Ninth Circuit Reconsiders Incorporation: A federal appeals court in San Francisco on Thursday will confront America's next big gun rights question: Whether or not the Second Amendment prevents state governments from enacting anti-gun laws. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in a case that's likely to decide whether the Bill of Rights' guarantee of a right to "keep and bear arms" restricts only the federal government and the District of Columbia - the current state of affairs - or whether it can be invoked to strike down intrusive state and local laws too. In an earlier ruling in April, a three-judge panel of the same court ruled that the Second Amendment did apply to the states, a different outcome than appeals courts in Chicago and New York had reached. On Thursday morning, a larger Ninth Circuit panel is scheduled to re-hear the case, meaning the earlier decision in Nordyke v. King could be upheld or rejected... The incorporation question is already bubbling up to the Supreme Court thanks to the National Rifle Association v. Chicago and McDonald v. Chicago cases and the New York Maloney v. Rice case. On September 29, the justices will meet to decide whether to accept those cases for the 2009-2010 term; those appeals courts declined to apply the Second Amendment to state laws... http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/23/taking_liberties/entry5333538.shtml --- The Beat Goes On: Bullet makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition. Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass anti-gun legislation - even though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks. Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago, and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before... "We are working overtime and still can't keep up with the demand," said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based Remington Arms Co.,, which makes ammunition for rifles, handguns and shotguns. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business." Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition a year, according to the National Rifle Association. In the past year, that figure has jumped to about 9 billion rounds [emphasis added], said NRA spokeswoman Vickie Cieplak... (That's only a 29% increase. Other sources have cited a 40% increase as being the point beyond which added demand cannot be met. I assume that the Associated Press writer and editor do not appreciate the difference between "bullet" and "round.") http://www.azstarnet.com/news/310335 Denise Gavin doesn't feel safe anymore without a handgun. That is why Gavin, a Jacksonville resident who lives on the Westside, was at St. Nicholas Gun and Sporting Goods last week to purchase a handgun. Gavin is just one of the more than 661,000 people who have undergone a background check since January 2008 in Florida, according to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which was mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993. Because of people like Gavin, gun and ammunition stores are still having a problem keeping supplies in stock... One reason for the run on guns and ammunition may have to do with politics. Rukab said about 70 percent of his sales were handguns and - mostly in January - sales were up about 80 percent because of gun control talk associated with President Barack Obama's administration. But for the customers of St. Nicholas Gun and Sporting Goods, is the hype already over? Not really. Rukab said sales are still up 40 percent as the busy hunting season approaches... http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-09-24/story/gun_and_ammo_sales_still_booming_in_jacksonville When it comes to .22-caliber ammunition favored by hunters for the small-game season, local gun dealers say you better buy it if you see it. Many shelves, including those stocked by Mike Brown at Sportsman's Warehouse, 2464 U.S. Highway 6&50, are bare of the prized rounds. "We got 18 cases (10,000 rounds) in last Friday, and we were sold out by noon Sunday," said Brown, the store's hunting manager. "And this wasn't just a few people hoarding ... most were buying two or three boxes at a time." Local store owners say if you're heading out for rifle hunting season, be prepared to pay more. While high-end ammunition for rifles is still plentiful locally, a national shortage of common rounds, particularly .270-caliber, 30.6 and .22-caliber, continues to frustrate consumers in Grand Junction. The shortage is largely attributed to fears that President Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress will push a gun control agenda. "The funny thing is: This president and liberal Congress has never said a word about revisiting anything to do with ammo controls," said Jerry Stehman, owner of Jerry's Outdoor Sports, 507 30 Road... (Big Brother and his cohorts have said little about new infringements, having learned a painful lesson in 1994. However, Senator Barbara Boxer has promised to reinstate the federal ban on semi-automatic firearms, at the time of her choosing.) http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/09/23/092409_8a_ammo_local.html --- Sword Incident Proves Guns Save Lives: With one swift slash from a samurai sword, John Pontolillo made a convincing case for ... private ownership of handguns? Oh, you betcha. Pontolillo is an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University. Before Sept. 15, that's all he was - one of the many JHU students who have to bust their humps studying so they can graduate from one of the most challenging and academically competitive campuses in the country. But nine days ago, Pontolillo went from being a simple college guy to being in the center of a maelstrom that developed after he slashed a burglar in the backyard of a house he shared with fellow JHU students. Pontolillo used a samurai sword to defend himself after the burglar lunged at him. With one swish he nearly severed the burglar's left hand and pierced his chest. The man bled to death before paramedics arrived... Let's ponder how the scenario would have played out had Pontolillo been armed not with a samurai sword, but a handgun. Would Rice have been so quick to lunge? Would he have turned tail and skedaddled, which is what criminals tend to do when confronted with gun-toting, law-abiding citizens? I can see the scenario: Pontolillo says to Rice, "Mr. Burglar, I'd like you to meet two of my best buddies ever, those esteemed Americans Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson. You might want to stay put until police arrive." And Rice would have done so. Or fled. Bottom line: He'd be alive today to tell the tale. So private ownership of firearms actually saves lives, and could have saved Rice's... (Will this logic be wasted because it was published in San