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Witness Slips Need In Illinois – III

April 17, 2018 by

Illinois State Rifle Association issued this alert regarding the elimination of state preemption with regard to “assault weapons”.

To read the particular bill, click on the link SB2314 below, click on Full Text.
 
OPPOSE THE FOLLOWING BILLS :

Scheduled Date 4/17/2018 – 4:00 PM
SB2314    Julie A. Morrison    ASSAULT WEAPONS-MUNICIPALITY

Synopsis: Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that the regulation of the possession or ownership of assault weapons are exclusive powers and functions of each municipality (rather than this State) . Eliminates existing preemption provision concerning the regulation of assault weapons.  This provision would mean, if passed, that a person maybe fully legal in one municipality but if transporting a particular firearm to another municipality be in violation of that municipality’s law.  The ISRA’s view is that this should remain the purview of the State and NOT individual municipalities.

TO CREATE A WITNESS SLIP 
 

Click on the following link Create a WitnessSlip

 
I. IDENTIFICATION: Enter your personal information. Enter “NA” for the Firm/Business or Agency and Title fields unless you are officially representing an organization.
 
II. REPRESENTATION: Enter “Myself” unless representing an organization.
 
III. POSITION: Select Original Bill and choose Opponent.
 
IV. TESTIMONY: Select the “Record of Appearance Only” radio button.
 
If filing manually, complete the Captcha challenge and agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement.
 
Then click Create Slip.

TO VIEW A WITNESS SLIP 

Click on the following link View a Witness Slip 

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Witness Slips Needed In Illinois – II

April 17, 2018 by

Illinois Carry issued a more extensive alert yesterday.

The Wolves Are at The Door
Witness Slips & Legislator Visits Needed!
Our last Call to Action asked your help opposing SB2561 Prepackage Explosive Component in Senate Committee. Unfortunately the bill passed out of the Senate and is now scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on April 17. Your help is needed to prevent this once vetoed bill from reaching the Governor’s desk again. Join us in opposing Senator Morrison’s repeated attack on our rights.
Another, more venomous attack by Ms. Morrison is her SB2314 Assault Weapons – Municipality, an attempt to repeal the State’s sole authority to regulate “assault weapons”. This bill, when inserted into an earlier attempt to ban bump stocks, was described by a rabidly anti-gun House Member as a “poison pill” that killed his own work against us. We must fight an increasing patchwork of laws from one town to another.  Your witness slips opposing SB2314 will be the antidote to this legislative poison.
Also in the Senate, SB2247 Ban Bump Fire Stockrepresents the work of a bizarre, newly formed coalition of anti-gun legislators who once stood with us. Make no mistake, we oppose SB2247 as much as we oppose any proposals made on behalf of the gun control groups vying for control of this state. We ask that you do the same.
More critically, while your phone calls and witness slips are important, we must up the ante by making personal visits to our legislators’ offices. Groups who oppose our rights have been making headway with this approach – an approach we must ourselves adopt in order to neutralize their work.
Take the time to establish personal, face to face communications with your State Senators and Representatives. Together, we can counter the anti’s lies with our truths.
Join us in opposing these bills by filing witness slips today!
Remember to log in to your account first, if you have one!
File Witness Slips Now!
In order to avoid completing each field manually, at the top right  Log on  to your ILGA Dashboard or  Create a New Account  if you haven’t already created one, then return to this email and click on the links for each witness slip.
Witness slips can be tracked here:
Senate & House – Sustain the SB1657 Veto!
Continue to call your State Senators and State Representatives in their Springfield offices. Remind them that you oppose SB1657 Gun Dealer Licensing, described by the Chicago Tribune as “government overreach”.
Ask them to sustain Governor Rauner’s veto.
House – Oppose Concurrence Votes!
While speaking with your state representatives remind them to oppose the changes made in the Senate to HB772 Lethal Violence Order of Protection, HB1465 “Assault Weapon Age 21, and HB1467 Preemption Repeal.
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Witness Slips Needed In Illinois – I

April 17, 2018 by

Both Illinois Carry and the Illinois State Rifle Association have issued alerts for anti-gun bills that are coming up this week in the Illinois General Assembly.

