Happy Independence Day!

Second Amendment to the United States Constitution

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

~Thomas Jefferson

Welcome to the BR Shooting Journal. What's New...

It was a day like any other. The jobs were stacked high, deadlines tight and the pressure was on. The day had passed quickly as do most. It would soon be time to leave, and soon the day would repeat itself. For a few moments I escaped from the office, thinking about the great times I had as a kid hunting with my brother. Beginning at age 12, we would hit the woods with our long arms, enjoying the day hunting small game and pheasant. Memories took me back to an early winter squirrel hunt.

A light snow had fallen and we spotted a group of squirrels circling the top of a tree. Taking a seat, we lit up our smokes, scanned the branches and quietly waited. Within half an hour we left with 2 grays in the bag and a memory that would last the next thirty years. That day in work it dawned on me how much I missed that part of my life and I made the decision to take it back. That day launched this Journal, which has grown from a single blog to sixteen, recording my small adventures in the woods, fun at the range, lessons learned reloading, and the good people I have met. Welcome to the BR Shooting Journal!

Some new great new products are here!

• The North American Arms Mini-Master 22magnum revolver
• Crimson Trace laser grips for a J-frame S&W 38 Special.
• NEXT SUNDAY! C&S Universal Dunk-Kit test. Check the 2009 Range Report page.
  
• COMING SOON! Lee single stage reloading press demonstrations.
  

Also, check out the new NAA Mini-Master page. Over the coming weeks you'll be seeing photos, movie clips and stories as Jamie and I hit the range and have some fun with one heck of a fun tiny rimfire revolver.

You'll also be interested to see what a set of Crimson Trace laser grips do for a hard to shoot 38 J-frame.

Additional info on these products can also be found on the PRODUCTS PAGE, WHEELGUN JOURNAL, 2009 RANGE REPORT, and the 2009 RIMFIRE HUNTING. Check back often and thanks for stopping by!

Ky. Pastor Holds Guns-In-Church Service

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Some gun owners proudly wore their weapons into a Louisville, Ky., church Saturday. The "Bring Your Gun to Church Day" was an idea to celebrate guns and God.

Brian Thomas, like others at the church was in compliance with Kentucky law as he wore his 1911 Springfield Operator on his belt -- openly. He brought his family to join about 125 other gun owners to celebrate their second amendment rights inside New Bethel Assembly of God Church... MORE

The pastor said that his church is the safest place in Louisville. Maybe so, but not this day since everyone was required to carry unloaded guns. I'm glad someone with a loaded gun didn't come in and take a gun collection! ~Bob

Prepare to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day

The annual celebration is set for Sept. 26, 2009. Congress established National Hunting and Fishing Day to recognize hunters and anglers for their leadership in fish and wildlife conservation. Since launching in 1971, the day has been formally proclaimed by every U.S. President and countless governors and mayors.

http://www.nhfday.org/

New D.C. Rules Mark One-Year Anniversary of Historic Heller Decision

Today, June 26, marks the one-year anniversary of the landmark D.C. v. Heller case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban and affirmed that the Second Amendment protects an individual right. The Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects “the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation. This meaning is strongly confirmed by the historical background of the Second Amendment.” ... MORE

An "Open Carry Celebration" to promote responsible gun ownership and firearm safety. Saturday, June 27th 2009 @ 5pm

This event is to celebrate the birth of our nation. It is open to any and all who cherish 2nd amendment and 1st amendment rights given to us in our constitution. A person does not have to be a member of our church nor even be a believer in God to attend. It is open to any religious, racial or ethnic group. It matters not what your political or personal preference may be. One need not own nor wear a firearm to attend. If you support 2nd and 1st Amendment rights, you are welcome.

http://www.newbethelchurchky.org/openCarryCelebration.htm

First Amendment challenge could threaten outdoor media

This blog and those like it could soon become illegal!

A case headed for the United States Supreme Court has the potential to make it illegal to take, sell or publish images of hunting, fishing, trapping, and virtually anything else ruled as a "depiction of animal cruelty."

United States of America v. Robert J. Stevens is being pitched as an anti-dogfighting measure by the government and the Humane Society of the United States.

In reality, it's about a 69-year old man with no criminal record facing three years in jail for making a film about pit bulls. The conviction was overturned by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which said the federal law against "depictions of animal cruelty" was unconstitutional. The government appealed the case, and it's now headed to the Supreme Court... MORE

African gun owners face arrest due to new Firearms Control Act

Bloemfontein - Thousands of South African firearm owners who have legally disposed of their firearms could be on the wrong side of the law due to no fault of their own by next month, a hunting body said on Monday.

Confederation of Hunters Associations of South Africa (Chasa) spokesperson Neil Jones said many of its members and members of the public who were under the impression they had "legally disposed of" their firearms could face the possibility of arrest next month.

