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About That Memo

February 26, 2013 by

The NRA-ILA has come out with a new ad based upon the leaked Depart of Justice memo that says an assault weapons ban (sic) and universal background checks are worthless unless draconian measures are added to it. The memo from Dr. Greg Ridgeway of the National Institute of Justice can be found here.

I wonder how soon Dr. Ridgeway will be thrown under the bus and returned to the RAND Corporation for stating the obvious. DOJ is already saying that the memo was “an unfinished review of gun violence research and does not represent administration policy.”

DOJ may say it doesn’t represent administration policy but it sure represents their thinking even if they haven’t officially adopted it yet.

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Update On North Carolina Firearms-Related Legislation

February 25, 2013 by

Since my first post on gun rights related legislation introduced in this session of the North Carolina General Assembly, a few more bills have been introduced. I have covered some of them in detail in other posts so this will be just a list of the highlights.

HB 63 – Support Right to Bear Arms.
This bill expresses the General Assembly’s support of the inalienable
right of the people of this State to keep and bear arms and opposes any infringement by the
federal government in the State’s right to guarantee the protection of the right of the people of
this State to keep and bear arms.
Primary Sponsor: Speciale (R-Craven)
Other Sponsors: Arp (R-Union); J. Bell (R-Wayne); R. Brawley (R-Mecklenburg); Bumgardner (R-Gaston); Cleveland (R-Onslow); Conrad (R-Forsyth); Dixon (R-Duplin); Ford (R-Rowan); Iler (R-Brunswick); Jones (R-Rockingham); Jordan (R-Ashe); Martin (R-Pitt); McElraft (R-Carteret); McNeill (R-Randolph); Millis (R-Pender); Moffitt (R-Buncombe); Pittman (R-Cabarrus); Presnell (R-Yancy); Riddell (R-Alamance); Saine (R-Lincoln); Schaffer (R-Mecklenburg); Setzer (R-Catawba); Shepard (R-Onslow); Starnes (R-Caldwell); Steinburg (R-Chowan); Stone (R-Lee); Turner (R-Iredell); Warren (R-Rowan); Whitmire; (R-Transylvania)


SB 59 – Armed Security Guards in K-12.
This bill would allow armed security guards in schools if they had passed the selection and training requirements for state law enforcement officers in all schools, it would order the NC Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission to develop a curriculum to be administered to armed security guards by the various sheriffs’ offices, and would allow for the waiver of certain concealed carry requirements for armed security guards who met certain requirements.
Primary Sponsor: Sen. Ronald Rabin (R-Harnett)
Other Sponsor: Sen. Norman W. Sanderson (R-Pamlico)


SB 124 – Shoot Gun From Inside/To Harm or Incite Fear.
This bill would make it a Class E Felony to discharge a firearm within an enclosure for the purpose of causing harm or inciting fear.
Primary Sponsor: Sen. Peter Brunstetter (R-Forsyth) 


I wrote about SB 124 this weekend and called it North Carolina’s “Don’t Be A Joe Biden” law. Read the comment from Sean Sorrentino on it in my post. SB 59 seems to be a complement to SB 27 which would allow for the position of School Marshal. It seems that it seeks the same end – armed guards in schools – but from a different angle. Finally, HB 63 follows the trend in some other states of stating that they won’t stand for Federal infringements of the Second Amendment in new gun control legislation.

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Remington Takes A Stand

February 25, 2013 by 9 Comments

Remington has set up a new website that allows people to send a prepared email regarding gun control efforts to elected officials at the national and state level. The website called “Take A Stand Now” also has a way to send a selection of prepared Tweets to your senators and congressman.

This brings to four the number of firearms and ammo manufacturers who have provided an easy way to send a pro-gun rights message to the White House, Congress, and the State Houses.

I used it to send out the pre-written message on Saturday morning. I received a personal email from State Senator Jim Davis (R-Macon) by that afternoon. My point is that the message does get through.

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NRA Women’s Network On A Rising Star

February 25, 2013 by

The NRA Women’s Network has produced a video highlighting one of the youngest female junior shooters. Katie Francis is rising through the ranks in 3-Gun competition.

From her bio:

Katie Francis is one of the youngest female junior shooters in the
circuit. At only 13-years-old, she has already accomplished more than
most. Her father, Sergeant First Class Chad Francis, bought her a .22
when she was 9-years-old. At the age of 10, she got her first buck, an
8-point, with an AR-15. Today, the ambitious teenager has her sights set
high, and counts the possibility of making an Olympic appearance as one
of her goals.

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Don’t Be A Joe Biden Law Introduced In NC State Senate

February 24, 2013 by 5 Comments

NC State Senator Peter Brunstetter (R-Forsyth) has introduced S. 124 which could be very well be renamed “The Don’t Be A Joe Biden” Law. The actual working title is “Shoot Gun From Inside/To Harm or Incite Fear”.

On Tuesday, Vice-President Joe Biden gave the following advice on a Facebook forum sponsored by Parents Magazine. It was in response to a question about families being left defenseless if a new assault weapons (sic) ban is passed.

“Kate,” he said, “if you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun, have the shells, a 12-gauge shotgun.”

It turns out that this is the same advice he gave his own wife on how to defend their home in rural Delaware.

“I said, ‘Jill, if there’s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here. Walk out and put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house’ … You don’t need an AR-15—it’s harder to aim … It’s harder to use, and in fact you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun! Buy a shotgun!”

Of course it is stupid advice to tell someone to fire any firearm into the air as a warning. 

S. 124 would make it a Class E felony to fire a gun from inside a structure so as to “incite fear”.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO MAKE IT A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO DISCHARGE A FIREARM FROM WITHIN AN ENCLOSURE WITH THE INTENT TO DO HARM OR INCITE FEAR.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. Article 8 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
Ҥ 14-34.10. Discharge firearm within enclosure to do harm or incite fear.
Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who willfully or wantonly discharges or attempts to discharge a firearm within any building, structure, motor vehicle, or other conveyance, erection, or enclosure with the intent to do harm or incite fear shall be punished as a Class E felon.”
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective December 1, 2013, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

I have no idea whether this bill will become law. While I enjoy tweaking the Vice-President, I could see an over-zealous prosecutor using this to weaken the protections afforded by the Castle Doctrine.

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ISRA Alert On Madigan’s CCW Bill

February 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

The Illinois State Rifle Association has sent out an alert warning about the plans of House Speaker Michael Madigan concerning concealed carry. It appears that he will try to force through his own CCW bill that will be the nation’s most restrictive carry law this coming week.

From ISRA:


Mike Madigan is ticked off…

Why is Mike Madigan so ticked off? Quite simply, he’s ticked off because the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has told him plainly that the legislature must bow to constitutional authority – not to the whims of Mike Madigan. And we all know what a control freak Mike Madigan is.

No, Mike Madigan is no longer in control of the concealed carry debate. The courts have said once and for all that Illinois will join 49 other states in allowing citizens to carry defensive firearms.

The court has really ticked Madigan off…

Mike Madigan is so ticked off that he plans to introduce his own version of a concealed carry bill early next week. Of course, under Madigan’s carry bill, the only people who would be allowed to carry would be… um… nobody.

Although the details of Madigan’s concealed carry bill (HB1155) have not yet been released, those close to Madigan are saying that it will be the most restrictive concealed carry bill in the nation.

One insider termed Madigan’s proposal, “…the closest thing to no-carry at all.”

WHAT YOU MUST DO TO STOP MADIGAN’S INSULTING BILL

1. Beginning first thing Monday morning, call your state representative and politely tell them that you are a law-abiding firearm owner and that you oppose Madigan’s insulting HB1155 and that you would like them to vote against the bill.

2. Pass this alert on to all your friends and family members and ask them to call their state representatives as well.

3. Please post this alert to any and all Internet blogs or bulletin boards to which you belong.

If you do not know who your state representative is, please click the link below and you will be able to identify your representative and get their Springfield phone number.

The Illinois State Board of Elections has a new interactive search page here:
www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx

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Good Advice For Newbies

February 23, 2013 by 2 Comments

Greg Hickok – Hickok45 on YouTube – has some good advice for new shooters on how not to shoot a semi-auto pistol. I’m glad he’s doing videos like this as they are needed.

At my company’s regional meeting that I mentioned yesterday, I spoke with at least two of my colleagues who were considering getting their first firearm. One of these colleagues also said his dad, a NRA-hating retired college professor, was also considering buying a gun for the house. My point is that there are a lot of new shooters out there who could use this type of info.

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Franken-FAL

February 23, 2013 by 8 Comments



I was reading a story about a letter sent by Republican congressmen calling out President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder demanding enforcement of existing firearms laws before consideration of any new laws. However, that isn’t what caught my eye. Look at the picture below of firearms confiscated in Chicago. The photo is credited to the Associated Press and I presume it is from some sort of show and tell put on by the Chicago Police Department.

My eye immediately went to the top rifle in the photo. I see the carrying handle from both an AR and the FAL. then I look at the handguard and front sight. It is an FAL! What the hell?

I have never seen a FN-FAL or any of its variants with an AR carry handle/rear sight scabbed on to it. I wish I had a better photo but it appears that it is part of the dust cover.

That the firearm was confiscated I don’t doubt. However, I would be really shocked to hear that it from confiscated from either a crime scene or taken from some gang banger. If you told me it came from a crime scene in Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires I might believe it but not Chicago. Moreover, it doesn’t look like the only one in the photo. Check out the stock of the rifle that is under the leg of the Franken-FAL’s bipod. It appears to me a FAL as well.

If you’ve ever come across something like this, I’d be interested in knowing more.