From Illinois Carry:

Emergency Action Alert!
Witness Slips Needed!
Moments ago, HB1470 Criminal Law Tech was added to the House Judiciary – Criminal Committee Schedule for the April 17 hearing.  Amendment 1 (HFA1) prohibits transfers of more than one gun per month, and establishes penalties for possession with intent to transfer.
Please express your immediate disapproval of  this bill and amendment by filing witness slips opposing it.
Remember to log in to your account first, if you have one!
In order to avoid completing each field manually, at the top right  Log on  to your ILGA Dashboard or  Create a New Account  if you haven’t already created one, then return to this email and click on the links for each witness slip.
Witness slips can be tracked here:
Senate & House – Sustain the SB1657 Veto!
Continue to call your State Senators and State Representatives in their Springfield offices. Remind them that you oppose SB1657 Gun Dealer Licensing, described by the Chicago Tribune as “government overreach”.
Ask them to sustain Governor Rauner’s veto.
House – Oppose Concurrence Votes!
While speaking with your state representatives remind them to oppose the changes made in the Senate to HB772 Lethal Violence Order of Protection, HB1465 “Assault Weapon Age 21, and HB1467 Preemption Repeal.
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GRNC On Weekend Rallies

April 13, 2018 by 1 Comment

Grass Roots North Carolina sent out a press release this afternoon regarding the weekend gun rights rallies. They make the point that they are not affiliated with the event nor are sponsoring it. Their goal is not to discourage attendance but to make sure people are aware of the relevant state law in North Carolina about carrying on the grounds of the State Capitol.

GRNC not affiliated
with Saturday’s rally.  Warns supporters against
bringing guns to the State Capital Grounds
To gun rights
supporters: 


You may have heard about the nationwide
pro-gun
rally planned for this weekend. GRNC is not affiliated with this event,
but we have learned that some organizers in various states have
encouraged
attendees to bring firearms to their particular rally location.
While it’s true that they are only encouraging this in states where it is legal to do so, there should be some
concern that people unaware of their state and local laws could inadvertently ensnare themselves in serious legal trouble.

Although
GRNC is not affiliated with this event, we want to serve our supporters who may plan to attend with a helpful warning: it is absolutely illegal to
carry a gun on the State Capital grounds in North Carolina, unloaded or otherwise.

Carrying a gun at a protest in that
part of the city will most likely land you in
serious legal trouble, and may very well compromise your personal
safety. It would also be counterproductive to the gun rights movement.
GRNC does not
condone breaking any gun laws. 
Should you choose to attend this (non-GRNC) rally:
DO NOT BRING A FIREARM 

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Gun Rights Rallies This Weekend – Advocate But Stay Within The Law

April 13, 2018 by

A group calling itself the National Constitutional Coalition of Patriotic Americans is calling for gun rights rallies at state capitals across the nation. It is called National Support the Second Amendment Rally at the Capital.

This effort is not affiliated with gun rights groups like Grass Roots North Carolina, Georgia Carry, the NRA, or Gun Owners of America. They are not opposing it but they are not sponsoring it either.

In many states, people are being encouraged to open carry unloaded long guns. I can’t speak for other states but do not do it in North Carolina.

Open carry in North Carolina is a constitutional right that was affirmed by the NC Supreme Court in State v. Keener back in 1922. Notwithstanding that, there are places where carry of any firearm, loaded or unloaded, is forbidden. The grounds of the North Carolina State Capitol is one of those places. Interestingly, papers like the Charlotte Observer are running stories headlined “Gun rights supporters: Bring your unloaded rifle to rallies”. They conveniently forget to tell you that it is illegal in North Carolina.

DO NOT CARRY A FIREARM if you are attending the rally in Raleigh, North Carolina as it is ILLEGAL. You are asking to be arrested. Moreover, you will be giving aid and comfort to the enemies of the Second Amendment. Let me repeat that – if you carry a loaded or unloaded firearm on the State Capitol grounds in North Carolina you will be providing a photo op and talking point for every gun prohibitionist, anti-gun group and their media allies in the state and country.


Advocate for our rights but don’t be an idiot.

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Recall Of Certain Ruger Mark IV Pistols

April 13, 2018 by 1 Comment

Ruger has issued a recall for Ruger Mark IV .22 pistols (including the 22/45) made before June 1, 2017. They have a potential to discharge unintentionally. This does not apply to the Ruger Mark I, II, or III line of pistols.

From Ruger:

Ruger recently discovered that all Mark IV™ pistols (including 22/45™ models) manufactured prior to June 1, 2017 have the potential to discharge unintentionally if the safety is not utilized correctly. In particular, if the trigger is pulled while the safety lever is midway between the “safe” and “fire” positions (that is, the safety is not fully engaged or fully disengaged), then the pistol may not fire when the trigger is pulled. However, if the trigger is released and the safety lever is then moved from the mid position to the “fire” position, the pistol may fire at that time.

