Pennsylvania House Stalls Ammunition Bill: Pennsylvania gun owners dodged a bullet when lawmakers failed to enact legislation that would have levied a 5-cent tax on each shell and required encoding ammunition with serial numbers and registering those numbers in a statewide database. Introduced in February, the bill remains in the state House Judiciary Committee and will die at the end of the session on Sunday. But it could be reintroduced in January, and gun advocates expect to fight it again next year. It's part of a growing effort nationally to target ammunition as one way to stem gun violence... http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_600510.html Tangentially Related: Comedian Chris Rock once said that if bullets cost more money, say a couple thousand dollars each, there would be no stray bullets or accidental shootings. It's funny for a few minutes because it is so true. Although, certainly not a laughing matter, gun control laws are about as ridiculous as the people who cling to them. Instead of worrying about public safety, gun owners are worried about their right to bear arms. But there are some laws that need to be adapted with the times to suit the needs and well-being of the people. The problem is how easy it is to purchase a gun and how easy it is to get out of trouble if you are irresponsible with that gun. Most gun owners don't carry them in their back pocket. So they are out of sight and out of mind... (That last sentence sounds like a good argument for more CCW.) http://www.berksmontnews.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Weekly;!1303466337?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.pgpath=%2FBMN%2FOpinion&r21.content=%2FBMN%2FOpinion%2FContentTab_Feature_2599150 --- Texas Continues Debate on Campus Carry: North Lake College professor Tim Gottleber fears for the safety of his students if an active shooter were to arrive on campus. Gottleber, a registered concealed handgun license holder in the state of Texas, said that current Texas law would prevent him from effectively protecting his students. "The best thing I've been told to do was turn off the lights, have kids turn off their cell phones, and sit in the dark and wait and hope he doesn't pick you," Gottleber said. "That's unacceptable. That's not protecting my students; especially when I have the means to protect those students, and the skill to protect those students, but I'm not allowed to protect those students because I'm not allowed to have the means to do that on campus." ... http://media.www.newsregisteronline.com/media/storage/paper1342/news/2008/11/24/News/Handguns.On.Campus-3560286.shtml --- More Guns Under the Christmas Tree: One of the hottest retail gifts for this year may be a new gun. Snohomish, Washington, like many small towns in America felt that many of their voices went unheard on November 4th and now they are worried about eroding constitutional rights... The national buying trend on guns is showing a rush on military style weapons and handguns. There are many reasons for this latest upswing in sales, one is that most Americans think that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms will be greatly restricted when the new administration takes over... http://www.snohomishtimes.com/snohomishNEWS.cfm?inc=story&newsID=159 --- California Dealers Struggle to Meet Demand: Fresno gun dealers are spending a lot of time on the phone these days, trying to find pistols, shotguns and military-style semiautomatic rifles to sell to anxious gun owners. By early next year, Democrats will be in control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and some believe that means new gun restrictions, or even bans, are on the way. It's the talk in gun stores, at shooting ranges and on firearm-related Web sites. President-elect Barack Obama tried to reassure voters throughout his campaign that he respects the right to own guns... But many aren't convinced... http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1040558.html --- Elsewhere in California...: Local residents concerned that the election of Barack Obama and a Democratic-controlled Congress will translate into stricter gun laws are buying more guns. But sales are not as brisk as in other states, possibly because California already has some of the strictest gun laws on the books. "I'd say we're up in the sales of guns about 30 percent," said Paul Berezay, store manager of Big 5 Sporting Goods in Salinas. "People evidently think because of the election, guns are going to go away. They don't seem to know that California is already one of the strictest states when it comes to gun laws." California has a ban on assault guns and automatic weapons, and requires a 10-day background check before a person can buy a gun. Such a ban existed nationally during the Clinton administration in the 1990s, but has since expired. Democrats are talking about reinstating the law, for which the newly-elected Obama has expressed support... http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_11093225 --- And in Missouri...: Franklin County is following a national trend of sharp increase in sales of guns, ammunition and accessories since around Election Day. "We've had a very large increase in sales because there's a fear that the 1994 gun ban act will be reinstated," said Steve Walsh, co-owner of Ruby's Guns in Sullivan. In 1994, under the Clinton administration, Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, also known as the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which prohibited the sale of certain semi-automatic weapons to civilians. The ban expired in September of 2004. Some shops have experienced a rise in handgun sales, which were not impacted by the ban... (Handguns were affected by the 1994 ban, primarily in the restriction of magazines to ten rounds.) http://www.emissourian.com/site/news.cfm?dept_id=33068&PAG=461&newsid=20209419 --- Oops, Wrong Jeweler: The suspect in a Tuesday break-in at a Corinth business has died from a gunshot wound inflicted by the business owner, police say... Lancaster said the business owner reported he heard a noise at the front of the store and took his handgun when he went to check it out. When he saw a man coming through a window, he ordered the intruder to stop, but he did not. Instead, the suspect came inside the business, reached up and ripped down the video surveillance equipment. The owner said he again told the suspect to stay where he was or get out, but the suspect charged toward him and he fired one shot, which struck the intruder in the abdomen, Lancaster said. The case remains under investigation, but no charges have been filed. http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=282618&pub=1&div=News --- Murder Charge Dropped in Self-Defense Shooting: Murder charges have been dropped in a fatal shooting in Windsor County. Kyle Bolaski, 24, of Springfield, was charged with second-degree murder, for killing Vincent Tamburello, 32, of Springfield, in August during a fight at a park in Chester. Bolaski claims Tamburello was chasing him with an ax, so he shot him twice. A grand jury agreed the shooting was self-defense. Bolaski will face aggravated assault charges for allegedly hitting Tamburello with the gun after the shooting. http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=9417395&nav=menu183_7_6 Background: http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?s=8856167 --- British Mayor Bans Christmas Gunfire: A 400-year-old custom of firing muskets to mark Christmas has been banned - in case it scares children. Historic re-enactment buffs in full 17th-century militia garb traditionally fire blanks when the festive lights are switched on in Wimborne, Dorset. But deputy mayor John Burden, 62 - in charge while the mayor is away - has now banned them. He said: "Last year there were kids who were very upset and crying." Town crier and militia volunteer Chris Brown, 53, said: "Loud shots make you jump but we give plenty of notice. "It was originally to scare off evil spirits but now it adds a bit of pomp. Most people enjoy it." Chris and his pals plan to boycott the event. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1981257.ece -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .