Month: April 2017

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Knife Check Offered By Knife Rights For NRA Leadership Forum

April 21, 2017 by

If you are attending the NRA Annual Meeting and plan on attending Friday’s Leadership Forum, you need to remember that Secret Service rules are in effect. In other words, you won’t be allowed to carry concealed nor will you be allowed to have a knife on your person because the President will be in the attendance.

Last year Knife Rights set up a knife check system and they will again be offering it. As a bonus, if you check your knife with them you could win a new custom knife.

From their newsletter:





Knife Rights FREE Knife Check at NRA for Trump Speech 







Knife Rights is pleased to be able to again provide a FREE Knife Check
to NRA Annual Meeting attendees who are going to hear President Trump
speak at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum next Friday in Atlanta.  Last year
we checked over 2,600 knives in Louisville when then-candidate Trump
spoke.



Again this year, Hogue Knives has generously donated a very nice prize
that all those who check their knives will be eligible to win.  This
year it’s a Damascus X5 Flipper that has been custom ground by Allen
Elishewitz, valued at $500.  Attendees who bring their Knife Check Claim
Stub to the Knife Rights Booth #3717 will be entered to win.

Click here for more information on the NRA-ILA Freedom Forum or to get tickets. 

Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge there won’t be any similar gun check system for those carrying concealed. Tom Lindsay at the Fill Yer Hands blog mentioned that Georgia Carry had considered it and then discarded the idea as too expensive and complicated.

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Anti-Gun Law Professors Pen Amicus Brief In Bushmaster Lawsuit

April 20, 2017 by 11 Comments

Thirteen law professors have penned an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs in Soto et al v. Bushmaster et al. This is the Connecticut state case where Bushmaster, the distributor, and the FFL are being sued for negligent entrustment for selling an AR15 to the Newton murderer’s mother. The case is before the Connecticut Supreme Court on appeal after it was dismissed at the superior court level where the judge said negligent entrustment did not apply.

From the Connecticut Law Tribune:

While a state Superior Court previously ruled negligent entrustment doesn’t apply in this case, the professors’ brief claims the “flexible tort has been applied to a range of domains, including firearms.”


The brief’s co-author, Stanford law professor Nora Freeman Engstrom, said negligent entrustment boils down to one question. “That is, did the defendant take adequate precautions given the magnitude of the foreseeable risk? And, here, the jury might ultimately find the defendant failed to take adequate precautions in their sale of military grade assault weapons to an untrained civilian population.”


Negligent entrustment occurs when a party provides a product to another party knowing the receiving party may injure someone.

The first case cited in their brief is State v. Skakel in support of their argument for a “flexible tort”. That was the murder case involving the Kennedy cousin who may or may not have killed a 15 year old girl with a golf club. As things would have it, Michael Skakel’s original attorney was my mom’s first cousin and the Skakel family attorney. How weird is that?

Among the group of attorneys on the brief is Prof. John J. Donohue III of Stanford University. Prof. Donohue is best known for his attacks on John Lott’s research.

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In News That I Missed, The Sky Is Falling

April 20, 2017 by 2 Comments

Actually, in the news I missed from last week, SCCY Industries is moving from Florida to the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.

From the Daily Times in Maryville, TN:

A Florida handgun manufacturer has reached an agreement with Blount Partnership to bring more than 350 jobs to Blount County with an initial $22.5 million investment, constructing a 150,000-square-foot campus to house corporate, research and development and manufacturing facilities.


SCCY Industries LLC — which company President Wayne Holt said is “probably the fastest growing semi-automatic handgun manufacturer in the United States”— also voiced plans Wednesday to move the company’s headquarters from Daytona Beach to the 68-acre lot in Big Springs Industrial Park.


SCCY founder and CEO Joe Roebuck said during today’s announcement that SCCY needs to expand and it’s “not happening” at its current location in Daytona Beach, Fla., where it employs about 200 people. “We’re at about 40,000 square feet and there’s no room to grow,” Roebuck said, explaining that the biggest problem the manufacturer has there is space and electricity.


Roebuck said his original plan was to expand here, but decided, “Tennessee’s been so great. We’ve got a big piece of land. I’m gonna do it all there.”


