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Why I Don’t Live In Illinois

March 16, 2011 by 2 Comments

The Complementary Spouse’s mother lives in O’Fallon, Illinois and her father is buried there. O’Fallon is a pleasant little town about 20 miles east of St. Louis. It is also the home of Scott Air Force Base. I like going out to visit and enjoy the solid, mid-western atmosphere of the town and its people.

I couldn’t live there.

The guns laws of the State of Illinois and the impact on the politics of the state from Chicago would drive me nuts. Thanks to a story on the IllinoisCarry forum linked by Thirdpower at Days of our Trailers blog, I have another reason.

A good friend of mine received his AZ ccw application yesterday. He filled it out and then went to the Champaign police department this morning to get fingerprinted. He was denied because they said they will not do fingerprints for ccw apps from any state because IL is not a carry state. He informed them that he is aware that IL is not a carry state, that the AZ license is not honored here and that it is a felony to exercise the right to bear arms in IL.

He explained that he is wanting to get this AZ permit because it is honored in IN where he spends a great deal of time along with about 28 other states. They still would not print him.

He asked so you’re telling me that there are gang bangers on W Bradly right now carrying handguns that are not old enough to possess a handgun by federal law, do not have a FOID or even know what a FOID is and they’re committing crimes, killing people and raping women, meanwhile I a tax paying, law abiding citizen am standing here in the Champaign police department trying to do the right thing knowing full well that after I get these prints, fill out this application, pay $60 for app and $30 for the prints I still won’t be able to carry in IL but am still being denied just getting a set of fingerprints done?

The answer was YES. We do not do fingerprints for ccw apps because IL is not a carry state. They also told him that no law agency in IL will do this for the same reason. He explained that that was false because he knows dozens of people who have out of state ccw permits that required fingerprints.

Finally it was admitted that this was a decision that was made a couple years ago specifically within the Champaign police department and it was made by “the people upstairs”.

My friend is a bit frustrated as a citizen, as a tax payer and as a law abiding citizen who is just trying to do the right thing.

Another person on the IllinoisCarry forum followed up with the Champaign Police Department on their refusal to do fingerprinting for a person to obtain an out-of-state CCW permit. He spoke with a lady in their records department.

She acknowledged that CPD will not print for any CCW permits “because it’s illegal in IL”.

I pointed out that these were forms necessary for other states to conduct their business and why was it a problem for them to fill out print cards for other states.

“It’s an ethical issue,” she replied.

I asked who made that decision not to print “for ethical issues”. She didn’t have a name.

Ethical issue? I must live on another planet from the decision makers in this police department. I would consider it unethical to refuse to provide the fingerprinting services. Arrgh!

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Go Alan!

March 15, 2011 by 3 Comments

This time the Alan is Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. He said he is willing to take Obama up on his offer to talk about firearms. He’d like to ask Obama about Project Gunrunner (aka Gunwalker) and Operation Fast and Furious.


BELLEVUE, WA – While other gun rights groups reportedly have declined to participate in a “new discussion” about firearms and crime with the Obama administration, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today it would be eager to talk with the White House, especially about the “Project Gunrunner” and “Fast and Furious” scandals, where federal agents helped facilitate gun sales to suspected gunrunners.

CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb acknowledged that his organization has not yet been asked to participate in the “new discussion” outlined by President Barack Obama in an Op-Ed article that appeared in a Tucson newspaper.

“However,” he said, “we would be delighted to sit down with the president and talk about how his administration has supplied guns to criminals.”

Gottlieb said it seems odd that neither CCRKBA nor its sister organization, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), had not been invited to the table despite the president’s desire to open a dialogue with gun rights advocates.

“After all,” he observed, “it was SAF’s Supreme Court case, McDonald v. City of Chicago, that solidified the Second Amendment’s protection of an individual civil right that the president now seems to energetically embrace.

“If we were to be invited,” Gottlieb insisted, “it won’t be for a photo op. There are serious issues American gun owners want discussed, such as restoration of rights, national concealed carry reciprocity, cracking down on states like New Jersey, New York and California that routinely violate gun owners’ rights, lifting the administration’s ban on importation of historic WWII-era rifles, reining in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, especially the Phoenix office and its ‘Fast and Furious’ operation, and the nomination of anti-gun rights Andrew Traver to head BATFE. That’s like putting an arsonist in charge of the U.S. Forest Service.

