Category: All About Guns
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul this week signed a sweeping legislative package designed to “strengthen the state’s gun laws.”
The legislation signed would do all of the following, and more:
- Ban the sale of body armor to civilians
- Require one to obtain a license to purchase a semiautomatic rifle (one must be 21 to obtain the license)
- Expand the state’s confiscatory red flag law
- Criminalize the sale of firearms that do not have microstamping technology
- Remove the grandfather clause for magazines of a certain capacity purchased prior to the passage of the SAFE Act
- Force gun shops to adhere to uniform security and reporting standards
- Establish a new task force on “Social Media and Violent Extremism.”
“Gun violence is an epidemic that is tearing our country apart. Thoughts and prayers won’t fix this, but taking strong action will,” Gov. Hochul said at a Monday press conference.
“While we are taking expedient action to enhance New York State’s nation-leading gun laws, we recognize that gun violence is a nationwide problem,” she continued. “I once again urge Congress to follow our lead and take immediate action to pass meaningful gun violence prevention measures. Lives depend on it.”
SEE ALSO: Good Guy With Gun Attempted to Stop Mass Killer in Buffalo
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association, was quick to slam the governor for chilling the 2A rights of law-abiding citizens.
“NSSF is disappointed that New York’s legislature rammed through this package of gun control bills and Governor Hochul chose to sign them into law,” said Mark Oliva, NSSF’s Managing Director of Public Affairs, in an email to GunsAmerica.
Oliva pointed out that the age ban won’t pass Constitutional muster.
“Adults at the age of 18 are fully-vested in their rights and this legislation is blatantly unconstitutional,” observed Oliva. “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently ruled that California’s similar age-based gun ban violated the Constitution.”
Another concern is the microstamping mandate, which is nothing more than a way to put a freeze on the sale of certain firearms, argues Oliva.
SEE ALSO: Comeuppance for SAFE Act Architect: Gov. Cuomo’s A Sexual Harasser, Investigation Finds
“The sole-source patent holder on this technology has admitted that it is unreliable and can be easily defeated,” noted Oliva. “California serves as another example of how microstamping technology isn’t workable. Since that state has required it, not a single semiautomatic handgun has been added to California’s roster of handguns approved for sale in the state. It is nothing short of a slow-rolling gun ban.”
While it’s unclear what effect, if any, these laws will have when it comes to stopping the next determined killer, what is clear is that the power of the surveillance state has been expanded and the right of the people to keep and bear arms, for traditionally lawful purposes like self-defense from the very killers these new laws are supposed to prevent, has been infringed.
In time, New Yorkers will have to look back and ask themselves, was it worth it?
Categories
A Friend in War
A Friend in War
I came into possession of my blued 6” Smith & Wesson Model 14 K-38 Target Masterpiece .38 Special revolver in November 1986. I hadn’t planned anything special for the day, except my dad and I were visiting a close friend of ours, Harry. My dad and Harry worked together at a coal company for over 20 years and forged a friendship.
I came to know Harry when I was just a kid but was later privileged to be counted as his friend when an adult. Sometime in 1979, when both were retired, the two decided they wanted to visit each other on a more regular basis, so once or twice a month I would take my dad to visit Harry. It was during one of these visits I learned Harry had shot competitive Bullseye back in the 1950s and ‘60s.
One Saturday that November, we were sitting at his kitchen table talking about pistol shooting when Harry asked me to come with him because he wanted to show me something. I followed him to a back bedroom where he went into the closet and took something off the shelf. When he turned around, in his hand was his Smith & Wesson Model 14 K-38 Target Masterpiece in a well-worn shoulder rig. He took the revolver out of the holster, opened the cylinder, dropped the cartridges into his hand and then handed the gun to me. He looked me in the eyes and said he wanted me to have his revolver.
I was overwhelmed and humbled, but what he said next was an added kick to the gut. He said he wasn’t doing very well physically (something I already knew) and had recently been to see his doctor and was told he didn’t have much time to live. He knew how much I appreciated quality firearms and how much I enjoyed shooting and reloading and wanted me to have it.