“I’m gonna keep a small footprint back in Florida, but I’m moving my headquarters here,” Roebuck said, later explaining, “It’s only going to be an office — maybe some engineering. Ninety-nine percent of the company is coming up here.”


Roebuck also said the estimated employment of 350 people is “very conservative.”

And in something that Michael Bane would appreciate, the story at the link above also included a video of his visit to the SCCY factory in Florida.

The Knoxville News Sentinel produced this video clip of the highlights of the story. They also included this about CEO Joe Roebuck’s expansion plans.

Roebuck employs about 200 in his Florida factory, but plans to move only “a few key people,” maybe a half-dozen, to Tennessee as he gradually shuts down the Daytona Beach facility, he said.

Roebuck said he hopes to start construction on a 75,000-square-foot plant late this year or early next, and begin production in mid- to late 2018. Initially, it will have about 200 employees, hired locally, and SCCY will add 50 to 60 people per year for the following three years, he said.

“Anything from office work to machine operator all the way up to high-level administrator” will be hired, Roebuck said. He also intends to start a paid four-year apprenticeship program.

Roebuck plans a campus of five industrial buildings, plus a “sky lodge” to house visiting industry leaders and gun writers, with an outdoor shooting range, he said.

Given I live on the other side of the Smokies, I think this is a very interesting development. I can see why he picked the the Tennessee side rather than here in North Carolina – no income tax, less expensive land, a (somewhat) Republican governor, and a stronger industrial base than in the Asheville area. With some luck, maybe we’ll see a blogger shoot put on by SCCY Industries similar to what Luckygunner.com did back in 2011. That would be cool.

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242 Years Today A Group Of Farmers And Shopkeepers Stopped Being Subjects

April 20, 2017 by 2 Comments

Two hundred forty-two years ago today a group of subjects who insisted on their rights started along the path to citizenship.

It began when Gen. Thomas Gage, the military governor of the Massachusetts Colony and the commander in chief of the 3,000 or so British regulars, had been ordered by William Legge, the 2nd Earl of Dartmouth and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to disarm the militia. Gage sent forth approximately 700 British infantrymen on the night of April 18th to seize the colonists’ arms stored at Concord. Their advanced guard led by Major John Pitcairn entered Lexington at sunrise and were met by approximately 80 militiamen.

According to the sworn statement of Captain John Parker who was their leader:

I … ordered our Militia to meet on the Common in said Lexington to consult what to do, and concluded not to be discovered, nor meddle or make with said Regular Troops (if they should approach) unless they should insult or molest us; and, upon their sudden Approach, I immediately ordered our Militia to disperse, and not to fire:—Immediately said Troops made their appearance and rushed furiously, fired upon, and killed eight of our Party without receiving any Provocation therefor from us.

Who actually fired the first shot will never be known conclusively. Nonetheless, someone did fire his musket and the American Revolution for all intents and purposes began.

The right to keep and bear arms had been well established as a right of (Protestant) Englishman since at least 1689 and this is what the militiamen at Lexington and Concord fought to preserve. While our rights today at the national level are under less threatened than they were in the past eight years, we still have to fight for them. No matter who is in the White House or who controls Congress our rights will always be susceptible to attack. That is why we must always remember April 19th and what it stands for.

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Reporting Sad News

April 19, 2017 by

I just read that Kevin O’Brien – Hognose – of the WeaponsMan blog has passed away this morning. I saw a post by Tom Kratman and then read the full post on the blog.

His brother Brendan posted this (in part) on the blog:

Kevin and I really became close friends after our childhood. We saw each other just about every day after he moved to a house just two miles away from mine. In the winter of 2015, we began building our airplane together. You could not ask for a better building partner.

Last Thursday night was our last “normal” night working on the airplane. I could not join him Friday night, but on Saturday morning I got a call from the Portsmouth Regional Hospital. He had called 911 on Friday afternoon and was taken to the ER with what turned out to be a massive heart attack. Evidently he was conscious when he was brought in, but his heart stopped and he was revived after 60 minutes of CPR. He never reawakened.

