Month: November 2012

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Crimson Trace Announces 5 New Green Laser Grips

November 9, 2012 by 3 Comments

Crimson Trace plans to release five new green Lasergrips in December. They will be for the 1911, the Glock, and Smith & Wesson J-Frames.


Crimson Trace’s Revolutionary Green Lasergrips® Coming Soon

(Wilsonville, OR) Crimson Trace will launch five new Lasergrips which feature the industry’s smallest green diode before the end of the year. This groundbreaking technology raises the bar when it comes to size, battery life, temperature stability and visibility in all levels of lighting conditions.

Utilizing the company’s patented Instinctive Activation™, models will be available for 1911 full size and compact frames, Glock full size and compact frames and the Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolver. All five of these models will be available in December through normal distribution and from www.crimsontrace.com, starting at $299.

Although the human eye perceives green lasers as being brighter, until now they have had several drawbacks when it came to power consumption, performance in cold weather and overall size. Crimson Trace has solved all of these by developing an entirely new laser package, no larger than the tried and tested red version currently used in its award-winning Lasergrips. “We have been anticipating and perfecting this line of green Lasergrips over this past year,” explained Kent Thomas, Director of Marketing for Crimson Trace. “Our goal was to deliver the most visible and consistent green laser available on the market in our flagship platform and we’re proud to have accomplished everything we set out to do.” Finding holsters to accommodate firearms equipped with these green Lasergrips is simple as the grips do not interfere with most standard holster options.

All Lasergrips models are pre sighted from the factory at 50’ and are fully adjustable by the user to fine tune it to their chosen self defense ammunition. Featuring the most powerful laser allowable by law, the units offer an industry leading 2 hour run time on two, easily replaced #2032 batteries.

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Concealed Carry Considerations

November 9, 2012 by

In another of the excellent short training videos from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Charlie McNeese of Gunsite Training Academy discusses various carry options for carrying concealed. Among them are pocket carry, ankle carry, and using a waist pack. The one thing he emphasizes about any of the methods is that they should be accessible whether standing or sitting.

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Interesting Location Holder Chose To Speculate On Future

November 9, 2012 by 1 Comment

Attorney General Eric Holder spoke to law students today at the University of Baltimore Law School and revealed he isn’t sure about staying on as Attorney General.

Of course, while I suppose it would be possible to replace him with someone worse, it would be tough. The blog of LegalTimes.com says some potential candidates would be Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and S. District of NY US Attorney Preet Brahara.

What I found most interesting is that Holder chose the University of Baltimore Law School to make these sentiments known given its dean is Ronald Weich. Weich, you may recall, was the smarmy representative of the Justice Department who appeared many times before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s hearings on Project Gunwalker.  I wonder if this was a sort of payback for Weich for taking so much heat and lying so artfully before the Committee.

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Dave Kopel on Second Amendment Election Results

November 8, 2012 by

Ginny Simone of NRA News interviewed attorney Dave Kopel of the Independence Institute regarding how the 2012 elections impacted the Second Amendment and gun rights. It fleshes out his column from the Volokh Conspiracy and gives more detail.

It will be interesting to see if the Louisiana amendment setting strict scrutiny as the standard is exported to other states. I’d love to see something like that in North Carolina.

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GRNC-PVF Reflects On Results In North Carolina

November 8, 2012 by 1 Comment

Grass Roots North Carolina-Political Victory Fund sent out their impressions on electoral results here in North Carolina last night. They were generally pleased with the results here in NC with some new strong pro-gun State Senators coming on board. While not mentioned directly, the one downside is that St. Senator Doug Berger (D-Northampton) lost. He had been a stalwart on the pro-gun side.


First, congratulations are due to North Carolina gun voters who ensured our state was the only battleground state to repulse the Obama machine. Better yet, thanks to your efforts, anti-gun candidates went down in flames around the state. This is the closest thing to a “clean sweep” GRNC-PVF has ever managed.

RACES

CONGRESSIONAL RACES

Frankly, with your help the GRNC Political Victory Fund kicked butt. In congressional races, the three districts in which GRNC-PVF was active, all saw pro-gun victories, with Richard Hudson (USH-08, GRNC ****), Mark Meadows (USH-11, ****) and George Holding (USH-13, ****) all winning their races. There may yet be a 4th victory, with the race in USH-07 being still too close to call. Unfortunately, the NRA endorsed anti-gun incumbent Mike McIntyre (GRNC **, with a pro-gun voting record of only 74%) against GRNC-recommended challenger David Rouzer, whose 100% pro-gun voting record in the NC Senate earned GRNC’s highest 4-star (****) evaluation. NRA members should contact the organization and ask them why they might have helped to re-elect an anti-gun incumbent against a superior challenger.

