’s desk for signature. He wanted it before the 4th of July and he got his wish. The vote was 218-214 with two Republicans, Tom Massie (R-KY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), joining all the Democrats in voting against the bill.

Sec. 70436 of the bill removed the transfer and making taxes on silencers, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, and any other weapons. The $200 tax is retained for machineguns and other destructive devices. The effective date will be the beginning of calendar quarters 90 days or more after the enactment of the bill. If I am calculating that correctly, then the tax goes to zero on January 1, 2026 given we have already started the 3rd quarter of 2025.

Once President Trump signs the bill then the real fun begins. The NRA, the American Suppressor Association, the Firearms Policy Coalition, and the Second Amendment Foundation issued a joint statement today stating their intention to sue.

Joint-NFA-LetterDownload

SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut had this to say:

“The NFA is nothing more than a tax scheme which has imposed an unconstitutional burden on Americans since 1934,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “The registration of these items was only justified as the means to ensure taxes on them had been paid. With the One Big, Beautiful Bill zeroing out the tax for silencers and short barreled firearms, the registration scheme serves no other purpose than to create an unlawful barrier to keep people from exercising their Second Amendment rights. Our intention with this new lawsuit is to completely remove these barriers.”

UPDATE: The NRA just released these statements from President Bill Bachenberg, EVP Doug Hamlin, and ILA Director John Commerford.

“NRA worked throughout the reconciliation process on Capitol Hill to protect and strengthen the right to keep and bear arms,” said NRA President Bill Bachenberg. “Elections have consequences, and thanks to pro-gun majorities in both the House and Senate, American gun owners are seeing real results. A new era has begun in Washington, D.C., and the NRA is deeply grateful for President Trump’s unwavering support for our constitutional freedoms.”

“Congress has delivered a game-changing victory for gun owners – reducing the cost of a tax stamp for suppressors, short-barreled firearms, and ‘any other weapons’ to $0,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA Executive Vice President & CEO. “I thank the many NRA members and gun owners who contacted their Senators and Representatives urging them to protect Second Amendment rights. NRA looks forward to President Trump signing the One, Big, Beautiful Bill into law and building on his legacy as a champion for law-abiding gun owners.”

“Congressional Republicans took action to eliminate a nearly century-old punitive tax designed to discourage the lawful purchase and possession of constitutionally protected arms,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). “NRA-ILA applauds the leadership in both chambers for getting the One, Big, Beautiful Bill to President Trump’s desk. While removing the tax is a significant step forward, it is only the beginning. We remain committed to our ultimate goal: ending the unconstitutional National Firearms Act.”