I Love This List!: One list member located a side view of the previously unidentified "sharpshooter" rifle recently purchased by the British on their army website (first link). Jeff Cahill, of TangoDown, identified it specifically as the Lewis Machine & Tool MRP Modular Weapon System (second link). The price listed for the 440-rifle purchase comes out to approximately $5,560 per rifle. With a retail price of $2,500 for the rifle, that confirms my suspicion that a large portion of that $5,560 was for the scope and accoutrements, with the emphasis on the former. With the pool of over 700 serious and knowledgeable gun owners on this list, it didn't take long to get that sorted out. http://www.army.mod.uk/news/18798.aspx http://www.lewismachine.net/product.php?p=204&cid=12&session=423e64b5dc790171f647a33fb6409136 --- Massachusetts Senate Vote Also Affects RKBA: The outcome of Tuesday's special election to fill the Senate seat left vacant in Massachusetts with the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is about more than health care, even though that's the issue on everyone's front burner. It is also about more than Massachusetts politics, and Northwest residents, including gun owners, are paying very close attention. If Republican Scott Brown defeats Democrat Martha Coakley, it will not only bring to a grinding halt the Obama juggernaut and put his health care agenda in the middle of a political train wreck, it also strips him of a super majority in the Senate, where the brakes just might be applied to any gun control initiatives that might rise in the wake of the health care debate... http://www.examiner.com/x-4525-Seattle-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d19-Massachusetts-Senate-vote-about-more-than-just-health-care?cid=exrss-Seattle-Gun-Rights-Examiner --- Big Brother, Brady and the RKBA: The Brady Campaign yesterday released a scathing "report" - 21 pages long - calling the president (whose candidacy they had enthusiastically endorsed) an "abject failure" in regard to the forcible citizen disarmament agenda... Obama has given no indication whatsoever that his personal position has moved an inch from where it was when he sat on the board of the rabidly anti-gun Joyce Foundation--a position he maintained throughout his legislative career (for example) with nearly every vote. I say nearly every vote, because in 2007, he did (surprsingly, I think) vote in favor of Sen. David Vitter's Amendment 4615 to HR 5441, to prohibit gun confiscations during emergencies, as happened in the Hurricane Katrian aftermath - that is, to my knowledge, the lone exception in his otherwise uniformly anti-gun legislative career. His presidential campaign, now that he needed broader appeal, tried to downplay his anti-gun stance, but he still spoke in favor of banning so-called "assault weapons," closing the "gun show loophole," and "childproofing" guns (and let us not forget "bitter clinging" remarks). Those positions were, in fact, outlined in the official White House "Urban Policy" for even a while after his election. If Obama has backed away from actively pursuing those goals for now, it is only because he perceives the time as not being right. TImes change, though, as Sen. Dianne Feistein made chillingly clear with her "I'll pick the time and place . . . " to aggressively pursue the forcible citizen disarmament agenda... http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d19-Brady-Campaign-unhappy-with-Obama-but-that-doesnt-make-him-our-friend --- The "Law-Abiding Gun Owner" Trap: Last Friday, I wrote about Jason Baez. Mr Baez is a Manhattan resident who, with his family, endured a terrifying armed robbery of their home, was advised by "authorities" to simply move out until the robbers were caught, then nearly drowned in debt while paying rent on the new apartment and the Manhattan place, and was then arrested for carrying the handgun he bought for protection - in defiance of New York City law, and has now pleaded guilty to a "gun felony." ...I am not, in fact, especially enamored of the term "law abiding gun owner." To me, that term implies that someone who obeys a law prohibiting an effective means of defending himself and his family is somehow morally superior to someone who has the courage to defy such an evil edict. I would argue that the reverse is true. Like I said, many gun rights advocates would disagree. If one is to believe that the NRA is serious about its "enforce existing gun laws" mantra, it becomes difficult to escape the conclusion that the NRA supports punishing Jason Baez, who, by his own admission, broke at least two "existing gun laws" - NYC's Sullivan Act, requiring a permit (not easily or cheaply obtained) simply to purchase a handgun, plus the felony of carrying one without a carry permit (only issued to the extremely connected and wealthy)... http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d18-Is-law-abiding-gun-owner-what-we-should-strive-to-be --- December NICS Data: Data released by the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,407,155 checks in December 2009, ranking the month in the top five for most NICS checks of all time. This figure, while being a 7.6 percent decrease from the 1,523,426 checks conducted in December 2008 - the beginning stage of an ongoing surge in firearms and ammunition sales - is an increase of 14.4 percent over checks in December 2007. Year-to-date background checks for 2009 total 14,033,824, an increase of 10.4 percent over the same time period last year. The total number of background checks reported since the beginning of NICS is 110,017,832. http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/7068 --- Illegal Aliens and Texas Gun Shows: To keep 'undocumented immigrants' from buying guns, Texas cops allegedly violated