He explained a little more about the gun, like how he had worked on the action so it would be as smooth as glass and as crisp a let-off as it could be for competitive shooting. Firing single action, it touched off at 2.5 pounds every time with no take up, no creep and zero overtravel, and in double action there was nothing equal to it. He had also replaced the factory wood stocks, but instead of purchasing a set, made his own out of Rosewood slabs and hand checkered and finished them.
Harry would pass in mid-1987, but I still have his revolver and love shooting it. I even use some of the .38 Spl military brass he gave me, loaded with his competition handload of 2.8-grains of Bullseye with a 148-grain lead wadcutter capable of tearing one-hole groups at 25 yards all day long! From information I’ve found online, the revolver was made in 1957 or ’58, which coincides with conversations I had with him.
Harry was a master mechanic, gunsmith and machinist — a true artist in woodworking and metal. But more than anything, he was also a great friend. His shoulder holster hangs on a hook in my reloading shop. Inscribed in its tan leather are the handwritten words “Thor. Son of Thunder. Friend in War.” That was Harry.
T.F.
A Gun Show Find
I picked up this Ruger Bearcat for my daughter. It’s a fine gun as is, but knowing they were originally intended to be convertible I dreamt of getting a second cylinder. But before I got around, I attended a small local gun show.
With less than a dozen dealers, there was nothing much to see, but one guy had an old model Bearcat. I spoke to him briefly, telling him about the new model I had gotten for my daughter, and on a thoughtless asked, “You wouldn’t know where I could get a .22 Magnum cylinder for it would you?” He looked shocked — “I have one!”
He had bought a bunch of empty Ruger boxes and one of them had rattled. Beneath one of the folded down corners was an untouched .22 Magnum cylinder! Safe to say the deal was done immediately, and at a good price. A few days later the cylinder arrived with paperwork showing how rare it was.
It took some careful stoning to fit, but now she has something truly special. And, of course, I installed a Belt Mountain cylinder pin. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.
David Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C. -(Ammoland.com)- Obama advisor Rahm Emanuel once said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” And gun-grabbing politicians have latched on to his words.
Since the senseless acts of violence in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX, Democrats have smelled fresh blood in the water and have pounced. They are exploiting the tragedies to attempt to pass a dream list of gun control packages through Congress. Moreover, some Republicans are on board with some of these proposed draconian laws.
The Democrats believe that they can get legislation passed that we as a community have successfully prevented from becoming law in the past by exploiting the actions of two madmen. This article will break down anti-gun bills that I envision coming down the pipeline. I will give some background on each proposal and discuss how likely they are to pass in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Red or Yellow (its all the same) Flag Gun Confiscation
The most likely item to pass both chambers of Congress is a bill on red flag laws or extreme risk protection orders (ERPO). Sidney Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham have been working on a proposal in the background. The proposal ranges from so-called yellow flag laws to grants to states to enact red flag laws. They might call it a yellow flag law, but it will still be a red flag gun confiscation bill.
The threat of some kind of red flag legislation reaching the President’s desk is extremely high. These laws violate an individual’s right to due process as guaranteed under the US Constitution. The extreme risk protection order (ERPO) target doesn’t have the opportunity to defend themselves in court before their door is kicked down by the police and their property is stripped from their possession. Sell-out Republican Senator Susan Collins supports this type of bill.
21 to Buy Guns
Raising the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle to 21 is also likely to pass out of the House, although it will not be a slam dunk in the Senate. The bill has some support from weak-kneed RINO Republicans in Congress. Overcoming the filibuster will be hard, although Democrats might be willing to drop other legislation as a “compromise” to get this bill passed.
Unenforceable Safe Storage Laws
Safe storage laws are another measure that has some out-of-touch Republicans support. I wouldn’t call it a sure thing for a bill to be passed, but I see some type of safe storage law making it out of the House only to be blocked in the Senate. But there will be immense pressure put on Republicans by Democrats in the Senate and special interest groups to back this bill.
Bump Stock Ban Redo
A bump stock ban is also in the works. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has already banned the controversial item by changing the definition of a machine gun, but that is on shaky ground legally. If the Supreme Court takes up the case brought by Gun Owners of America (GOA) out of the Sixth Circuit of Appeals, that ban could be knocked down.
Rob Olson, Chief Legal Counsel for GOA, claims that the ATF abused Chevron deference when changing the definition of a machine gun. Some Justices on the high court have shown skepticism that Chevron can apply to a criminal statute. Many gun rights activists believe GOA will get a victory if it is taken up by SCOTUS, and apparently, so do the anti-gunners in Congress. Any proposed law like this will fight a tough uphill battle because the language will likely include expanding the ban past just bump stocks to other types of trigger devices such as binary triggers. Are belt loops next!?
Serialize Everything
Another proposal on the table would require serializing all unfinished firearm frames and 3D printed guns. These are known colloquially as 80% frame and receivers. A bill will probably pass the House in some form, but I believe this will be stopped in the Senate. Once again, there will be a lot of pressure to pass something. Even if a bill does pass, it will be unenforceable.
Now let’s get to the proposal that Democrats will almost assuredly introduce, but I believe it does not have a great chance of passing out of Congress. Although you never know since most Republicans in Congress seem not to have a backbone.
Standard Magazine Ban
A magazine ban has been batted around that would ban magazines holding more than ten rounds. I don’t believe that a proposal like this can make it through the Senate and might be a sacrificial lamb to pass other less extreme bills. Republicans tend to play defense and are happy just not to give up everything. Democrats, ask for the world, then settle for half.
Assault Weapons Ban… the Sequel
The second sacrificial lamb proposal is a 1994-style “assault weapons ban.” The original ban did not affect the crime rate. This piece of legislation has been a wet dream of Democrats for years. Dianne Feinstein has introduced this bill multiple times, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has also thrown weight behind a ban. Biden wants this legislation on his desk, but I don’t see Republicans letting a bill pass in the Senate. I see this as a negotiation piece of legislation. But you never know if the anti-gun politicians will be able to dig up the votes to pass a bill.
Everything Gets a Background Check
The final piece of legislation I can see being introduced is universal background checks. This proposed law has been a goal of Democrats for a very long time. The anti-gun side will be sure to bring this proposed law up, but the chances of it passing in the Senate is slim, although it could pass the House.
We need to pressure our legislators not to bend a knee to the anti-freedom coalition. Here are a few names we need to put extra pressure on to keep the line on gun rights. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Senator Susan Collins of Maine are the weakest links on the Republican’s side. We need to let ALL members of Congress know where we stand.
I sign off all my YouTube videos by saying, “Stay ever vigilant; stay ever free.” What I mean by that is that freedom requires constant vigilance. If you are vigilant, you can take action to prevent our freedoms from being stripped. Our political apathy has led to many of our rights being stripped away. It is time that all gun owners wake up and get at least as politically involved as the anti-gun side.
All gun owners should voice their concerns about overall gun control measures to their Senators. Senator’s offices can be reached through the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121 or online here.
Here are links to some of the worst of these anti freedom bills:
- Protecting Our Kids Act
- Raise the Age Act (HR3015)
- Prevent Gun Trafficking Act (HR2280)
- Untraceable Firearms Act (HR3088)
- Ethan’s Law (HR748)
- Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act (HR6370)
- Kimberly Vaughn Firearm Safe Storage Act (HR130)
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
Tuesday morning at 4:30 am, Maiso Jackson, who resides on Salem Street on the west side of Detroit, was awakened by a man knocking on his door and yelling.
Parts of this encounter were recorded on the homeowner’s Ring doorbell camera, which you can view in the video embedded above.
Jackson opened the door, and was met with a man showing obvious aggression.
“(He was) talking about how someone owed him money, I said no one here owes you money,” Jackson told Fox2 News, looking back at the incident.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he told the man.
The man was insisting that money was owed, and Jackson was unable to reason with him. He began to feel threatened, so he called 911.
While waiting for the authorities to arrive, the man became more violent towards Jackson. He broke a window, and Jackson feared that the destruction would continue. It was at this point Jackson chose to arm himself.
SEE ALSO: Caught on Camera: The Time Trudeau Told Voters Confiscation Will Never Happen In Canada
Jackson has had a gun for eight years and has taken part in gun safety training.
Jackson recalled the events, “I came outside and said you have to leave, you can’t be doing this. So then he reached for his gun and pulled it out. I had to defend myself, I had to shoot him because of that.”
Jackson fired four shots, hitting the man in the chest and killing him.
Jackson was sure that it was the perp’s life or his own, and that if he did not act in self-defense he would have been killed.
Police arrived and put Jackson in cuffs. Jackson willingly followed orders, being aware that even as a lawful gun owner he would be questioned about the incident.
“I was just in shock, he wouldn’t leave. He tried to kill me and I didn’t do nothing to the guy,” Jackson said. “That’s the part that’s kind of sad.”
By sharing this story, Jackson hopes that others can learn a lesson from his experience.
“You have to be on guard, you have to be prepared, You can’t just let people run you over, hurt you, and don’t do nothing about it. You have to defend yourself,” he said.
Jackson was questioned and released without any charges, according to Detroit police. However, Fox2 News reports that a prosecutor will review the case to ensure Jackson’s use of deadly force was lawful.
———————————————————————————-Good luck with the DA and I hope that you get cleared! Grumpy
With school shootings being publicized in the media now more than ever, parents and students alike are becoming hysterical.
According to a new CBS News poll, three out of four parents of school-aged children are at least somewhat concerned about gun violence in schools, and more than half of parents of school-aged children would like for teachers and officials to be able to carry guns in schools (which GunsAmerica supports).
While mass killings are always a concern, in actuality, they are a statistically rare event. The odds of a child being killed in a school shooting is almost 10 million to 1, the same odds as being struck by lightning, according to criminologist James Alan Fox, who spoke to City-Journal.org in a recent interview.
In reality, the main culprit behind the fear of school shootings is the mainstream media’s nonstop coverage of these events.
The recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas resulted in the publication of over 6,000 news articles, and it was the top story on multiple news channels across the United States. It has become impossible to turn on the television or look at your phone without seeing coverage of Uvalde.
Journalists and politicians often exploit the children and families affected by these killings, which works to exacerbate concerns and fears amongst the public.
“There is not an epidemic of mass shootings,” said Fox, who teaches at Northeastern University. “What’s increasing and is out of control is the epidemic of fear.”
Fox has been studying these tragedies for decades and curates the AP/USA Today/Northeastern Mass Killing database.
Fox was critical of journalists who misidentify “mass public shootings” to inflate the numbers. A mass public shooting is correctly defined as an incident where four or more people are killed in a public place (school, church, business). It excludes shootings where another crime is being committed, such as gang violence or a robbery in progress that goes awry.
Journalists and activists tend to use “mass shooting” as a catchall term to describe any incident involving gunfire, regardless of how many victims there were or what the circumstances were, which leads readers and viewers to believe mass public shootings are more common than they are.
In the 1990s, mass shootings in schools were more frequent than they are today, as GunsAmerica previously reported. The main difference is they did not receive the media attention they do now.
Overall, schools in America today are overwhelmingly safe places. Annually, only about 10 children were killed by gunfire at schools over the past decade (including Uvalde) — out of 50 million students nationwide, according to Fox.
“Hundreds of children die every year in drowning accidents,” Fox stated. “We need lifeguards at pools more than armed guards at schools.”
It is undeniable that mass public shootings are frightening, but they are not nearly the threat mainstream media makes them out to be. Needlessly inducing fear and hysteria among parents and young students is not the correct way to combat these rare, but nevertheless tragic events.