On Saturday, he was transported to Brigham and Women’s where the medical staff made absolutely heroic efforts to save his life. Our dad came up on Sunday and we visited him Sunday, Monday, and today. Each day his condition became worse.

As of last night, it was obvious to everyone that he had almost no chance of survival; and that if he did by some chance survive, he would have no quality of life. Kevin’s heart was damaged beyond repair, his kidneys were not functioning, he had not regained consciousness, and he had internal bleeding that could not be stopped. We made the decision this morning to terminate life support.

I enjoyed the WeaponsMan blog because it was informative, educational, and well written regardless of the subject of the post. Hognose did superlative reporting on the Colt bankruptcy among other things. Hognose aka Kevin O’Brien brought a new vitality to blogging and he will be missed.

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Infographic – Suppressors And Hearing Protection

April 18, 2017 by 3 Comments

Brownells, Inc. has posted an excellent infographic on their Facebook page. It shows things like the decibel level of a gun shot, the average decibel reduction by use of a suppressor, and the impact on hearing of shooting with only a suppressor. Given the nonsensical approach taken by media like the New York Times editorial page and the lies from anti-gun groups like American for Responsible Solutions, this is instructive.

While wearing hearing protection such as ear muffs and ear plugs is essential, the combination of a suppressor plus muffs or ear plugs is even better.

This goes to illustrate when the Hearing Protection Act is not an effort to spur sales for the gun industry but an effort to both reduce noise pollution and to promote public health. While the passage of the Hearing Protection Act would spur sales that is merely incidental in my opinion. As I wrote earlier this year, can you imagine waiting 272 days for government approval to use a product that improves health and safety? Could you imagine the fine OSHA would levy a business if it waited that long?

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Guess Who Will Be At The NRA Annual Meeting

April 15, 2017 by 2 Comments

That’s right, President Donald Trump. The NRA posted this on their official Instagram page yesterday.

Donald Trump becomes the first sitting president to address a NRA Annual Meeting since Ronald Reagan did it back in 1983.

From Bloomberg Politics:

“The NRA is honored to have the president address our annual meeting at the leadership forum,” said Jennifer Baker, a spokeswoman for the NRA. “We’re excited to once again have a president who respects the Second Amendment.”


The NRA endorsed Trump’s bid for president last May, after the then-candidate addressed the group’s annual forum in Louisville, Kentucky. Trump pledged at the time to “save our Second Amendment” and appoint judges which would support expansive gun rights.


His return visit to speak to the group’s 2017 Leadership Forum in Atlanta is likely to appeal to Trump’s base at a time when he has received criticism for reversing himself on promises to his most ardent supporters. At the same time, Trump’s speech to the influential lobby could repel Democrats and moderates who have been chafing under his presidency and have blocked some of his proposals from advancing in Congress.

Speaking to the NRA might repel Democrats but there isn’t much Trump does that doesn’t repel liberal Democrats. However, I see Trump’s visit as part of a “thank-you tour” to those who supported in 2016 and whose support he continues to need.

Appointing Justice Gorsuch and signing the repeal of the anti-rights Social Security regulations were good first steps. Now we need to see movement on national reciprocity and the Hearing Protection Act. More solid judicial appointments would not hurt either.

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Judicial Watch Goes To Court Against The BATFE

April 13, 2017 by 2 Comments

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives just can’t seem to keep themselves out of the news this week. The watchdog group Judicial Watch sued BATFE because they still have not responded to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for documents relating to the attempt to ban 5.56×45 “green-tip” ammunition. The FOIA request was made made in March 2015.

From Judicial Watch on their suit:

Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit after the agency failed to respond to a March 9, 2015, FOIA request seeking information on the ammo ban effort:

  • All records of communications, including emails, to or from employees or officials of the ATF related to the decision to revise the ATF 2014 Regulation Guide to no longer exempt 5.56 mm. SS109 and M855 (i.e., “green tip” AR-15) ammunition from the definition of “armor-piercing” ammunition.



The precise statutory definition of “armor-piercing ammunition” can be found in 18 U.S.C §921(a)(17).


“This is yet another example of how Obama’s wanton use of the ‘pen and the phone’ attempted to undermine the constitutional rights of all Americans, as opposed to upholding the rule of law,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Obama ATF simply ignored our request on their ammo ban. Let’s hope the Trump administration finally brings transparency to this out-of-control agency.”

Reading through the complaint, it appears that BATFE just blew off this FOIA request and didn’t even assign it a control number. The complaint asks the District Court to order BATFE to search their records for the requested documents, to order them to hand over all non-exempt documents, and to enjoin them from continuing to withhold any of the requested documents. Judicial Watch is also asking for attorneys’ fees.

Judicial Watch is known for its success in these types of lawsuits. It will make for interesting reading what they uncover.

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Project Gunwalker Is Back In the News

April 13, 2017 by 1 Comment

Project Gunwalker aka Operation Fast and Furious is back in the news. That is because the suspected killer of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry has been apprehended in Mexico on Tuesday.

William Lajeunesse of FoxNews reports:

The suspect, Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, was apprehended by a joint U.S.-Mexico law enforcement task force that included the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals and the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC).

A $250,000 reward had been sought for information leading to the arrest of Osorio-Arellanes, who was captured at a ranch on the border of the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Chihuahua. U.S. authorities have said they will seek his extradition.

Terry was killed on Dec. 14, 2010 in a gunfight between Border Patrol agents and members of a five-man cartel “rip crew,” which regularly patrolled the desert along the U.S.-Mexico border looking for drug dealers to rob.

The agent’s death exposed Operation Fast and Furious, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation in which the federal government allowed criminals to buy guns in Phoenix-area shops with the intention of tracking them once they made their way into Mexico. But the agency lost track of more than 1,400 of the 2,000 guns they allowed smugglers to buy. Two of those guns were found at the scene of Terry’s killing.

Four members of the “rip crew” have been arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison in the United States. Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga is the only remaining member of the “rip crew” still at large.

In a sane world, the involvement of the Obama Administration and Attorney General Eric Holder in Project Gunwalker should have brought it down. It didn’t. Given all the talk about “fake news”, this whole sordid episode is a reminder of how the mainstream media did not do its job.

The only two mainstream reporters that worked on the story were Fox’s Lajeuness and then-CBS Investigative Report Sharyl Attkisson. If it was not for the efforts of the late Mike Vanderboegh, David Codrea, and Dave Workman, we never would have even known that the Justice Department and the BATFE were involved in allowing firearm to be walked to Mexico in an effort to build support for gun control measures.

While nothing will bring back Brian Terry, I’m happy to see his killer apprehended.

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The Difference Between Stupid And Really Stupid

April 12, 2017 by 4 Comments

Stupid is blowing off a “request” to appear before the House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee. The committee was investigating the death of a Federal law enforcement officer, ICE’s Jaime Zapata, by Mexican cartel members using firearms BATFE allowed to be “walked” to Mexico.

This is what BATFE’s Associate Deputy Director Ronald B. “Ron” Turk did on Thursday, March 9th. In response, the committee chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), issued a subpoena for Mr. Turk.

Now that was stupid. Really stupid is what happens next.

Turk did finally appear on April 4th at another House Oversight hearing at which his earlier absence was noted. After getting into it with Rep. Chaffetz about why he didn’t appear when “invited”, Turk made this accusation as he really starts to go off: “You want to get your 15 seconds of YouTube minute time to challenge my honor.” You can see this starting at 4:56 in the attached YouTube video.

It takes Rep. Chaffetz another minute or so of questioning before he really lights into Turk for blowing off the committee and for his YouTube comment. That starts at 7:12 and runs until about 8:04. At this point Turk realizes that he has screwed up and starts to grovel for the remainder of the time.

Bear in mind that Turk is not only the number two person at BATFE but he is also a Brigadier General in the Maryland Air Nation Guard where he serves as Chief of Staff. He didn’t get to those two positions by being a good street agent or a good airman. He got there by being a good politician and a good politician should know when to shut up. That he had that lapse of judgement was a bit surprising given the political astuteness of his leaked white paper. It was really stupid on his part and cements the impression that BATFE is out of control.

H/T CleanUpAtf.org