Although only a small percentage of pistols appear to be affected and we are not aware of any injuries, Ruger is firmly committed to safety and would like to retrofit all potentially affected pistols with an updated safety mechanism.


Until your Mark IV™ pistol has been retrofitted or you verify that it is not subject to the recall, we strongly recommend that you not use your pistol.


How To Determine If Your Pistol Needs The Retrofit


How to find your serial number All Mark IV™ pistols produced prior to June 1, 2017 are potentially affected and therefore are being recalled. This includes Mark IV™ Target, Hunter, Competition, 22/45™, 22/45™ Lite and 22/45™ Tactical models. These models bear serial numbers beginning with “401” (2017 models) or “WBR” (2016 models).


Firearms NOT subject to the Recall


Newly manufactured Mark IV™ pistols will begin with serial number “500.” Thus, if you have a Mark IV™ or 22/45™ pistol with a serial number beginning with the number “5,” your pistol is not subject to the recall.


Firearms That Have Been Retrofitted Already


Finding Retrofit Marking Mark IV™ and 22/45™ pistols retrofitted with the updated safety mechanism are easily identified by the letter “S” in the white safety dot that is visible when the safety is engaged.

Go to this page to view the video describing the potential safety issue and to access the serial number verification tool.

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M&P®380 SHIELD™ EZ™ CONSUMER ADVISORY

April 13, 2018 by

Smith & Wesson has issued a consumer advisory for their M&P 380 Shield EZ with a manual thumb safety.

Like any firearm, the function of the M&P®380 Shield™ EZ™ Manual Thumb Safety pistol can be influenced by the type and quality of ammunition used with the pistol. In the case of the M&P 380 Shield EZ Manual Thumb Safety, we have found that in very rare circumstances, ammunition that produces a high level of felt recoil can cause the manual safety to move from the fire to the “safety on” position during firing. Should this occur, you will not be able to fire the next round unless and until the manual safety is reset to the fire position.

At Smith & Wesson, we are committed to designing and producing firearms that meet the highest quality and performance standards. To ensure that every Smith & Wesson handgun meets our standards for reliability and performance, as of April 4, 2018, we have engineered the manual safety so that it will be less susceptible to the influence of ammunition weight, velocity and loads. Any M&P 380 Shield EZ Manual Thumb Safety pistol produced before April 4, is eligible for a no-cost upgrade. To determine if this consumer advisory applies to your pistol, please utilize our serial number verification tool.

If your pistol is subject to this advisory, please call Smith & Wesson at 1-800-331-0852 or email us at MP380EZAdvisory@Smith-Wesson.com. A FedEx return label and shipping instructions to facilitate the return of your M&P 380 Shield EZ pistol will be mailed to you promptly. If you have any questions, you may call 1-800-331-0852 for more information.

WARNING: READ AND FOLLOW THE WARNINGS IN YOUR OWNER’S MANUAL. NEVER USE “PLUS-P” (+P), “PLUS-P-PLUS” (+P+); OR RELOADED AMMUNITION WITH THE M&P 380 EZ. ALWAYS USE FACTORY MANUFACTURED AMMUNITION PRODUCED TO SAAMI SPECIFICATIONS.

You can find the serial number verification tool here. Remember, it is Friday the 13th and you don’t want to take any chances.

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Why Appeasement Never Works

April 12, 2018 by 2 Comments

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) probably thought rushing to get a gun control bill passed after the Parkland atrocity would appease those calling for more gun control and help him in his run for the US Senate against Bill Nelson.

As Winston Churchill probably told Neville Chamberlain many times, appeasement never works.

I got the following email from the cult of personality known as Giffords. They are asking for money so that they can defeat Scott in his run against Bill Nelson.

In just a moment, I am going to ask you to rush an urgent donation to Giffords PAC. I hope you’ll give me a chance to explain why this request — today of all days — is so important.


Yesterday morning, Florida’s Republican Governor Rick Scott announced he was going to run for U.S. Senate. And what we need to do right now is send him a message from every American who has had enough of the inaction from Congress on this issue. And that message is:


“Rick Scott, we are going to do everything we can to defeat you this November. The gun lobby doesn’t need any more allies in the U.S. Senate.”