This related to the transitional period for the renewal of firearm licenses in terms of the new Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000, which would end on June 30... MORE

The NRA offers free memberships to the military

On behalf of the nearly four million members of the National Rifle Association of America, thank you for serving our country! We deeply appreciate your sacrifice, and would like to offer you a complimentary one-year membership in the NRA as a token of our gratitude and respect. Your membership will include all regular benefits of membership, including a subscription to your choice of our three flagship magazines... MORE

Two Anti-Gun Bills Scheduled to be Considered Next Week in the Golden State!

...Sponsored by Assembly Member Kevin De Leon (D-45), AB962 would make it a crime to privately transfer more than 50 rounds of ammunition per month, even between family and friends, unless you are registered as a “handgun ammunition vendor” in the Department of Justice’s database. Ammunition retailers would have to be licensed and store ammunition in such a manner that it would be inaccessible to purchasers. The bill would also require purchasers submit to fingerprinting, which would be kept in dealers' records and subject to inspection by the Department of Justice. Lastly, mail order ammunition sales would be prohibited... MORE

That's enough to shoot at the range for half an hour! This is nothing short of an all out attack on our second amendment freedom.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg Introduces Anti-Gun Legislation to Close "terror-gap"

"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Congressmen John Conyers (D-MI) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) today released a new GAO report finding that, from February 2004 to February 2009, there were 963 cases in which a known or suspected terrorist attempted to buy a gun. In 90 percent of those cases – a total of 865 times – they were cleared to proceed with that purchase. One of those cases involved the purchase of explosives...According to the new GAO report released today, which the lawmakers requested in July 2008, only ten percent of the time were terrorists suspects denied weapons because of disqualifying factors, such as a felony conviction or illegal immigrant status. Being on the Terrorist Watch List is currently not a disqualifying factor for buying firearms..." MORE

Who's the bigger threat to our freedom?

Obama Supports Treaty With Power To Outlaw Gun Possession

This story was on CNN! CLICK HERE

ATTORNEYS GENERAL OPPOSE SEMI-AUTO BAN

Twenty three (23) state attorneys general have signed a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, expressing their opposition to reinstatement of the federal ban on semi-automatic firearms. "The high court's landmark decision (District of Columbia. v. Heller, et al.) affirmed that individual Americans have a constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms," the letter stated. "We do not believe that further restricting law-abiding Americans' access to certain semiautomatic firearms serves any real law enforcement purpose" The letter concluded, "... we do not believe that reinstating the 1994 assault weapons ban will solve the problems currently facing the United States or Mexico."

Gun, Ammo Boom Has Manufacturers At Full Capacity

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Not long after the November elections, orders spiked at Black Hills Ammunition in Rapid City, S.D. They haven't come down since.

The election of a gun control friendly president and Congress has been kind to gun makers and ammo manufacturers. In the most recent quarter, Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (SWHC) reported a 45% increase in handgun sales over 2008. Sturm, Ruger & Co. (RGR), another major gun manufacturer, reported a quadrupling from 2008 net income. And sales are said to be brisk at the smaller, privately held manufacturers that comprise the bulk of the industry... MORE

Maine woman, 77, pulls gun on armed intruder and sends him running

MACHIAS, Maine - After being told by her daughter that a man in their home was an armed intruder, a 77-year-old woman pulled a gun on him and sent him running, according to court documents. The Bangor Daily News reported that family members have been referring to Doris Gatchell of Princeton as "Annie Oakley" after she confronted the man Friday... MORE

U.S. Government Trying To Take Away Your Pocket Knives!

The U.S. Government is after your Pocket Knives! In a sneak attack, U.S. Customs has proposed revoking earlier rulings that assisted opening knives are not switchblades. The proposal would not only outlaw assisted opening knives, its overly broad new definition of a switchblade would also include all one-handed opening knives and most other pocket knives!

Knife Rights was formed three years ago because we knew it was only a matter of time before there would be a major attempt to take away our knives, as has occurred in England, Europe and elsewhere. Little did we guess that the first major battle at a national level wouldn't come head on, but with government bureaucrats trying to sneak it by everyone, avoiding a more conventional legislative battle, which they know they'd likely lose.

Knife Rights is geared up to help win this fight, but we cannot do it without your help, your emails, your letters. The fight can only be won if we raise enough hell that they are convinced they will not get away with this. YOU are the most effective arrow in our quiver, the most powerful cartridge in our gun... MORE

Remember that knives are 'Arms' covered under the Second Amendment. If they get away with taking knives, it will set the precedent to come after your guns. ~Bob

Connecticut Legislature Adjourns With Important Pro-Hunting Bill Heading to Governor’s Desk!

The Connecticut Legislature adjourned on Wednesday, June 3 with one major piece of pro-hunting legislation being sent to the Governor!

We are happy to report that House Bill 5875, a bill supported by NRA, included a “no-net-loss” amendment, has been sent to Governor Jodi Rell (R). HB5875 contains critical language requiring that for every acre of public hunting land that is closed for any reason, an acre must be opened. This ensures that public hunting lands in Connecticut will never decrease.