Gottlieb said the president’s timing for this new approach “seems suspiciously like an effort to deflect public attention away from the growing “Project Gunrunner” and “Fast and Furious” scandals, now that CBS, Fox News and other major news organizations have started probing the controversial operations.

“If Obama were really serious about opening a dialogue about firearms and crime,” he said, “it should not have taken him more than two years in the White House before claiming he wants to meet with gun rights advocates.”

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Say What?

March 15, 2011 by 5 Comments

With all the news of the damaged reactors and possible meltdowns in Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, comes this little tidbit courtesy of Ian Argent.

In addition to walking guns to Mexico, it is BATFE’s duty to test wine, gin, whiskey, and vodka for radioactivity. If it isn’t sufficiently radioactive, it can’t be legally sold in the United States.

This comes from a book entitled Physics and Technology for Future Presidents: An Introduction to the Essential Physics Every World Leader Needs to Know.

I guess we need to return to the drinks of Colonial America – rum and ale.

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Say It Ain’t So!

March 15, 2011 by 3 Comments

In news that will make any Glock fanboy happy, the GearScout blog is reporting rumors from IWA (the European equivalent of the SHOT Show) that the Swiss Army will be replacing their Pistole 75 (Sig 220) and Pistole 03 (SigPro 2022?) with Glock 17’s and 19’s.

I have no idea what this will mean for the Swiss armaments industry but they can’t be too happy if they are being replaced by the Austrian-made Glock.

The Pistole 75 and Pistole 03 are pictured below.

Swiss Pistole 75
Swiss Pistole 03

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FOID Card Release TRO Extended

March 15, 2011 by

As reported earlier in the month, the Illinois State Rifle Association went to court to prevent the release of FOID card holders names by the Illinois State Police. At the time they were granted a temporary restraining order preventing the release of that information. In a hearing held today, ISRA was able to get a court order extending the TRO “until further order of the court.”

The lawsuit filed on behalf of ISRA and its members on March 10, 2011, is moving forward with excellent results. After Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that her office believes that release of FOID information to the public is proper under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, the ISRA filed suit in Peoria (10th Judicial District) seeking a temporary restraining order preventing the release of names of FOID holders.

As previously reported, the temporary restraining order (TRO) was granted by judge Scott Shore, who then scheduled a status hearing for March 15th to set a date set for hearing arguments regarding the issuance of a preliminary injunction, since the TRO normally expires in ten days.

Prior to his court appearance on behalf of ISRA and the member plaintiffs, attorney Stanley Tucker was notified of a letter sent to Attorney General Lisa Madigan that was signed by 12 (a majority) of the Illinois congressional delegation. The non-partisan letter requested Lisa Madigan to rescind an attorney general directive issued to the Illinois State Police that sided with the FOIA request made by the Associated Press’ representative that the ISP release the names of FOID holders.

The latest court order extended the TRO indefinitely, until further order of court, and another “status” hearing was scheduled for April 14th. The defendants may file pleadings requesting additional relief, but for now the privacy of law-abiding firearm owners and the interest of public safety remain protected.

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IAC Model 97 Trench Gun

March 15, 2011 by 4 Comments

With the ATF discussing banning certain imported shotguns as not meeting the sporting suitability requirement, I have been thinking about what might be banned. Heading the list is, of course, the Saiga shotguns. Prices on Saiga 12’s have shot up from the upper $400 range to over $800 in recent weeks. Another shotgun that might make the list is the Norinco copy of the Winchester 1897 Trench Gun.

The executive summary of the report lists a number of characteristics that ATF in its wisdom says makes a shotgun “unsuitable” for “sporting purposes”.

Following this review, the working group determined that certain shotgun features are not particularly suitable or readily adaptable for sporting purposes. These features include:

(1) Folding, telescoping, or collapsible stocks;
(2) bayonet lugs;
(3) flash suppressors;
(4) magazines over 5 rounds, or a drum magazine;
(5) grenade-launcher mounts;
(6) integrated rail systems (other than on top of the receiver or barrel);
(7) light enhancing devices;
(8) excessive weight (greater than 10 pounds for 12 gauge or smaller);
(9) excessive bulk (greater than 3 inches in width and/or greater than 4 inches in depth);
(10) forward pistol grips or other protruding parts designed or used for gripping the shotgun with the shooter’s extended hand.

Although the features listed above do not represent an exhaustive list of possible shotgun features, designs or characteristics, the working group determined that shotguns with any one of these features are most appropriate for military or law enforcement use. Therefore, shotguns containing any of these features are not particularly suitable for nor readily adaptable to generally recognized sporting purposes such as hunting, trap, sporting clay, and skeet shooting.

Frankly, I find this utter bullshit but not surprising coming from the bureaucratic mindset of the BATFE Headquarters staff. This made me realize that there was no time like the present if I wanted one of the shotguns that fell under that criteria.

The Saiga is OK but would take quite a bit to upgrade from stock. I understand your average 3-gun competitor has about $1,000 worth of gunsmithing and upgrades in their Saigas. So the Saiga was out for now. What pushed me towards the IAC Model 97 was that years ago I had and sold a Winchester 1897 12 gauge with a full choke. Also, I believe Michael Bane had mentioned recently in one of his podcasts that Evil Roy – Gene Pearcy – had won the Wild Bunch match at Winter Range using the Model 97 Trench Gun. With all this in mind, I ordered the IAC Model 97 Trench Shotgun from a local dealer who gave me a nice discount.

I picked up the shotgun this past Friday. It comes in the box as seen below. I find it amusing that either the Chinese or the importer felt the need to drape the box in the Stars and Stripes.

I haven’t had time to go to the range and shoot the Model 97 yet, so I am going to just post a few pictures and some quick impressions of it.

The shotgun feels solid in the hand. Nothing seemed loose and nothing rattled (other than the sling mounts) if you shake the shotgun. Racking the slide a number of times I found it fairly smooth. The trigger is a bit heavy but not tremendously so. In copying the Winchester 1897, the Chinese left off the trigger disconnect just like the original. Thus, it retains the ability to slam fire.

The finish on the Model 97 is so-so. The bluing is uneven in places as can been seen in the picture below. Notice the light spot just behind the bead sight. The size of the light spot is about that of a finger or thumb print. I’m guessing it is a result of improper surface prep before bluing.

 

The stock is American Walnut. The quality of the wood was OK and the finish was not bad. You can see the grain in the picture below. There was either a knot or patch in the grip area (see dark spot just above the reflection of the camera flash) but it seemed solid.

 

Finally, as you can by the receiver, the metal parts of the Model 97 are covered in some sort of grease or metal preservative. This will need to be cleaned off and a light coat of oil applied instead before taking it out. If you look closely, Norinco included the U.S. Ordnance bomb on the receiver.

The wood to metal fit is acceptable. There are no real gaps and the quality is higher than what I’ve seen on Russian-made shotguns like the Baikal.

Comparing this gun to close-ups of the real Winchester 1897, it is obvious that the gunmakers at Winchester cleaned up the tooling marks on the breach bolt and carrier a heck of a lot better than Norinco. If you look at the picture below you can see the tooling marks.

Is the IAC Model 97 Trench Gun equivalent to the “real” Winchester 1897 Trench Gun? Absolutely not. However, mine cost $385 and the Winchester will cost in the $2,000 range or more if you can find one. For knocking about and plinking, I think my IAC Model 97 will do just fine. Probably the only things I might add to it are a 1″ GI leather sling and maybe a reproduction Enfield M-1917 bayonet.

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The Month After Tucson

March 15, 2011 by

NSSF is reporting that the adjusted NICS checks for the month of February 2011 are up 13.6% over the previous year.

The February 2011 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 963,746 is an increase of 13.6 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 848,036 from February 2010. For comparison, the unadjusted February 2011 NICS figure of 1,463,138 is an increase of 18.2 percent over the unadjusted NICS figure of 1,237,617 from February 2010. The adjusted NICS data was derived by NSSF by subtracting out all NICS purpose code permit checks used by several states such as Kentucky, Iowa and Utah for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. While not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provides a more accurate picture of current market conditions.

Courtesy of NSSF

The raw data directly from the FBI can be seen here. It breaks out NICS checks by state.

Looking at the bar chart above, you can see the spike in sales in February 2009 as compared to February 2008. I think it can be reasonably assumed that this is due to the spike in gun sales nationwide beginning with the election of President Barack Obama. The heavy surge in gun sales has moderated by February 2010 as the fear over new gun control measures has started to abate. However, after the shootings in Tucson and the clamor for more gun control, NICS checks (and presumably sales) surge even higher than after the election of Obama.

Looking at the raw numbers, some states like Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas show increases of more than 10,000 checks over  the January 2011 numbers. While past history tends to show more sales in February than in January (due, in part, I presume to leftover bills from Christmas), the increases this year are substantially more than in previous years.