GOVERNOR & NC COUNCIL OF STATE RACES

In the governor’s race and NC Council of State races relevant to gun rights, you were tentatively 3 for 3, with Governor Pat McCrory, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and conservative Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby winning their races. (Note: As of this writing, Forest is ahead by only 0.2%, with opponent Linda Coleman not yet conceding.)

NC SENATE

An early analysis of General Assembly races indicates that of 35 NC Senate races in which GRNC-PVF made recommendations, 28 (80%) of the recommended candidates won. Of districts in which GRNC-PVF did mailings and/or robocalls in the General Election (in addition to primaries and runoffs), only one candidate lost. Big wins included Trudy Wade (NCS027, ****), Jeff Tarte (NCS027, ****) and Thom Goolsby (NCS009). These candidates will be leaders for your rights.

NC HOUSE

In the NC House, results were better still. GRNC-PVF made candidate recommendations in 70 races, helping to produce 58 winners (83%). Of the districts receiving mailings and/or robocalls, only one recommended candidate failed to win his race (a win rate of 88%). Notably, one Republican incumbent lost his reelection bid: Gaston Pridgeon (NCH046), who voted against gun owners in the last session of the General Assembly. Despite entreaties to mail for this RINO, GRNC-PVF not only refused the mailing, but also issued a recommendation that gun owners sit out the race. Pridgeon will not be missed.

NOW THE BAD NEWS …

As you are acutely aware, national results were not as satisfactory. Barack Obama, who stood before the world in the second presidential debate to call for re-implementation of the ban on semi-automatic firearms, saying he will “[see] if we can get an ‘assault weapons ban reintroduced”, will now have what he described to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev as “more flexibility.” What else “more flexibility” entails we will soon see.

HOW GRNC IS PREPARING

GRNC will be working to:

Reorient its efforts to provide greater focus on federal, as opposed to state issues;
Increase its size and effectiveness by running a membership drive;
Run a statewide petition to the NC congressional delegation opposing any restrictions on semi-automatic firearms or magazines.

HELP GRNC-PVF

GRNC is restricted by law from using organizational money to advocate the election or defeat of candidates, meaning GRNC-PVF must raise money separately from membership resources. GRNC-PVF depends on your contributions to run radio spots and do mailings. Again, because our effort is all-volunteer, we are able to put your money to more efficient, effective use than any other organization.

Please contribute to GRNC-PVF by going to:

http://www.grnc.org/grnc-pvf/donate-to-grnc-pvf

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Good Advice

November 8, 2012 by

Among my morning reads is Randi Rogers’ Shooting. It is a good compendium of articles, pictures, and videos on shooting and gun issues. One of her regular links is to competitor Julie Golob who is captain of the Smith and Wesson Team and her blog.

In her reflections on the recent election, she concluded with this:


I am frustrated, disappointed, and at times, shocked by many of President Obama’s policies and actions. As a parent, veteran, shooter and hunter, like so many of you, I worry over what the next four years will bring. Now, more than ever before, is the time to share your passion for your right to own firearms, hunt, shoot and protect yourself. Be proactive and share the fun and excitement of your sport. Be the positive example. Encourage others to give shooting a try. Let’s continue to be welcoming ambassadors for our gun rights!

 I think that is excellent advice. Bringing new people into shooting is like the flu shot I got yesterday – it is a vaccination. In this case, a vaccination against the gun prohibitionists and the laws they would like to see enacted. Once a person see just how fun shooting can be or, in the case of many women, empowering, they are not going to believe the lies, half-truths, and distortions our opponents regularly spout.

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SAF On UN Move

November 7, 2012 by

The Second Amendment Foundation which has been participating in all the United Nations conferences on small arms as an accredited non-governmental organization (NGO) released this statement today regarding the move to push the ATT forward now that Obama has been re-elected.


U.N. CELEBRATES OBAMA RE-ELECTION BY PUSHING GLOBAL GUN CONTROL
For Immediate Release: 11/7/2012


BELLEVUE, WA – Less than 24 hours after winning re-election, President Barack Obama’s administration joined with China, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and more than 150 other governments, in supporting renewed debate on the proposed United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, confirming the worst fears of the American gun rights community.


The vote came at the U.N. General Assembly’s meeting of the First Committee on Disarmament at the world organization’s headquarters in New York City.


“It’s obvious that our warnings over the past several months have been true,” said Alan Gottlieb, founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation. “The election was called about 11 p.m. Tuesday and by 11 a.m. this morning, we got word that the United States was supporting this resolution. We have to be more vigilant in our efforts to stop this proposed treaty.”


SAF Operations Director Julianne Versnel, who has been back and forth to the United Nations over this proposal, said the fight is not finished. The measure will be considered for finalization in March 2013.


“We will continue to monitor this issue and oppose any effort to enforce a global gun control measure,” she stated.


Amnesty International issued a statement Wednesday lauding passage of the resolution, saying the treaty will protect human rights.


“The right of self-defense is a human right,” Gottlieb countered, “and in this country, the Second Amendment protects that right.


“Just days ago as he campaigned for re-election,” he concluded, “Barack Obama told his supporters that voting is the ‘best revenge.’ I guess now we know what he was talking about. The revenge he seeks is against American gun owners and their Second Amendment rights.”

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Staten Island Screwed By FEMA Again

November 7, 2012 by

Staten Island isn’t like the rest of New York City. It is smaller, greener, more family oriented, and less of a concrete jungle. My Mom used to tell me stories of growing up on Staten Island when there were celery farms. Perhaps its differences is what has made it the forgotten borough.

Now it looks like FEMA which was late bringing assistance to Staten Island after Sandy is abandoning them again.

From DNAInfo.com/Stephanie Keith

This really pisses me off.

My ties to Staten Island run deep and it hurts me to see islanders treated like this. My mother grew up there, went to high school there, and went to college there as did her sister and brother. My grandfather was the Tax Assessor for the County of Richmond in the 1930s and 40s. My cousin Tom and his family still live in what was my grandparent’s last house.

You can read the full story in DNAInfo.com here.

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It Begins

November 7, 2012 by 3 Comments

It looks like the Obama Administration with their new found “mandate” isn’t going to wait until the second term actually begins to start work on more gun control.

From Reuters:


Hours after U.S. President Barack Obama was re-elected, the United States backed a U.N. committee’s call on Wednesday to renew debate over a draft international treaty to regulate the $60 billion global arms trade.

U.N. delegates and gun control activists have complained that negotiations collapsed in July largely because Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney if his administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge the United States denies.

The month-long talks at U.N. headquarters broke off after the United States – along with Russia and other major arms producers – said it had problems with the draft treaty and asked for more time.

But the U.N. General Assembly’s disarmament committee moved quickly after Obama’s re-election to approve a resolution calling for a new round of talks March 18-28. It passed with 157 votes in favor, none against and 18 abstentions.

Supposedly this vote was to have taken place earlier but was delayed by Hurricane/TS Sandy which caused the UN to close down for three days. Put me down in the skeptical column over this.

The new round of talks begin in March. Moreover, even if the no agreement is reached, the Arms Trade Treaty remains on the UN’s agenda and the General Assembly could still vote on it in 2013.

The US Mission to the United Nations has “no comment”. Why bother when their actions say everything that needs be said.

Elections have consequences and we are already seeing evidence of that.

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As The Stock Markets Tumble….

November 7, 2012 by

The stock market is seeing an across the board sell-off today. As I write at approximately 12pm EST, all major stock market averages – the Dow, S&P 500, and the NASDAQ – are down approximately 2.3%. Part of it is news from Europe that a recession there is all but a certainty and part is the election results along with the “fiscal cliff”.

Coal stocks, as might be expected given Obama’s jihad against coal, are down even more.

But guess what two companies are seeing strong increases in their stock prices.

That’s right – Ruger and Smith & Wesson. Currently, Ruger (RGR) is up $2.40 or a 5.38% increase while Smith & Wesson (SWHC) is up 77 cents or an 8.14% increase over yesterday. Both of these are pure plays on the firearms market.

The ammo makers Olin (Winchester) and ATK (Federal) are down. However, they have other businesses besides just ammunition production. ATK, in addition to making ammunition, is a significant defense contractor while Olin is a big producer of chlor-alkali.

UPDATE: Bloomberg TV has noticed just how well gun makers’s stock is doing today as well.