We are also pleased to report that the following anti-gun and anti-hunting bills were defeated in committee:... MORE

Bi-Partisan Congressional Majority Moves to Restore Second Amendment in National Parks

On Wednesday, NRA-backed legislation to restore the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens in national parks and wildlife refuges passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 279-147. Today, the measure was signed into law and, as specified in the legislation, will take effect in nine months, on February 22, 2010. This was a major repudiation of the gun control community's anti self-defense agenda... MORE

“No-Net-Loss” Advancing in Connecticut!

Please Contact Your State Legislators Today!
On Thursday, May 21, House Bill 5875, a bill including a “no-net-loss” amendment, passed the Connecticut House by a vote of 109-31-11. The bill now heads to the State Senate for consideration.

HB5875 contains critical language requiring that for every acre of public hunting land that is closed for any reason, an acre must be opened. This ensures that public hunting lands in Connecticut will never decrease... MORE

Gun Rights Win--Media Ignores

The big win for gun rights last week in Congress was the restoration of our ability to carry guns on federal lands -- national parks. This is the latest in a string of events -- the Bush Administration restored our right to carry in parks before Obama took office. A lawsuit by the anti-gun rights cartel challenged that, and an activist judge blocked us from carrying on federal land, which we own.

Then, Senator Tom Coburn, from Oklahoma, put an amendment onto the credit card bill which was rushing through congress. Ignore, for the moment, that nowhere in the constitution does congress have the ability to regulate credit cards, and focus on what Sen. Coburn accomplished. His amendment removes the prohibition on concealed carry in national parks. Once it goes into effect several months from now, state laws apply in the parks. If you are legal to carry in that state, you are legal to carry in the national park in that state... MORE

Anti-Gun Blacklist Bill Introduced in U.S. House - Will only liberals have 2nd amendment rights?

...Fresh on the heels of a disturbing paper from the Department of Homeland Security, characterizing gun owners as rightwing extremists, on April 29 King introduced H.R. 2159, which he calls the "Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009."

H.R. 2159 would give "the Attorney General the authority to deny the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm or the issuance of a firearms or explosives license or permit to dangerous terrorists. . . . if the Attorney General determines that the transferee is known (or appropriately suspected) to be or have been engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism, or providing material support thereof, and the Attorney General has a reasonable belief that the prospective transferee may use a firearm in connection with terrorism." ...MORE

Anti-trapping Efforts in Connecticut Fail

Connecticut trappers faced the fight of their lives during this year’s legislative session but it looks as though trappers may finally be able to take a deep breath for now.

An aggressive lobbying effort by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), led to the introduction of Senate Bill 994 by the joint Environment Committee. That bill would have banned nearly all trapping including use of foothold and body gripping traps. These are the most effective trapping devices utilized and supported by nearly all state wildlife agencies.

The committee, made up of both members of the House of Representatives and the Senate voted in favor of the bill on March 13, causing much alarm among Connecticut trappers and the trapping community nationwide.

However, thanks to a major groundswell of opposition from trapping groups including the Connecticut Trappers Association, the Connecticut Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators Association, Fur Takers of America, Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen, National Trappers Association and more, the bill died in Senate Judiciary Committee... MORE

H.R. 2324--Aiming At Registering Gun Owners And Putting Gun Shows Out Of Business

On May 6, at a press conference with Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign, U.S. Representatives Michael Castle (R-Del.) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 2324--the "Gun Show Loophole Closing Act." Masquerading as reform, H.R. 2324 would impose severe bureaucratic restrictions aimed at shutting down gun shows... MORE

Alaska students demonstrate for concealed carry rights

In the past week the Virginia Tech massacre and Columbine anniversaries rallied college students in Anchorage, as they urge the University of Alaska to allow students to carry guns on campus. As it stands there are some places you can't carry a concealed firearm, schools are one of those places. Guns on campus, UAA students argue, could have deterred the massacre. "You know at Virginia Tech nobody was shooting back at them, and I suppose if someone who was shooting back, someone would be less likely to try," said Nathan Cross, a UAA student and activist... MORE

SIGN THE 'RE-DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE': PETITION TO PROTECT U.S. SOVEREIGNTY

SIGN THE PETITION

We, the undersigned, assert our rights as sovereign citizens of the United States of America in preserving our nation's sovereignty and independence.

We reject all efforts at regional governments, new permanent treaties and alliances, global economic unions and new international or regional currencies.

We oppose yielding any new authority to global institutions such as the United Nations.

We reject all calls for a "New World Order," "Global Regime" or global governance by any other name.

We recognize that the United States is the greatest nation in history, but that to remain great, it must stay fiercely independent and true to its divinely blessed Constitution. To do less would be to ignore and dishonor the heroic sacrifices of millions of Americans who fought and died to preserve this free and independent nation.

SIGN HERE

Are you licensed to reload that ammo?

Alarm raised over treaty provision to ban activity

"...B.A. Lawson, says, "If you reload your own ammo you may find yourself engaged in 'Illicit Manufacturing' of ammunition under an arms control treaty that President Obama started pushing last week in Mexico...."

"Virtually everyone who supports the 2nd Amendment or has an interest in firearms has heard the numerous recent reports of ammunition shortages. The shortages have extended to reloading supplies that many folks rely on to keep their shooting costs down or to assemble exotic or hard to find ammunition. Many shooters have considered reloading their own ammo as insurance against limited supplies should legislation be enacted that would make ammo more scarce or dramatically more expensive," the blogger continued.

"Those thoughts may be in vain if the current administration is successful in getting the 'INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION AGAINST THE ILLICIT MANUFACTURING OF AND TRAFFICKING IN FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, EXPLOSIVES, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIALS' treaty passed."... MORE

Feds suppress evidence in 'broken gun' conviction?

Affidavit failed to reveal 1st test showing rifle was semi-automatic
The federal government allegedly suppressed evidence and edited a legal definition in a Wisconsin case against a man who ultimately was convicted of transferring a machine gun, according to an appeal document. WND reported earlier on the case against David Olofson, who has begun serving a 30-month prison term for his actions, even though his defense lawyers argued the AR-15 rifle he loaned to a friend was broken, not a machine gun. The Gun Owners of America launched a campaign to help support Olofson's family while he was serving time, and his lawyers were working on an appeal. The appeal now has been filed with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Olofson, of Berlin, Wis., surrendered to federal authorities July 2 to begin his prison term, leaving 2nd Amendment advocates enraged...

Olofson had loaned the gun to a young man, who was his neighbor. At a range the gun fired two bursts of three rounds each and then jammed. Normal people would understand that a gun that jams is malfunctioning and seek to get it fixed." ...MORE

Ninth Circuit Upholds County’s Right to Ban Guns From Fairgrounds

The Second Amendment does not prohibit local governments from regulating gun possession on their property, a panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held yesterday. The court held that the individual right to bear arms recognized last year by the U.S. Supreme Court binds state and local governments, but nonetheless rejected a challenge to an Alameda County ordinance prohibiting firearms on county property. Writing for the court, Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain explained that the Supreme Court’s opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller, 128 S. Ct. 2783, “tells us that the Second Amendment’s guarantee revolves around armed self-defense,” and concluded the ordinance did not meaningfully impede individuals’ ability to defend themselves in their homes. O’Scannlain—joined by Judge Ronald M. Gould, who concurred separately, and Senior Judge Arthur L. Alarcón—similarly rejected First Amendment claims in a suit by promoters of gun shows at county fairgrounds... MORE

Obama heeding lesson from ‘94 gun ban

WASHINGTON — The last time a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress banned civilian sales of military-style assault weapons, it took American voters just seven weeks to rebel.

They handed Republicans control of the House and the Senate for the first time in 40 years.

One of the casualties in the backlash was Rep. Jack Brooks, D-Beaumont, who sponsored the ban and then promptly lost his seat in Congress in 1994 after 42 years of service... MORE

Why can't students say 'guns' in school?

• When a Central Connecticut State University senior fulfilled a communications-class assignment by giving a presentation on why students and professors should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus, his professor reported him to the police, who called him in for questioning. Professor Paula Anderson, questioned by a reporter from the school paper, was unrepentant: The student was a ''perceived risk'' and she had a ``responsibility to protect the well-being of our students.''

• Like old Soviet commissars clapping dissidents into psychiatric hospitals, administrators at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., responded to a student's e-mail criticizing school policy on concealed weapons by suspending him and ordering him to undergo a ``mental health examination.''... MORE

SCCC at CCSU

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus will hold its third national collegiate Empty Holster Protest during the week of April 20-24, 2009. Thousands of college students throughout the United States, organized under the banner of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), will attend classes wearing empty holsters, in protest of state laws and school policies that stack the odds in favor of dangerous criminals and armed killers by disarming law abiding citizens licensed to carry concealed handguns virtually everywhere else... MORE ...and MORE

DHS: How About An Apology For Gun Owners?

This past week, gun owners, veterans, and many others were incensed by a report released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that identified broad categories of people as potential terror threats based on their political beliefs, including a support for the Second Amendment.

The report, entitled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" was started in 2008 and completed and released recently. Its purpose was to highlight "rightwing" extremists who could become or be planning acts of violence; but the inclusion of groups as potential threats based simply on their political views has created a significant backlash... MORE

New gun law aimed at asserting sovereignty

By KAHRIN DEINES - Associated Press - 04/16/09
Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed into law a bill that aims to exempt Montana-made guns from federal regulation, adding firepower to a battery of legislative efforts to assert states’ rights across the nation.

“It’s a gun bill, but it’s another way of demonstrating the sovereignty of the state of Montana,” Democrat Schweitzer said... MORE

New York gun ownership on the firing line

Sportsmen may be preoccupied with trout and the upcoming spring turkey hunting season right now, but in a couple of weeks the New York State Assembly will be voting on a dozen or more gun bills that will have a lasting effect on everyone who owns or would like to purchase a firearm for self-protection, target shooting, hunting and — as strange as it may seem — trapping and fishing... MORE

Animal “Rights” Extremists Seeking to Outlaw Trapping in Connecticut!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Please Contact the Judiciary Committee Today!
Animal “rights” extremists like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are trying to ban regulated trapping in Connecticut. Senate Bill 994, introduced by the Environment Committee, would effectively prohibit recreational trapping by banning the use of the most common and humane forms of traps – leghold and conibear-style traps. SB 994 is currently pending action in the Judiciary Committee... MORE

A call to arms: More seek gun permits

In the first seven days of April, the Southington Police Department received 30 requests for pistol permits, more than during any month over the past three years. The department has already had more requests than in all of 2007 and police said they don't expect that trend to stop soon... MORE

Grad student suspended after pro-gun-rights e-mail

A Minnesota university has suspended one of its graduate students who sent two e-mail messages to school officials supporting gun rights.

Hamline University also said that master's student Troy Scheffler, who owns a firearm, would be barred from campus and must receive a mandatory "mental health evaluation" after he sent an e-mail message arguing that law-abiding students should be able to carry firearms on campus for self-defense... MORE

Support for Gun-Control Laws at All-Time Lows

PRINCETON, NJ -- In Gallup polling conducted prior to last week's gun massacre at an immigrant center in Binghamton, N.Y., only 29% of Americans said the possession of handguns by private citizens should be banned in the United States. While similar to the 30% recorded in 2007, the latest reading is the smallest percentage favoring a handgun ban since Gallup first polled on this nearly 50 years ago... MORE

Professor Takes Heat for Calling Cops on Student Who Discussed Guns in Class

A professor in Connecticut reported one of her students to the police after he gave a class presentation on why students and teachers should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus. Now, free speech activists say the professor’s actions are what really need to be investigated... MORE

Senators Introduce Bi-Partisan Legislation To Restore Second Amendment in National Parks

Fairfax, Va. – Today, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Max Baucus (D-MT), Bob Bennett (R-UT), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) introduced legislation to restore the Second Amendment rights of visitors in national parks and wildlife refuges. The current Department of the Interior (DOI) regulations were amended by the Bush Administration in 2008, allowing law-abiding citizens to defend themselves by carrying a concealed firearm in national parks and wildlife refuges. However, early this year, a federal district court in Washington, D.C. granted anti-gun plaintiffs a preliminary injunction against implementation of the new rule. The NRA has been working for the past several years in the regulatory, legal, and legislative arenas to achieve this policy change... MORE

The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.

EXCLUSIVE: You've heard this shocking "fact" before -- on TV and radio, in newspapers, on the Internet and from the highest politicians in the land: 90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States.

-- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it to reporters on a flight to Mexico City.

-- CBS newsman Bob Schieffer referred to it while interviewing President Obama.

-- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said at a Senate hearing: "It is unacceptable to have 90 percent of the guns that are picked up in Mexico and used to shoot judges, police officers and mayors ... come from the United States."

-- William Hoover, assistant director for field operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testified in the House of Representatives that "there is more than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 percent of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States."

There's just one problem with the 90 percent "statistic" and it's a big one:

It's just not true.

In fact, it's not even close. The fact is, only 17 percent of guns found at Mexican crime scenes have been traced to the U.S.... MORE

Connecticut: Three Anti-Gun Bills Die as One Pro-Hunting Bill Moves to the House Floor!

Thursday, April 02, 2009

We are proud to report that the deadlines have passed for bills to be reported out of most committees and three anti-gun/anti-hunting bills, SB 353, SB 839 and HB 5798 were defeated, and one pro-hunting bill, HB 5209 is heading to the House Floor.

The following three bills were defeated in Committee... MORE

PETA Killed 95 Percent of Adoptable Pets in its Care During 2008

Hypocritical Animal Rights Group’s 2008 Disclosures Bring Pet Death Toll To 21,339

WASHINGTON DC – Today the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) published documents online showing that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) killed 95 percent of the adoptable pets in its care during 2008. Despite years of public outrage over its euthanasia program, the animal rights group kills an average of 5.8 pets every day at its Norfolk, VA headquarters... MORE

Proposed lead ban causes stir

The American Sportfishing Association, an Alexandria-based trade group, isn't happy with an arbitrary decision by the National Park Service that would ban the use of lead components in fishing tackle in all national parks by 2010. The ban also would include lead component ammunition used by hunters... MORE

Important “No-Net-Loss” Bill Needs Your Help in Connecticut!

House Bill 5209, sponsored by State Representative Craig Miner (R-66), would ensure hunters in the state of Connecticut that their hunting acreage will never decrease. This bill, also known as “no-net-loss,” requires that the state maintain the level of available public land that currently exists. Simply stated, HB5209 requires that additional lands be opened to hunting if land that is currently open to hunting is closed.

This is critical pro-hunting legislation needs your support. Please contact the members of the Environment Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to place HB 5209 on tomorrow's agenda for a vote and to support this NRA-backed bill. To find contact information for the members of the committee, please click HERE.

Sportsmen testify against pistol microstamping

HARTFORD — A group of hunters and sportsmen were loaded for bear as they filled the hearing room Monday to testify against a bill before the Judiciary Committee that would require microstamping technology on semiautomatic pistols sold in the state. The technology involves engraving a code with a laser onto the firing pin and other parts of the pistol, which would transfer to the bullet cartridge when it is fired. The cartridge, or casing, can be the only evidence left at a crime scene. “In my opinion, the real significance of this bill is, it’s one more assault on our Second Amendment rights,” said Greg Butko of Wallingford, who served in Iraq with the National Guard. Butko asserted, and others agreed, the more expensive it is to buy a gun, the more a citizen’s right to keep and bear arms, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, is infringed upon. Several times, state Sen. Andrew McDonald had to ask the crowd not to cheer or boo legislators or witnesses, who overflowed the Legislative Office Building hearing room. A similar bill failed last year... MORE

Obama secretly ends program that let pilots carry guns

After the September 11 attacks, commercial airline pilots were allowed to carry guns if they completed a federal-safety program. No longer would unarmed pilots be defenseless as remorseless hijackers seized control of aircraft and rammed them into buildings.

Now President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology.

The Obama administration this past week diverted some $2 million from the pilot training program to hire more supervisory staff, who will engage in field inspections of pilots...MORE

Connecticut Micro-Stamping" Bill Scheduled for a Hearing on Monday, March 16!

"On Monday, March 16, the Joint Committee on Judiciary will hold a public hearing on Senate Bill 353, a bill sponsored by State Senator Martin M. Looney (D-11) that would ban the sale of all semi-automatic pistols not equipped with so-called "micro-stamping" technology.

Micro-stamping is an unproven technology that would require unique identifying information from the firearm, including the make, model, and serial number to be etched into the firing pin and breech face in such a manner that those identifiers are imprinted on the cartridge case upon firing. The technology can easily be defeated with common household tools, has no public safety value, and adds substantially to the cost of the firearm.

If SB 353 is passed, it will become ILLEGAL to sell or transfer any semi-automatic pistol that is not capable of micro-stamping. This would mean that any semi-auto handgun that you currently own could never be sold or transferred in Connecticut. This would ban the sale of used semi-auto handguns without the technology and would prohibit estates from bequeathing semi-auto handguns that do not include micro-stamping technology.

Since no manufacturers currently incorporate micro-stamping in their firearms, this bill would result in a de facto ban on all semi-automatic handguns in Connecticut.

The hearing will be held on Monday, March 16 at 10:00 A.M. in Room 2C of the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford and it is important that Connecticut gun owners attend this hearing. We encourage all of our members to attend this meeting and voice your opposition to SB353. If you would like to testify before the committee, you must submit 45 copies of your written/typed testimony to the Judiciary Committee staff in Room 2500 at least two hours prior to the start of the hearing.

This bill must be defeated! If you are unable to attend the hearing, please contact the members of the Joint Judiciary Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to defend our Second Amendment rights by opposing SB353."

VIDEO

http://www.nssf.org/PR/031609.cfm

Pastor shot down during sermon

This is why churches should not be 'gun free zones' where only the good people are unarmed.

Monday, 9 March 2009
"A pastor shot and killed during his Sunday sermon deflected the first of the gunman's four rounds with a Bible, sending a confetti-like spray of paper into the air in a horrifying scene that congregants initially thought was a skit, police said.

The gunman strode down the aisle of the sprawling First Baptist Church shortly after 8am and briefly spoke with The Rev. Fred Winters, then pulled out a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and began firing until it jammed, Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent said. Churchgoers wrestled the gunman to the ground as he waved a knife, slashing himself and two other people, Trent said..." MORE

10 more reasons to own a firearm: Alabama Bloodbath: Gunman Kills 10 Before Committing Suicide

Residents in Alabama Shooting Zones Express Shock at ‘Horror of Such an Event

SAMSON, Ala. (AP) - A gunman on a terrifying rampage across two southern Alabama counties killed at least nine people Tuesday, including members of his own family and apparent strangers, and burned down his mother's home before shooting himself at a metals plant, authorities said.

Police were investigating shootings in at least four different locations in several communities, all of which were believed to be the work of a single gunman who had not yet been identified by investigators.

The afternoon of bloodshed began in Kinston, near the Alabama-Florida border, where the shooter burned down his mother's house, according to the Coffee County coroner, Robert Preachers. Officials located the woman's body inside the house, but they had not been able to get inside the still-burning house to determine if he shot her first.

The gunman then headed east, into Geneva County, where he shot and killed five people—four adults and a child—at a home in the nearby town of Samson. Then he killed one person each in two other homes. The identities of all the victims were unknown, but Preachers said they included other members of the shooter's family.

"He started in his mother's house," Preachers said. "Then he went to Samson and he killed his granny and granddaddy and aunt and uncle."

"We don't know what triggered it," Preachers added.

The gunman also shot at a state trooper's car, striking the vehicle seven times and wounding the trooper with broken glass.

He then killed someone at a Samson supply store, and another person at a service station.

Samson contractor Greg McCullough said he was pumping gas at the station when the gunman opened fire, killing a woman coming out of the service station and wounding McCullough in the shoulder and arm with bullet fragments that struck his truck and the pump.

"I first thought it was somebody playing," he said. He said the gunman roared into the parking lot and slammed on his brakes. Then he saw the rifle.

He said the gunman fired and the rifle appeared to jam, then he "went back to firing." Then he drove off.

McCullough, a father of two, said he tried to help the woman who was shot and yelled for someone to call an ambulance.

"I'm just in awe that something like this could take place. That someone could do such a thing. It's just shocking," McCullough told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Police pursued the gunman to Reliable Metal Products just north of Geneva, about a dozen miles southeast of Samson, where he fired an estimated 30 rounds from a semiautomatic weapon, the Alabama safety department said. One of the bullets hit Geneva Police Chief Frankie Lindsey, who was saved by his bullet proof vest.

The gunman then went inside the plant and shot himself, according to the safety department's statement.

Reliable Metal Products makes grills and vents for heating and AC systems, mainly for hotels. A person who answered the phone at the plant said no one could talk about the shooting.

State Rep. Warren Beck, a Republican whose district includes Geneva, said the gunman had worked at Reliable Metal.

"My secretary heard gunfire everywhere," he said. "This is one of the most tragic events ever in Geneva County."

State Sen. Harri Anne Smith, R-Slocomb, said some of those killed in Samson were sitting outside.

"He was just driving down the street shooting at people sitting on their porches," she said. "A family was just sitting on the porch and they were shot."

Smith and Beck were at the Statehouse when state troopers came to get them and took them to Geneva County. Smith said the governor's office is sending resources and state troopers are setting up a command post.

The towns of Geneva and Samson are near the Florida border in southeast Alabama. Geneva's population is about 4,400 and Samson, 2,000.

In the center of Samson, authorities in sheriff's cars and trucks with blue lights flashing blocked off part of East Main Street, where some of the shooting occurred.

At Bradley True Value Hardware, yellow tape was strung across the front of the store where at least five bullet holes punctured the glass windows to the store, with its wheelbarrows and Adirondack lawn chairs on display. An orange-and-black sign to the store reading "Closed" lay on the ground outside the store atop the glass shards.

David Bradley, 51, the owner of the hardware store, said he was inside behind the counter when the shooter opened fire outside his store. At the time, there were five customers inside, plus Bradley's 27-year-old son, Justin.

"No one was injured inside the store," David Bradley said, adding he didn't even get a glimpse at the suspect. "It happened so quick."

Professor Takes Heat for Calling Cops on Student Who Discussed Guns in Class

FOXNews

By Maxim Lott
Wednesday, March 04, 2009

A professor in Connecticut reported one of her students to the police after he gave a class presentation on why students and teachers should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus. Now, free speech activists say the professor’s actions are what really need to be investigated...Robert Shibley, vice president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), said Anderson's actions appeared to be out of line.

“If all he did was discuss reasons for allowing guns on campus, it seems a bit much to call the police and grill him about it,” Shibley said. “If you go after students for just discussing an idea, that goes against everything a university is supposed to stand for.”

Shibley said FIRE has seen many more cases of hair-trigger responses by administrators over anything gun-related since the Virginia Tech shooting.... MORE

Connecticut Student Questioned By Police Over Firearm Beliefs

...Last fall semester student John Wahlberg was asked to present an oral presentation for his Communications 140 class with a topic that had to do with a relevant issue in the media. The topic he chose to present to the class and Professor Paula Anderson was school violence, due to the recent Virginia Tech shooting the previous year.

One of the contentions that Wahlberg made was that if students were allowed to carry concealed firearms on a university campus the outcome of the Virginia Tech shootings could have been much different. The shooter would have been stopped much earlier in his quest. Wahlberg also discussed the problems with gun free zones on campuses. That evening after he gave his oral presentation to the class he was requested to come to the local campus police station. He was then read to by the police about the list of specific guns he owns! He was also asked where he kept these guns! The campus police told him the reason they were questioning him was that his professor (Paula Anderson, Lecturer: andersonpau@ccsu.edu ) complained that his presentation made other students “scared and uncomfortable”. You have to be kidding me, right?...MORE

Big Brother's New Target: Tracking Firearms

U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) recently sponsored H.R. 45, also known as "Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act." The bill is, at its core and as its name implies, a licensing and registration scheme.

The measure calls for all handgun owners to submit to the federal government an application that shall include, among many other things: a photo; an address; a thumbprint; a completed, written firearm safety test; private mental health records; and a fee. And those are only some of the requirements to be licensed!

The bill would further require the attorney general to establish a database of every handgun sale, transfer, and owner's address in America. Moreover, the bill would make it illegal to own or possess a "qualifying firearm" -- defined as "any handgun; or any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device…" [emphasis added] without one of the proposed licenses.

Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to transfer ownership of a "qualifying firearm" to anyone who is not a licensed gun dealer or collector (with very few exceptions), and would require "qualifying firearm" owners to report all transfers to the attorney general's database. It would also be illegal for a licensed gun owner to fail to record a gun loss or theft within 72 hours, or fail to report a change of address within 60 days. Further, if a minor obtains a firearm and injures someone with it, the owner of the firearm may face a multiple-year jail sentence... More

Connecticut Legislators Propose Package of Anti-Gun Bills

It looks like the hunters,outdoorsmen and shooters in the state of Connecticut are going to start paying more for their activities if the current legislation in the state House and Senate pass.

Governor Jodi Rell (R), State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-28) and State House Minority Leader Larry Cafero (R-142), unveiled a package of proposals that will have an enormous negative impact on Connecticut’s hunters, sportsmen and law-abiding gun owners, both economically and otherwise. House Bill 6371 would double most hunting and fishing licenses and fees and eliminate the Conservation Fund, a fund spent on only wildlife conservation expenditures. Senate Bill 837, simply stated, would double pistols license fees. Finally, Senate Bill 839 would transfer operations of the currently independent Board of Firearm Permit Examiners to the Department of Public Safety. This action, if approved, would take away the autonomy of the Board and would mean that if an applicant were denied his license he would have to appeal to the very body, the Department of Public Safety,which rejected the application.

Please call Governor Rell and your lawmakers TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose these bills. Tell them that you feel it’s unfair of them to balance the budget at the expense of your constitutional rights! For contact information for your State Representative, please click here.Please click here for contact information for your State Senator. Governor Rell can be reached by phone at 860-566-4840 (Greater Hartford Area), toll-free at 800-406-1527, or email Governor.Rell@ct.gov.

Once again it looks as if the politicians are trying to hang more fees on the sportsmen and then use that money for other expenditures. To double hunting and fishing licenses and fees and then take the money from the wildlife and conservation fund should not be tolerated! We have seen the two states of Illinois and South Dakota recently try to divert Robertson and Pittman funds to other state agencies only to be stopped. The sportsmen of Connecticut along with out of state sportsmen should stand up and fight against the over taxing and robbery of their wildlife monies. Search the links above to find the email address’ of these legislators and kindly urge them to stop this legislation. Not to mention that Senate Bill 837 and 839are pure and simple anti gun legislation packages!

Thanks Mike Adams from 'Up North Journal' for the heads up!

Aurora Young Marine headed back to class

Marie Morrow is heading back to class after the superintendent of the Cherry Creek School District decided that she has paid enough for bringing fake rifles to school. "I'm just glad to be back in school and have this whole thing over with," said Morrow, a senior at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora... MORE

http://www.denverpost.com/subscribe/ci_11698834#top

Student faces expulsion for fake drill team guns

AURORA (from 9NEWS.COM) - A local school district has suspended a member of the Young Marines youth leadership group after students saw drill props in her vehicle. Marie Morrow, a 17-year-old senior at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, is serving a 10-day suspension. Her punishment could be extended at an expulsion hearing later this month. Morrow is a student leader in the Douglas County Young Marines, a group dedicated to teaching leadership and life skills. Cherry Creek Schools suspended Morrow after other students reported seeing guns inside her SUV, which was parked outside school while she was in class. The school also called police, who seized the three drill team guns made of wood, plastic and duct tape. Police told Morrow to claim them in time for her after-school drill practice off-campus. School administrators, however, were less understanding. The guns were declared "authentic representations of genuine weapons," triggering a mandatory expulsion statute in state law. "I have never been in trouble at all," said Morrow, who is planning to attend the United States Merchant Marine Academy. "I hadn't imagined in a million years that anything like this would have happened."... MORE

A Bill to Kill More Deer and Aid Food Pantries

VENISON stew and other dishes made from deer hunted in Connecticut could soon be on the menu at local soup kitchens. The General Assembly’s Environment Committee is considering a bill that would allow hunters to kill two more deer than current laws allow if the meat is donated to nonprofits that feed the needy... MORE

You MUST watch this video

"Suzanna Gratia Hupp remembers reaching for a butter knife as a madman shot her parents dead at a packed cafeteria one cold October day in 1991.

"I was looking for a weapon, any weapon, because my handgun was 100 feet away, outside in my car. I made an incredibly stupid decision to follow the law, and that cost my family's lives," she says as she reflects on the massacre that ended with 24 people dead inside the Luby's Cafeteria at Killeen, a military town in Central Texas.

The personal tragedy launched her one-woman crusade to permit licensed owners to carry concealed weapons..."

Dr. Suzanna Gratia tells Senator Chuck Schumer that the 2nd amendment is to protect people like her from people like him.