Shortly after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, we ran ads highlighting Rick Scott’s history of indulging the gun lobby’s every wish. Today, we need you to help us keep up the pressure:


Make a $3 donation to Giffords PAC today to help us ensure that Rick Scott gets nowhere near the U.S. Senate where he will cast votes on gun violence legislation that impact every American.


If we can send a message to politicians across the country that their path to further elected office is imperiled by their support for the gun lobby’s priorities, we will do more than we could possibly imagine to change the trajectory of this debate.


And that starts with keeping Rick Scott out of office.


All my best,


Peter Ambler
Executive Director
Giffords PAC

I hate to break it to Peter Ambler – and to Rick Scott – but we in the gun culture really don’t consider Scott an ally. If Rick Scott was an ally, 18 through 20 year olds wouldn’t have lost their ability to purchase a rifle or shotgun.

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Anti-gun Activism, Arson, Or Both? (Updated with GoFundMe link)

April 8, 2018 by 2 Comments

This past Monday a shooting range in Trinity, North Carolina was hit with arson. The Triad Active Shooters Klub – TASK – had their shooting benches and  three out of five shooting line shelters destroyed by fire. Randolph County Fire Marshal Erik Beard says the fire was intentionally set.

You can see more pictures of the destruction here. There is a $5,000 reward being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Please contact the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department at (336) 318-6699 if you have any information.

Monty Mendenhall of the club had this to say about the fire:

There was arson at the TASK early Monday morning range. Three of the five covered firing points were completely destroyed. The remaining two had five one-gallon plastic containers of gasoline placed strategically next to the wooden posts that support the roof and under the piled up shooting benches. Two covered firing lines were not burned because the fuses to the gas failed.

We believe that more than one arsonist was involved, maybe several. This belief is because, at a minimum, twenty five individual containers of gasoline were used. We found five at each of the unburned structures and assume that there were at least that many at each of the other three. It would take quite a while for one person to remove 25 one-gallon containers from a vehicle and set them out out beside the posts and under the shooting benches. Moreover, our shooting benches are too heavy for one man to lift. Two men can move one but it would require three or four to stack one upon another.

The TASK members have been great about this Daniel. The BODs and volunteers have already cleaned up the debris and stacked all of the burned tin roof panels. The metal will be taken to a salvage yard and the wood will be placed in a safe place and burned. The ground was swept with a magnetic broom and approximately two gallons of nails and screws were recovered for disposal.

All five firing lines are open now but the burned ones lack everything except the concrete floor.

The contractor who built all of the structures has surveyed the scene and he is working with us. In addition to the cost of reconstructing the covered firing lines, we are looking at an unknown cost for a video/motion-detecting security system.

Six years were required to build the structures and to clear the new 100 yard range. We did it one step at a time as our dues came in. The club lacks enough funds to pay for all of the reconstruction at this moment but construction will begin anyway on a pay-as-you-go basis. We will not allow a group of anti-Second Amendment NAZIs stop us from peaceably assembling to enjoy ours Second Amendment rights.

Any financial help that can be provided will be appreciated. Even if none is though, TASK will rebuild. It will just take a little longer.

If and when a GoFundMe or similar page is set up, I’ll post an update.

UPDATE: A GoFundMe page has been set up. They are seeking to raise $3000. Just to be clear, the donation will not be tax deductible as TASK is a 501(c)(7) organization.

UPDATE II: If would prefer to send a check rather than go through GoFundMe, the address is:

TASK
PO Box 404
Trinity, NC 27370

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Just In Case You Haven’t Seen This

April 6, 2018 by

Mayor Nancy Vaughn of Greensboro, NC announced after the Parkland murders that she would seek to end the Greensboro Gun and Knife Show held semi-annually at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Greensboro City Council was in agreement. The only problem is that they didn’t have the authority to do that.

So they invited citizens to make their voices heard – assuming it would be anti-gun – during the public comment period on the April 3rd meeting. I think they heard more than they expected but not exactly what they wanted. You can see the full hour plus long video of the meeting here.

Andy Stevens of Grass Roots North Carolina spoke. Just as importantly so did Mark Robinson. What the latter had to say has gone viral. You can see both of their comments below.

Mr. Robinson’s comments begin at about the 4:40 mark. His comments have been aired on Fox News, Facebook, and the list goes on. The number of views from various sources now totals in the millions.

Share this video with your friends. Everyone needs to see it.

UPDATE: A.P. Dillon at LadyLiberty1885 blog has more on the Greensboro City Council meeting including video of a couple of the March for Our Lives kids. Dillon notes that they repeated many false claims.