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Stakeholder Meetings

March 14, 2011 by

The Huffington Post is reporting that the Obama Administration has been having informal discussions on gun control policy with both pro-gun and anti-gun groups. Supposedly spearheaded by the Justice Department, these meetings are meant to be a “feeling out process”.

“As the president said, we should focus on sound, effective steps that will keep guns out of the hands of the criminals, fugitives, people with serious mental illness, and others who have no business possessing a gun and who are prohibited by laws on the books from owning a gun,” Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. “We will be meeting with stakeholders on all sides of the issue to discuss how we can find sensible, intelligent ways to make the country safer.”

The article goes on to say that the principal aim seems to be to coalesce support for cleaning up NICS and to require background checks for private sales. Of course, they put it as the “application of background-check standards to private dealers” which is, by definition, an oxymoron as there is no such thing as a private dealer. They also note that magazine bans and the AWB are off the table for now.

Bloomberg’s Illegal Mayors and Chuck Schumer are also mentioned in the article. They compare what Obama was proposing in his op-ed to what MAIG and Schumer are seeking to do with S. 436.

“They have been meeting with us and also with law enforcement groups and industry,” one gun-control advocate said of the administration. “This is what the White House does when they want to put a serious legislative apparatus together … The game now becomes effectively demonstrating, in a way that is meaningful, what we know is the overwhelming support for universal background checks.”

Given the source, HuffPo, I’m taking this story with a grain of salt. I don’t doubt that the Obama Administration has been talking to gun-control groups and anti-gun rights politicians like Schumer, McCarthy, and Lautenberg. However, I’ll believe they are serious about working with both sides if and when reports of meetings with Wayne LaPierre, Chris Cox, and Alan Gottlieb are revealed.

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Obama Heard Us! Or Maybe Not.

March 14, 2011 by

The Brady Campaign is famous for trying to make mountains out of molehills. So it is with their release regarding President Barack Obama’s op-ed in the Arizona Daily Star which may or may not have called for background checks for private sales depending on how you read it. They are claiming that Obama heard their plea to “lead a national conversation” on gun control. Or as they put it, gun violence.

While they may want to portray it as from their lips to Obama’s ears, when you have a line in the op-ed that says, “Some will say that anything short of the most sweeping anti-gun legislation is a capitulation to the gun lobby”, I don’t think he was paying too much attention to your calls for more bans, background checks, etc.

Paul Helmke Statement Regarding President Obama’s Op-Ed On Gun Control
Mar 13, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke today issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s Sunday op-ed in the Arizona Daily Star, titled, “We Must Reach Agreement on Gun Reforms”:

“Strengthening the background check system for gun purchasers has been the signature issue for the Brady Campaign since the shooting of Jim Brady during the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan 30 years ago this month. The efforts of Jim and Sarah Brady, along with countless others, finally resulted in the Brady Law which went into effect just 17 years ago and requires federally licensed gun dealers to do background checks.

“Since that time, we have worked to make the Brady background check system more effective by strengthening the definitions of those who had already shown themselves to be too dangerous or irresponsible to own guns; by pushing for legislation to encourage states to send more records into the Brady database; and by working to close the loophole that allows private sellers to sell guns to strangers without a background check, something exploited primarily at gun shows around the country. These efforts helped lead to domestic violence abusers being blocked from buying guns and to the creation of new incentives, after Virginia Tech, for states to add their records of mentally dangerous individuals to the computer database.

“Less than a week after the shootings in Tucson, the Brady Campaign called on President Obama to lead a national conversation about preventing gun violence. With the op-ed published in the Arizona Daily Star, we believe that President Obama has heard our plea on behalf of the 100,000 Americans injured and killed by guns each year, including the more than 2,000 who have died by guns since Congresswoman Giffords and those with her were attacked on January 8. We are looking forward to working with him to engage the nation, and our Congress, on how to protect more Americans from the threat of gun violence.

“The Brady Campaign agrees with President Obama that we can stanch the bloodshed, while still respecting Second Amendment rights. We agree with him that it makes no sense for dangerous people to be able to arm themselves so easily. While more needs to be done to make our communities safer, this is the most significant statement from the White House on gun violence prevention in over a decade.

“We should all, regardless of party or ideology, be working, as the President said, on ‘preventing future bloodshed’ and forging ‘a nation worthy of our children’s futures’. “