Francisco?) http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/columns/gregory_kane/Sword-incident-proves-handguns-actually-save-lives-60858672.html --- F Troop versus Tennessee: The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has told Tennessee gun dealers to disregard a state statute that exempts firearms made and sold inside Tennessee from federal gun laws and registration. The ATF says the federal laws still apply regardless of the state's move. The Tennessee legislature considered and approved several bills this year to reduce restrictions on firearms, including one bill that its sponsors labeled the "Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act." It passed overwhelmingly - 87-1 in the House and 22-7 in the Senate - despite warnings by some lawmakers that it could subject Tennessee citizens to federal prosecution and imprisonment... The bill was a two-fer for conservatives in the legislature: a gun bill and a state sovereignty bill rolled into one... http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/23/atf-tells-tennessee-federal-gun-law-trumps-states/ --- Knoxville Maintains Park-Carry Ban: Bring the dogs, bring the kids, but leave the guns at home - at least in city parks...Council members voted Tuesday night to continue the city's long-standing ban on guns in city parks. Councilman Steve Hall's proposal to lift the ban failed, with six of the nine members voting against. Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, who's seeking the Republican nomination for governor, didn't vote but gave the vote his support, saying the intersection of greenways and gun-free zones such as schools would make repealing the ban impractical... Gun-rights supporters said Tuesday night's effort won't be their last shot... The Knox County Commission takes up the same question Monday night. County Commissioner Greg "Lumpy" Lambert said that vote won't go the same. "I believe this will pass on the commission," said Lambert, a carry permit holder who's drawn his gun on two murder suspects. "I think tonight was sad. We (gun owners) are an organized group, and we will not forget those who voted against us or those who didn't stand up for us." ... http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/sep/23/city-ban-on-guns-in-parks-stands/ --- California City May Close Range: The City of Commerce city council recently suggested shutting down the city owned and operated firing range to save money. The range is used by locals for target practice, competition and law enforcement training. When the subject first came up earlier in the year a small contingency [sic] of shooters showed up at the city council meeting to the surprise of city council members. It appeared at that time the range issue was dropped. Recently, the range shut down for cleanup and lead testing. Everything has been done for weeks now and local shooters are scratching their heads wondering why the range hasn't re-opened. There is a growing belief that the plan is to keep it closed, though the city has said nothing officially. The next city council meeting in Commerce is Tuesday, September 29 at 6:30 PM. Locals are encouraged to attend the meeting and start asking questions of city council members as to the status. Obviously, a large crowd of well-mannered gun owners will have a sizeable impact. The loss of this great range have a sizeable negative impact on local sports shooting. http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/index.php/article-archives/132-city-of-commerce-shutting-down-range --- He's Actually Asking for Comments: ... But what's remarkable, to me anyway, is that I offered my own version of an ammo rule many years ago: "Why not a tax? If a guy goes fishing out of King Harbor, he pays a license fee that helps defer the cost of his hobby. By all means, if a gun collector wants to collect, let him. But why should the rest of us support his hobby? Why not a levy on ammunition sales? Say a 20 percent bury-the-victims tax and a 25 percent aid-the-maimed tax. That way collectors can keep collecting and the unregulated militia can go on being unregulated while those who get shot up by criminals and lunatics get a few bucks to deal with the mess." ... I want to hear your comments. Connect with me at john.bogert@dailybreeze.com. http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_13403913 --- How to Buy a Used Firearm: Many of us, sometime in our shooting lifetimes, will purchase a used firearm. Sometimes this will be done for financial reasons, and other times, nostalgia might play a big part in certain purchases and then there are those spur-of-moment type transactions resulting from your coming upon a "good deal." Firearms differ from other consumer products in that - with proper maintenance - their serviceable life can be measured in generations. I own several firearms that are over a century old but, thanks to proper maintenance and the fact that proper ammunition for them is still available; they are as useful today as they were in the 19th century. But that being said, there are a lot of "dogs" out there! All too often a firearm is put away in a closet (probably a damp one?) and forgotten. Needless to say, such treatment does little for the firearm's appearance, to say nothing of mechanical integrity or overall safety... http://www.remington.com/library/remington_country_magazine/buying_a_used_gun.asp Many of us who like revolvers prefer the older ones. Here's a lengthy thread on how to check out used ones. http://www.thehighroad.us/showthread.php?t=1430 --- Registration Leads to Confiscation: Toronto police have seized almost 400 firearms from registered owners in a six-month push aimed at reducing the number of guns on the city's streets. In March, officers began soliciting registered firearm owners across the city as part of what they call the Safe City Project. Many of those who had to surrender their firearms had either let their registrations lapse, or had stashed their guns improperly under beds or in closets. The Canadian Firearms Registry stipulates guns must be stored in a secure place. No charges were laid in the push, police said Tuesday. Targeting people who had registered their guns is a preventative measure, said Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair. "Legal handgun owners are not dangerous individuals," Blair told reporters at a Tuesday news conference. "But we know from experience that their firearms can become extremely dangerous when they get into the hands of criminals. And so we have undertaken a number of initiatives to reduce the availability of those handguns." Police estimate there are still 4,000 guns in Ontario that are being improperly stored... http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/09/22/guns-toronto-seized-police523.html -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .