Switzerland will be voting on February 15th on a proposal to ban firearms in the home. Currently, the country has one of the best gun laws in the world and every Swiss man who belongs to the Swiss Army keeps his service rifle and ammunition at home. The Swiss Rifles website has more on the Swiss tradition of riflery as well as the threat to Swiss gun rights.
Cam and Company featured an interview with attorney and scholar Stephen Halbrook on Switzerland and their tradition of gun ownership.
There have been emails and blog posts racing across the Internet today about an attempt to slip Carolyn McCarthy’s magazine bill into a non-controversial FAA Modernization Bill.
I got the email forwarded to me by Grass Roots North Carolina. I have seen other versions sent out by the Virginia Citizens Defense League on the War On Guns. Even Instapundit has it.
The source of the rumor is the National Association for Gun Rights.
Checking the amendments submitted for S. 223, FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, as published in the Congressional Record, I don’t find anything remotely concerned with a magazine ban.While Senator Frank Lautenberg does have three amendments submitted, they deal with smoking, the time for the improvements to take place, and staffing at Newark Airport.
This is not to say that there won’t be an attempt to insert the language banning standard capacity magazines but rather that no attempt has been made that is verifiable as of now. The Senate is in session today and the topic is debating S. 223.
UPDATE: Checking the Congressional Record for February 2nd which contains the debate on S. 223 and all the newly introduced amendments, nothing related to firearms or a magazine ban was introduced. The only mention of firearms was by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) who was discussing a budget rescission of unspent monies by the Department of Justice and he referenced Project Gunrunner as an example.
The Senate will continue debating S. 223 today. Of course, more amendments could be proposed and passed.
Michael Bloomberg, not satisfied with conspiracy to commit a felony in Arizona, is now pushing Obama on gun control according to the Washington Post.
And he is now on a media blitz to push Obama on the issue. The White House has said Obama will soon “address” the issue of gun control, but it has been vague on exactly what he will say or whether he will propose any additional funding or new laws.
“The president should stand up” on gun issues, Bloomberg said in an appearance Tuesday on “The Rachel Maddow Show.” He added, “It’s one of the issues he can build a legacy on.”
I’m not sure that Obama wants his legacy to be a one-term President.
Here is the video from the Rachel Maddow show. The discussion of gun control starts at about the one minute mark.
If any prosecutor had the gumption enough, he ought to seek an indictment of Bloomberg for conspiracy. If the private investigator buyers are non-residents of Arizona and Bloomberg funded them, no matter what his good intentions were, this is conspiracy to violate Federal gun laws which is a felony. However, I doubt any charges will ever be brought against Bloomberg.
I think this letter, when combined with the recent ATF study on the importation of shotguns, may signify a strong push to use the sporting purposes requirement of the Gun Control Act of 1968 to clamp down on imports of firearms. In other words, since the gun prohibitionists know a frontal assault is unlikely to succeed, they will work the flanks in their gun control efforts.
As to the use of part kits to assemble functional firearms, I think Feinstein misstates Section 922(r). I think we are all aware that compliance with Section 922(r) requires the use of a significant number of American parts in assembly. In other words, you just can’t slap a receiver on a parts kit and be legal. 27CFR178.92 specifies what is required to make a firearm compliant with Section 922(r). Now if Feinstein is urging that no combination of U.S. and foreign made parts remain legal, it is even more troublesome.
Senator Feinstein Urges President Obama to Prohibit Imported Assault Weapons
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein urged President Obama to prohibit the importation of military-style assault firearms that contribute to violence in the United States and Mexico.
Following is the text of the letter from Senator Feinstein to President Obama:
January 31, 2011
The Honorable Barack H. Obama
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500Dear Mr. President:
I write to urge you to review enforcement of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) provision, 18 U.S. Code Section 925(d)(3), which prohibits the importation of firearms except those that are “generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.” Previous Administrations have used this authority to limit the importation of military-style assault firearms, and it could once again be a helpful tool in preventing the gun trafficking that is fueling the horrific gun violence in Mexico, the Southwest border region, and many cities and towns across our nation.
Since December 2006, more than 30,000 people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence. Every day, there are reports of ruthless and brutal gun murders as Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) fight for control of smuggling routes and terrorize anyone who might get in their way. The DTOs have killed mayors, judges, and other officials who have tried to stop the carnage. They have even targeted young people, murdering 14 teenagers at a birthday party in Ciudad Juarez in October of last year.
Regrettably, firearms trafficked from the United States help fuel the violence in Mexico. Of the firearms recovered by the Government of Mexico and traced through ATF in the past 4 years, more than 50,000 were manufactured in, or imported into, the United States prior to being recovered in Mexico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and other federal, state and local law enforcement are working to stop this gun trafficking and related violence, but they need additional help. The Administration recently took an important step forward with ATF’s initiative to collect information on multiple sales of semi-automatic assault rifles from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. I applaud you for this initiative. However, much more must be done.
Under the GCA, the Administration has the authority to prohibit the importation of non-sporting firearms. In 1989, in response to growing drug gang violence, the ATF under President George H.W. Bush denied applications to import a series of semiautomatic rifles that it found were designed and intended to be particularly suitable for combat rather than sporting applications. Similarly, in 1997, President Clinton used this authority and ordered ATF to conduct an expedited review to determine whether modified semiautomatic assault-type rifles were properly importable under the statutory sporting purposes test. In April 1998, ATF determined that rifles with the ability to accept a detachable large capacity military magazine “are not generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes and are therefore not importable.”
Since the Clinton Administration’s efforts, the GCA’s prohibition against non-sporting firearms has not been aggressively enforced, and many military-style, non-sporting rifles have flowed into the United States civilian market. Some of the rifles are cheap AK-type variants from former Eastern bloc countries, while others are more expensive, high-tech weapons. All of them, however, share military-style characteristics that should make them ineligible for import. Furthermore, it appears that some importers are bringing in rifle parts and reassembling them with a small number of domestically manufactured components. This practice has gone unchecked, despite Section 922 (r) of the GCA, which prohibits using imported parts to assemble any semiautomatic rifle or any shotgun which is identical to any rifle or shotgun prohibited from importation under 18 U.S. Code Section 925(d)(3).
I urge you to review enforcement of the GCA and take any regulatory steps necessary to stop the both the importation of all military-style, non-sporting firearms, and the assembly of those firearms from imported parts. We must ensure that law enforcement has all the necessary resources and tools needed to stop the gun violence that is taking a deadly toll in Mexico and in our country. I look forward to working with you toward that goal. Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.
Sincerely,
Dianne Feinstein
Chairman
United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Controlcc: Eric Holder, Attorney General
Kenneth Melson, Acting Director of the ATF
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced S. 176, the Common Sense Concealed Firearms Permit Act of 2011, last week. The text has finally become available.
This bill, if passed, would convert “shall issue” concealed carry back to “may issue” nationwide. Moreover, it would abolish constitutional carry. The bill sets the requirement to show “good cause” which is at the center of lawsuits such as Kachalsky v Cacace, Peruta v San Diego, Muller v Maenza, and Woollard v Sheridan.
Nowhere in the bill is any justification or finding that a Federal standard for concealed carry is constitutional. Traditionally, police powers, i.e. relating to health, safety, and welfare, have been left to the states.
A BILL
To establish minimum standards for States that allow the carrying of concealed firearms.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Common Sense Concealed Firearms Permit Act of 2011′.
SEC. 2. CONCEALED FIREARMS PERMITS.
(a) In General- Chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 926C, the following:
`Sec. 926D. Concealed firearms permits
`(a) In General- Each State that allows residents of the State to carry concealed firearms shall–
`(1) establish a process to issue permits to residents of the State to carry concealed firearms; and
`(2) require that each resident of the State seeking to carry a concealed firearm in the State obtain a permit through the process established under paragraph (1).
`(b) Requirements- In establishing a process to issue permits to carry concealed firearms under subsection (a), a State shall–
`(1) ensure that a local law enforcement agency participates in the process; and
`(2) at a minimum, require that an applicant for a permit to carry a concealed firearm–
`(A) be a legal resident of the United States;
`(B) be not less than 21 years of age;
`(C) demonstrate good cause for requesting a concealed firearm permit; and
`(D) demonstrate that the applicant is worthy of the public trust to carry a concealed firearm in public.
`(c) Law Enforcement Agency Report- If a State establishes a process under subsection (a) that allows for an agency other than a law enforcement agency to issue permits to carry concealed firearms, the process shall require that–
`(1) a local law enforcement agency submit to the agency responsible for issuing permits a written report that describes whether the applicant meets the standards of the State to carry a concealed firearm; and
`(2) the agency responsible for issuing permits maintain a report submitted under paragraph (1) in the file of the applicant.
`(d) Definition- In this section, the term `local law enforcement agency’ means a law enforcement agency of the unit of local government with jurisdiction of the area in which the applicant for a permit to carry a concealed firearm resides.
`(e) Compliance- Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this section, each State described in subsection (a) shall be in compliance with this section.’.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment- The table of sections for chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 926C the following:
`926D. Concealed firearms permits.’.
From Fred’s Facebook page:
New York’s Mayor Bloomberg says undercover investigators working for New York City were illegally allowed to buy semi-automatic pistols at an Arizona gun show.
I don’t get it. If Bloomberg wanted an illegal gun, why didn’t he just go to any bar in Brooklyn?
I stumbled across a press release on the ATF website announcing that they had update their iPhone app.The release said:
ATF Announces New Version of App for Apple iPhone and iPod Devices
WASHINGTON — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today announced the latest release of its mobile application for Apple iPhone and iPod touch devices. With the ATF app, developed in cooperation with NIC Inc., users can learn about ATF history and areas of expertise, find their local ATF field office and sign up for e-mail updates on the latest ATF related news.“ATF strives to use new technology to educate the public about its role in reducing firearms-related violence and making dangerous communities safe places to live,” said Scot Thomasson, chief of ATF Public Affairs Division. “Working with NIC in the development of this downloadable app, ATF hopes to reach a younger and more tech savvy portion of the population.”
It is almost sounds like some Saturday Night Live skit featuring Frank Sinatra singing the Beatles because “the kids like this stuff.”
Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this app somehow could monitor my calls, surveil me while out shooting, or kill my dog. Now I know that sounds paranoid but ATF is one agency that I have a hard time trusting especially around canines.
The NSSF released this today. I think they got it right where they say it isn’t for the Federal government to decide an event is sporting if the participants consider it a sport.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is currently reviewing the recently released study by ATF on the importability of shotguns. NSSF will be submitting comments to ATF by the May 1, 2011 deadline. NSSF’s initial reaction to the study is that if the shooting public deems a certain activity to be “sporting” through participation, even if that sport is new and seems unconventional to the uninitiated, NSSF does not believe the federal government should say that the firearms law abiding citizens use to participate in that shooting sport activity are neither “particularly suitable for nor readily adaptable to generally recognized sporting purposes” pursuant to the Gun Control Act of 1968. Many new sport shooting disciplines have arisen since 1968 and have enjoyed significant participation. The federal government ought not to be making subjective decisions about what lawful shooting activities it considers a sport.
The safe and responsible participation in new and evolving sporting events does not result in injury. The possession of firearms in the hands of law abiding Americans for any lawful purpose, including but not limited to sports shooting, does not cause crime.
The Supreme Court’s decisions in Heller and McDonald make clear that the exercise of the fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms for self defense protected by the Second Amendment does not hinge on whether one will use the firearm to participate in an activity the government deems to be sufficiently sporting. The shotguns this study would ban from importation are also suitable for self protection including home defense.
NSSF believes the time has come for Congress to re-examine the so-called “sporting purpose” test as a criteria for importing a firearm into the United States.
What is discreet when it comes to a gun case? Cheaper Than Dirt has this video with what they call a discreet gun case. I think the case is small enough but I just don’t find anything in coyote to be discreet. Maybe it is because I associate colors like coyote, OD green, and black with tactical gear.
A year or so ago there were a couple of threads about using field hockey bags for carrying your AR or AK on M4Carbine.net and Arfcom. Both of these threads are well worth reading if you are looking for discreet ways to carry your carbine. I think some of the examples below – though bright and colorful – are more discreet than the more tactical versions.
Other suggestions were baseball bat bags and a skateboard bag. Here are some examples:
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| Bag filled with gear |
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| With AR stored inside |
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| Power to the AR? |
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| Skateboard Pack |
I actually have the blue “Revolt” bag with the white “Power to the People” fist shown three pictures up. As I live not too far from the hippie paradise of Asheville, I think it would fit in well around here. It is well made and it only cost $35 from Mantis Hockey Equipment.
The Brady Campaign is upset that budget cuts may be coming for their favorite Federal agency ATF.
ATF, Strong Gun Laws Needed to Fight Illegal Guns
by Paul Helmke on January 31st, 2011According to a recent report in the Washington Post, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) could suffer budget cuts of almost 13 percent, which would effectively eliminate Project Gunrunner, a program designed to combat gun-trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico.
Any cuts to the already under-staffed and under-funded ATF would be a setback, but the kinds of cuts that are rumored would be devastating to the ATF’s ability to interrupt the flow of illegal guns across America and Mexico. Worst of all, though, would be for the Obama Administration to pursue these cuts without pushing to implement strong, commonsense gun laws, such as those to ban large-capacity , assault weapons, and closing the gun show loophole.
These laws would be more effective and efficient because they offer a pro-active means — instead of a reactive one — to stemming the flow of guns to Mexican drug cartels and to criminals and gangs on America’s streets. Not having an ATF director in place is also problematic. If we don’t get these new laws and the ATF has to absorb substantial cuts, our nation will have effectively surrendered to the purveyors of the most massive gun violence in the U.S. and Mexico.
From the sounds of it, ATF isn’t trying to interrupt the flow of arms to Mexico but rather are behind some of it. I wonder what Mr. Helmke has to say about that.
H/T Sebastian
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