local and federal gun laws. Gun enthusiasts in central Texas are upset over what they say is a heavy-handed effort by police in Austin, the capital, to restrict the legal sale of firearms at gun shows in violation of state and federal laws. Specifically, they accuse Austin's police of unlawfully restricting the sales of guns between law-abiding citizens at a gun show last weekend. Interestingly, police were in large part seeking to keep "undocumented immigrants" from buying guns -- and so they "recommended" to the property owner on which a gun show was held that all gun sales be made by licensed gun dealers and that private sellers transfer their guns through gun dealers. The property owner, H-E-B, is a local grocery chain. Austin is considered a "sanctuary city" and is home to many "undocumented immigrants," primarily from Mexico... http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/01/illegals_and_the_second_amendm.html ...But before you grab a pitchfork and head over to Austin police headquarters, interviews of the "interested parties" indicate further consideration may be valuable... If you want to make a case that law-abiding gun owners are being punished because of illegal gun sales to prohibited persons, then perhaps HEB is the place to start, since they made the final decision. This author is acquainted with many law enforcement professionals, and while there are exceptions, they generally want to do good work and go home to their families at night. One thing appears true: Since the FFL rule was implemented by HEB, the wording of the TGS announcement on their web site is overstated. There are no clear-cut villains and victims here. In the final analysis, you the reader need to decide the best course of action. Facts, not rhetoric, help make educated decisions. (Hmm. I own a business and get called into a conference with local and federal law enforcement over nuisance abatement. No pressure exerted on me? Yes, I agree with the implication that a boycott of HEB is probably in order.)) http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d20-Austin-gun-show-update-Interviews-reveal-bigger-picture --- Meanwhile, in Houston...: Nine local weapons traffickers who were part of crew of friends and family that bought guns for a drug cartel are headed to prison as part of a rare case in which weapons were traced from murder and mayhem in Mexico to stores in Houston. An ongoing federal investigation is aimed at the covert ties between Texas, where guns are a legal part of everyday life, and Mexico, where a cartel war has claimed thousands of lives in recent years despite guns being generally illegal for all but police and soldiers... Each got a minimal sentence, the most being a year, because they cooperated with authorities trying to bust those further up the food chain in the conspiracy, a federal prosecutor said. Speaking from the bench, Lake questioned if a wide enough net was cast by snaring those who bought the weapons, not dealers who sold them over the counter. "I can't believe these gun stores didn't know something was wrong," Lake said. "Is there any way to investigate these gun stores?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark White responded that he couldn't disclose what, if anything, was going on regarding the gun dealers... (These guns were not purchased at gun shows. If the Mexican cartels use firearms that are generally illegal for all but police and soldiers, how are they being purchased over the counter in Texas gun stores? If they are being purchased from licensed dealers, aren't the buyers passing the NICS/FBI background checks?) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6825298.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+houstonchronicle%2Fmetro+%28chron.com+-+Houston+%26+Texas%29 --- No Lack of Steer Manure at Arizona State University: State Sen. Jack Harper suggests professors should have the right to carry guns on campus. We suggest not pissing off your professor. Last week, a bill to give some university and community college professors the right to carry concealed firearms on campus was introduced in the state Senate. The reason for the bill may be simple on the surface. Putting guns in the hands of some professors - who have concealed carry permits, of course - not only upholds the Second Amendment, it arguably adds an important layer of defense if there is a hostile gun situation on campus. But here's the caveat - the benefits are arguable. Does adding a gun to an already violent situation help or hurt? ...Michael Berch, an ASU law professor, warned guns on campus would increase accidents, not benefits. Unlike police officers, permit holders are not required to go through weeks and weeks of training to respond to high-intensity situations. If someone pulls a gun in a classroom, would professors have the ability to respond in the best way? Or would professors become automatic targets? ... http://www.statepress.com/node/9944 --- California School Hearing Draws Crowd: A teenager expelled from Willows High School for parking on the edge of campus with two duck-hunting shotguns in his pickup truck took his case to the Glenn County Board of Education on Tuesday, asking it to overturn his expulsion. After a three-hour hearing, the board said it would issue its ruling Friday... At issue in Tuesday's hearing was whether school officials in Willows exceeded their authority under the state's Education Code by disciplining Tudesko when his truck, with the shotguns inside, was parked on a public street next to the high school. Chuck Michel, a prominent gun-rights lawyer from Long Beach, traveled to Willows to represent Tudesko with backing from the National Rifle Association and the California Rifle and Pistol Association. He argued that the school's authority ends at its campus boundaries... Criminal statutes prohibit guns within 1,000 feet of a school, he said. But police opted not to file charges against Tudesko, believing he had no criminal intent, and school officials have no authority to enforce criminal laws, the lawyer argued... http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2474483.html --- Oops, Wrong House, Florida Version: A homeowner shot at an intruder Tuesday night in Cantonment, and deputies are still searching for the suspect. About 6:30, the Escambia County Sheriff's Department responded to the home in the 1800 block of Wareham Way. That's where a homeowner says he shot at a man trying to get into his house. Deputies don't believe the homeowner's shotgun blast hit the intruder, but they were not completely certain. The intruder was not found... http://www.northescambia.com/?p=13991 --- Oops, Wrong House, Nevada Version: A home invasion ended this morning with an elderly homeowner fatally shooting a man who entered his home, Metro [Las Vegas] Police said. The incident occurred about 12:14 a.m. today in the 700 block of Clarkway Drive, near Bonanza Road and Rancho Drive. Police said the apparent robbery appeared to be random in nature. Roberts says the homeowner called police and said he shot a man who was trying to break into his house. Officers found the dead man's body in the doorway. His identity was not immediately made public by the Clark County coroner. This is the 14th homicide this year in Metro Police jurisdiction. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/19/homeowner-fatally-shoots-man-during-home-invasion/ An intruder is dead and the resident who shot him is still shaken after a home invasion in the central valley early Tuesday morning. The resident, a man in his 60s who uses a cane to walk, was visibly upset as he emptied the trash outside his home in the 700 block of Clarkway Drive, near Bonanza Road and Rancho Drive, at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday... The resident said he awoke about midnight to a sound at his front door. As he investigated, he saw a man kick open the door, breaking the chain lock, he said. The suspect took two steps inside the house, where the resident waited in the living room with a .45 caliber handgun at his waist. "I said, 'Get the hell out of my house,' and he stood there laughing," he said. "He said, 'I'm going to beat your ass and then I'm gonna kill you,' and he took one more step. Then I shot him." The resident said he was angry at morning television news broadcasts that claimed there was a scuffle before he fired the weapon. He is currently disabled because of several back surgeries that require substantial pain medication, he said. He had taken his medication that evening, and was in no shape for a physical confrontation, he said... http://www.lvrj.com/news/man-shaken-after-fatal-shooting-82143507.html --- Oops, Wrong Car: Police said two robbers were shot this morning when they attempted to steal a car and wallet from a man at a Kansas City, Kan., car wash. Kansas City, Kan., Police Spokesman Michael Golden said the man was at the car wash in the 2700 block of Merriam Lane shortly before 8 a.m. when two men approached. He pulled out a gun and shot both of the men. One of the robbers suffered life-threatening injuries and couldn't flee. However, the second suspect escaped in a car driven by a third suspect. They drove to 42nd Street and Shawnee Drive where they called medical officials for help. The second man's condition was not believed to be life-threatening. Police said it was the second time in a matter of hours that a victim shot at a would-be robber... http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1685401.html http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m1d17-Car-wash-robbers-shot-by-armed-victim --- Unintended Consequences of a Gunshot: A Syracuse [NY] man was shot Monday and charged with driving while intoxicated after attempting to drive himself to the hospital. Derrick M. Pride, 39, told police he was standing at the corner of East Fayette and Bruce streets around 7:30 p.m. when someone came along and shot him. Pride then got in a car and attempted to drive himself to the hospital. However, he drove in the opposite direction as other traffic and collided with a car at the intersection of Crouse Avenue and Adams Street, police said. Pride was taken from the crash to Upstate University Hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his left shoulder. The wound, police said, was not life-threatening. According to police, no one was injured in the other car. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/man_shot_crashes_while_driving.html --- Weapons, Equipment Industry Hit with Arrests: Twenty-two executives and employees of companies in the military and law enforcement products industry have been indicted for engaging in schemes to bribe foreign government officials to obtain and retain business. Twenty-one defendants were arrested in Las Vegas yesterday [January 18, on the eve of the SHOT Show]. One defendant was arrested in Miami. The indictments stem from an FBI undercover operation that focused on allegations of foreign bribery in the military and law enforcement products industry... In connection with these indictments, approximately 150 FBI agents executed 14 search warrants in locations across the country, including Bull Shoals, Ark.; San Francisco; Miami; Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Sarasota, Fla.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Sunrise, Fla.; University Park, Fla.; Decatur, Ga.; Stearns, Ky.; Upper Darby, Penn.; and Woodbridge, Va. Additionally, the United Kingdom's City of London Police executed seven search warrants in connection with their own investigations into companies involved in the foreign bribery conduct that formed the basis for the indictments... (I suspect we may see claims of entrapment if these cases go to trial - shade of the DeLorean case?) http://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2010/1/19/massive-fcpa-indictment-unsealed.html Federal authorities in Washington have accused 22 executives of trying to bribe foreign officials to obtain lucrative contracts to sell them grenade launchers, guns, armored trucks and bulletproof vests. Among those charged was Amaro Goncalves, vice president of sales for Smith & Wesson, and R. Patrick Caldwell, who was named the head of a Florida weapons manufacturer in July after spending 27 years in the U.S. Secret Service. During his Secret Service career, Caldwell led the vice presidential protective division and served as deputy assistant director of the Office of Protective Operations... The weapons companies were located across the U.S., the United Kingdom and Israel, court documents said. Among those charged was Helmie Ashiblie, the vice president and founder of Woodbridge-based i-Shot, which sells gun bags and other weapons accessories to law enforcement agencies worldwide. The company's Web site says Ashiblie is a former commander of a Singapore Guards regiment. Calls to the company were not returned Tuesday. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime/22-weapons-dealers-accused-of-trying-to-bribe-foreign-officials-82102447.html --- S&W Introduces New Pistol, Revolver: ..."Throughout the development of the BODYGUARDS, our engineers and product managers worked closely with end users to design and produce an innovative line of personal protection firearms," said Michael Golden, CEO of Smith & Wesson Corp., a division of Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation. "Both the BODYGUARD 380 pistol and the BODYGUARD 38 revolver have been built with state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques. Each provides a reliable and logical choice for those seeking a firearm for personal protection. In addition, our engineers worked closely with Insight Technology to design an integrated laser that not only improves target acquisition but also reduces the price of this technology so more customers can afford to use laser sighting systems. We are very pleased with the positive feedback we have received on the new BODYGUARD line from the numerous retailers and media professionals at the 2010 SHOT Show." ...(Presumably, the .380 pistol overcomes some of the issues with the old Sigma in that chambering.) http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smith--wessonr-introduces-new-bodyguardr-line-82045372.html ...These new handguns seem to be S&W's answer to Ruger's hugely successful LCR and LCP lightweight compact handguns. The .38 revolver version is a five-shot of totally new design - the cylinder turns clockwise like a Colt instead of the traditional counterclockwise rotation S&W is famous for - and its cylinder release latch is (gasp!) on the top of the gun. The .380 auto is polymer framed, with thumb safety, good sights, and a double action only trigger... http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2010/01/19/shot-show-day-one-2/ --- Some People Never Learn: ...I've never been a huge fan of Taurus firearms, and I've been known to opine that the Frankenstein creature it calls "The Judge" is downright stupid. A grossly over-sized revolver that shoots .410 gauge shot shells in addition to .45 Colt cartridges, the logic of using mild shot shells whose energy will dissipate and whose pattern will spread unacceptably within a few feet is lost on me. So imagine my surprise when I became utterly enamored when Taurus revived a 19th century concept: The revolving rifle. While it is not yet available, I got a chance to heft this sweet-handling little carbine and fell in love. With a cylinder holding 5 rounds, it fires .410 GA shot shells (2 ½ or 3" magnum) or .45 Colt cartridges. Short and light, it features fiber optic sights, making it perfect for either pest control or home defense. Taurus apparently learned from 19th century problems with revolving rifles: The forward end of the cylinder and forcing cone are surrounded by a cylindrical barrier, preventing hot, expanding gases from escaping near the hand holding the forward grip... (My understanding is that the reason that "revolving rifles" never caught on in the 19th century is that they place the face in close proximity to the blast from the barrel-cylinder gap. If the cylindrical barrier is intended to protect that hand that is forward of that area, won't it divert more of it to the rear and the face, as happens with muzzle brakes?) http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d19-SHOT-Show-report-January-19?cid=exrss-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examine --- Tangentially Related: Erroll Southers, President Obama's pick to head the Transportation Security Administration, withdrew today, claiming his nomination had become a lightning rod for those with a political agenda. The decision was a blow for a White House already under fire by critics for its handling of the attempted Christmas bombing of an American airline. Southers' nomination had been held up by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint who expressed concern Southers would attempt to unionize TSA security agents... http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=122569 http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/20/tsa-nominee-withdraws-amid-political-agenda/?feat=home_headlines -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. The tactics and skills to use a firearm in self-defense don't come naturally with the right to keep and bear arms. http://www.spw-duf.info .