Is the RKBA a Dead Political Issue?: ...But as the vote margins of the presidential race rolled in, the one-time wedge issue of the Second Amendment did not seem to pack the national-stage punch for which the influential gun lobby had aimed. Nationally, gun owners broke for McCain by almost the identical margin that they broke for Bush in 2004. But in the states where the NRA Political Victory Fund's toughest efforts against Obama were concentrated - gun-rich regions in states like Colorado, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico - Obama's victory was decisive. The Democratic nominee won those states by eight, 11, and 15 points, respectively. Of the 11 states where the NRA's anti-Obama ads were reportedly aired, McCain won only one: Texas... http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/06/1661613.aspx --- Texans Stock up on Guns and Ammo: ... "The only other day we can compare it to is 9-11, when sales where astronomical," Pruett said. So in a tough economy, where consumers are cutting back, what's driving gun sales? Many fear that President-elect Obama could tighten gun laws... Gun owners also worry that what's not banned will be heavily taxed. "Tax them so much that they will be impractical to buy, or the ammunition to buy them," said gun owner John Butts. "Obama has advocated previously a 500% tax on ammunition, so if he can't right out outlaw ammunition, he is going to tax it to a point where the people can't afford it," Pruett explained... http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6491462 --- The "Surge," as Seen by The New York Times: ...A spot check by reporters in four other states easily found Mr. Pruett's comments echoed from both sides of the counter. David Nelson, a co-owner of Montana Ordnance & Supply in Missoula, Mont., said his buyers were "awake and aware and see a dangerous trend." Mr. Nelson said sales at his store had risen about 30 percent since Mr. Obama declared his candidacy. "People are concerned about overreaching legislation from Washington," he said. "They are educating themselves on the Internet..." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/us/07guns.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin --- While in Colorado...: ..."We're seeing a huge increase in sales, more than 100 percent," said Bob Jensen, owner of Jensen Arms, 285 E. 29th St. "Barack Obama running has terrified our republic. He's a Marxist and a socialist, and he's extremely anti-firearm and anti-gun freedom." That feeling echoed throughout Jensen's store. For the past month, an influx of customers has been boosting sales to new levels, Jensen said... http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?ID=19678 John Faulkner and his wife, Brenda, thought Wednesday was a good day to buy a handgun. "I'm 37 years old, and this is the first time in my life that I am really scared for our future," said Faulkner, an oil field worker, as he perused the collection of weaponry in A Pawn Shop here. At Aurora's Firing Line gun shop, Steve Wickham was also purchasing. "Anything I can get my hands on," he said as he cradled a $699 9mm handgun. Same thing in Lakewood: "I was selling guns before I even opened the door," said George Horne, owner of The Gun Room. "It's gone completely mad. Everyone is buying everything I've got on the shelves. Sales have been crazy..." http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_10910395?source=commented-news On a normal day, a background check for someone wanting to buy a gun takes about five to 10 minutes. Wednesday, the day after President-elect Barack Obama was elected, the time stretched to two hours, said some gun shop owners in Grand Junction...Wilcox estimated he's been selling between 400 and 500 guns a month, and in the last few weeks leading up to the election, that number's increased. "Yesterday was crazy," Wilcox said. Wednesday, customers stood two and three deep in the little shop, with four or five background check applications waiting for approval. Many people who have been considering buying a gun are doing so, Wilcox said, and ammunition sales have exploded too... http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20081106/COMMUNITY_NEWS/811059945/1001/NONE&parentprofile=1059&title=Grand%20Junction%20gun%20stores%20see%20rush%20on%20firearms%20%27before%20they%27re%20made%20illegal%27 --- And in Maryland...: Gun stores are reporting a spike in gun sales, and they say the trend is driven by customers who are afraid Barack Obama will crack down on gun sales as president. At the Downsville Gun Shop, Tim Hafer is already seeing change. He says he's almost tripled his sales in the past few days. In a normal two-day span, he sells two or three guns, but in the two days following the elections, he's sold over 20. He's noticed increases in sales of semi-automatic guns, pistols and revolvers. Obama supports renewing the expired Federal Assault Weapons Ban. If renewed, the ban would require all U.S. gun manufacturers stop making semi-automatic assault weapons. Now the demand for the guns could mean higher prices... http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=38511 --- And in Texas...: While watching Republican presidential candidate John McCain's concession speech, gun owner AJ Sullivan had a sinking feeling. "Liberals like to ban guns. That's what it comes down to," said Sullivan, 25, a Texas Christian University student. Sullivan was among hundreds scrambling to buy a weapon Thursday at the gun store Cheaper Than Dirt!- which sold $101,000 in merchandise the day after the election, shattering its single-day sales record, said store owner DeWayne Irwin. Stories were similar across Texas, where residents are fiercely protective of their Second Amendment rights and now fear stricter gun-control laws under Democratic President-elect Barack Obama... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6099028.html --- How Much, How Soon?: ...One of the direst predictions is that The Looters would enact some type of gun control measure, such as another assault weapons ban. Such predictions range from a repeat of the ban on cosmetic devices such as bayonet lugs and flash suppressors and on large-capacity magazines, banning of semi-automatic firearms with a magazine capacity in excess of some arbitrary number, or even outright banning and confiscation of "assault weapons" (with appropriate bounties paid to those who turn in their neighbors)... http://westernrifleshooters.blogspot.com/2008/11/spartacus-distant-early-warnings.html --- Eleven of Fourteen Illinois Counties Voted for CCW: Greene County voters approved a conceal-and-carry advisory referendum on Tuesday's ballot, joining 10 other counties where the advisory passed. "We believe state legislators should enact concealed carry legislation. Illinois and Wisconsin are the only states that don't allow citizens their Second Amendment right," Illinois Carry spokeswoman Valinda Rowe said Wednesday...Fourteen Illinois counties put the advisory question on Tuesday's ballot. The referendum failed in three - Winnebago, Kendall and McDonough counties - and passed in Greene, Ogle, LaSalle, Woodford, Effingham, Jasper, Crawford, Jefferson, Franklin, Saline and Union counties... (Illinois has 102 counties, the overwhelming majority of which have passed resolutions affirming the RKBA.) http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/carry_19932___article.html/greene_county.html --- Georgia Park Repeals Firearm Ban: The Board of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association has repealed its long-standing ban on the carrying of firearms in Stone Mountain Park. In its place, the Board enacted an ordinance banning the possession of firearms for people without GFLs. People with GFLs no longer are disallowed from carrying, but they are required in the new ordinance to notify the park police "as soon as possible after entering the park" of the presence of the firearm. In addition, consuming alcohol is prohibited. GCO is reviewing the revised ordinance and has not announced how the revisions will affect, if at all, GCO's lawsuit against SMMA. http://www.georgiacarry.org/cms/2008/11/05/stone-mountain-repeals-firearms-ban/ --- National-Park Ruling Due Soon: The Department of the Interior is expected to announce this month its decision regarding changes in rules governing guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. When he visited Mount Rainier National Park for the Oct. 10 opening of the new Jackson Visitor Center, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said the announcement would be made soon. "We're going through the process. We anticipated we'd get a lot of responses, and we did," Kempthorne told The News Tribune. At the end of April, the department proposed a change that would allow people to carry a concealed firearm in a national park or wildlife refuge if the individual is permitted to carry a concealed weapon and is authorized to do so on similar state lands in the state in which the national park or refuge is located... http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/530027.html --- Oops, Wrong House: A Bryan man is in jail after police say he was shot in the arm by someone he was trying to rob. College Station police say, Wednesday night, five people were in a home on the 3500 block of Wild Plum when three suspected armed robbers broke inside the home. Officers say those suspects ordered the people in the house on the floor and took their personal property. According to witnesses the suspects left the scene. Officers say that's when the victims locked the door. Police say the suspects returned and busted into the home. Officers say two people were hiding in the bedroom and when one of the suspects fired a gun, one of the victims returned fire hitting one suspect in the arm... (Too bad the residents were not prepared for the first intrusion.) http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/33999219.html --- NSSF on Lead Hunting Bullets: ...The CDC report on human lead levels of hunters in North Dakota has confirmed what hunters throughout the world have known for hundreds of years, that traditional ammunition poses no health risk to people and that the call to ban lead ammunition was nothing more than a scare tactic being pushed by anti-hunting groups. In looking at the study results, the average lead level of the hunters tested was lower than that of the average American. In other words, if you were to randomly pick someone on the street, chances are they would have a higher blood lead level than the hunters in this study... http://www.nssf.org/news/PR_idx.cfm?PRloc=share/PR/&PR=110608.cfm&CFID=2834865&CFTOKEN=5f0e1f81bcc8fe7c-7481371E-DCDD-C9A9-F9526A014B8E7937&jsessionid=f03041b33e02b816c4ad4f6c274246b2d241 --- Who Put the Rifle into the National Rifle Association?: Why is the National Rifle Association called the National Rifle Association? It seems an odd choice considering the organization's commitment to the Second Amendment, which refers broadly to "arms," not rifles, that require keeping and bearing. Wouldn't it make more sense for the NRA to call itself the National Firearms Association or the National Gun Association? Rifle comes across as a little . . . exclusionary. I mean, what about all those millions of pistol and shotgun owners? ... (Stay tuned for my review of American Rifle - I'm just past the halfway point.) http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/56609.html -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .