Housekeeping
My time conflict was resolved early in the week, so you still get the newsletter today.
Litigation
Follow-up clarification on case concerning gun bans for folks under felony indictments: West Texas U.S. District Court Judge David Counts, who ruled in US V. Quiroz that the ban on those under felony INDICTMENT receiving guns is NOT constitutional, also said the federal prohibition on CONVICTED felons possessing guns IS constitutional.
“Final” defendant in Fast & Furious gun running case sentenced. No U.S. government officials – the main criminals – were prosecuted for their felonies. This case was prosecuted in Arizona, where Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed, but another prosecutor had to be brought in because the Obama administration’s U.S. attorney for Arizona was tainted by the Fast and Furious felony scheme, but not prosecuted.
The Second Amendment Foundation, West Virginia Citizens Defense League, and some citizens have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in West Virginia, challenging the federal prohibition on handgun sales to young adults ages 18-20, and is asking for a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief, asserting that the ban “is flatly unconstitutional under the Second Amendment” and Supreme Court opinions in the 2008 Heller case and 2022 Bruen decision. The case is known as Brown v. ATF.
The Second Amendment Foundation, San Diego County Gun Owners Political Action Committee, California Gun Rights Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, Inc., and others have filed suit in federal court in California, asking for injunctive relief and a declaratory judgment against the state’s new law which includes a one-way fee shifting penalty in the government’s favor that applies only to litigation challenging the state’s illegal gun laws.
The Firearms Policy Coalition has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Illinois’ ban on the carrying of firearms on public transportation and in public transportation facilities, which they ostensibly classify as “sensitive places,” a concept not seen in the Constitution. The case is Schoenthal v. Raoul.
Santa Fe, New Mexico District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has filed an emergency request for $635,500, funds she says are necessary to potentially prosecute “between one and four people” in connection with last year’s “Rust” movie set fatal shooting. The charges being considered are homicide, as well as gun violations. “Actor” Alec Baldwin, who fatally shot a cinematographer on the set, is the only one of the four who was identified. Baldwin has listed his Hamptons home for sale, some say in order to either fund his defense or to shield assets. However, it appears that the DA has not yet received the sheriff’s report on the homicide. We also have a report that the actual shooting was recorded on camera. Perhaps it will be a short trial. Still no confirmation of a report that Baldwin’s next flick will be a prison film.
Sig Sauer’s accident-plagued P320 pistol is the focus of yet another lawsuit. Milwaukee’s police union is suing the city over service weapons that officers say aren’t safe because they have inadvertently fired without anyone pulling the trigger. At least 22 lawsuits have been filed against Sig Sauer since 2018 alleging the P320 fired without anyone pulling the trigger.
The legal arms of Everytown for Gun Safety and the Brady Bunch on behalf of some of the victims and survivors of those killed in the July 4th shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, have filed lawsuits against Smith & Wesson, and the Illinois gun store that sold the S&W rifle to the suspect, accusing S&W of using its advertising and marketing to target “troubled” young men like the 21-year old accused of the attack. But, no evidence.
Legislation
Mississippi’s U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) have joined 21 colleagues to advance the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2022 (S.4940), which would prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management from imposing bans on the use of traditional lead ammunition or tackle on public lands unless such an action is supported by science and by state wildlife and fisheries agencies.
Big Brother
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- The Postal Service Inspector General said this year that the postal inspectors’ surveillance overstepped law enforcement authority and may not have had legal approval. The Constitution provides for a federal post office. It does not provide for snooping by that office.
FBI
- FBI whistleblower: Counterterrorism cases against alleged right-wing extremists mostly “entrapment.”
- FBI misled judge who signed warrant for Beverly Hills seizure of $86 million in cash.
- The FBI subjected a pro-life activist’s children to a fully-armored SWAT raid.
- The FBI. Get rid of it.
ATF and Lamestream Media Lying Together
- ATF admitted that it held nearly one billion (illegal) digitized records in its Out of Business Office in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The agency doesn’t consider the digitally scanned records to be a gun registry. Federal gun registries are illegal. I don’t consider the ATF to be a legitimate government agency.
“Most reporters are very sympathetic to gun-control agendas and will skew or lie outright about facts to promote them.” – Dennis Cauchon, USA Today
- The ATF is also having thousands of guns and gun parts stolen. What would happen to an FFL with this problem?
Enemies
We hear tell of a new anti-gun group masquerading as a gun owners group, called 97Percent.
Gun-banning Gabby Giffords’ false-flag subgroup called Gun Owners for Safety recently held its convention. It was not advertised and was closed to the public, including gun owners who might be in favor of safety.
President Biden’s Department of the Interior is appointing gun banners to something called the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council.
President Joe Biden admitted that AR-15s, AK-47s, and other guns Democrats call “assault weapons” are designed “to defend people.” Oops.
Racist anti-gun U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (D-NC) says that “buy now, pay later” and layaway programs for gun sales should be prohibited, because that makes it too easy to buy a gun. I guess she’s used to getting paid up front when she’s bought.
This week’s Journal of the American Medical Association was dedicated to anti-gun screeds with an editorial, a dozen or more viewpoint essays, two news articles, and a JAMA patient page all aiming at reducing your gun rights. I have a three-word response: Medical malpractice quacks.
NRA
More rip-offs by the leadership; having NRA pay for their vehicles. To compare to an actual ethical situation, here in Mississippi, state employees cannot bid on old state vehicles sent by his agency to be auctioned to the public, because the employee might know more about the vehicle than the general public, giving him an unfair advantage in the bidding process.
The Only Ones
The Alameda County, CA, Sheriff’s Office has stripped 47 deputies – 10% of the force – of their duty guns and arrest powers because they failed psychological exams in the wake of a fatal double shooting allegedly committed by a former Stockton cop. Apparently the wild bunch can still be trusted with their personal guns.
Janesville, WI Police Department school resource officer Denise Stutika was in her school office Monday morning and was removing her backpack when a part of it got hooked on the butt of her gun. As she was trying to remove it, the gun went off and remained in the holster the entire time. No injuries and no details yet, but it appears they are suspicious of the gun (S&W M&P 2.0) and holster but not the officer. A proper holster covering the trigger and trigger guard would normally prevent this. The department is suspicious that the holster may have been defective, but it was also damaged when the gun fired. I found it interesting that this officer is paid $96,437 annually.
Bexar County (TX) Court Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez was recently busted with a loaded pistol in her carry-on bag as she was going through security at the San Antonio airport on her way to a conference in Miami.
Russia massacre
A 34-year-old man “registered” as a patient at a psychiatric facility opened fire in a terrorist attack on a school in central Russia on Monday, killing 17 people – including 11 children – and wounding 24 others before shooting himself dead, using two unregistered non-lethal handguns adapted to fire real bullets. Russia has strict gun (and everything else) control. The Kremlin released a statement saying, “President Putin deeply mourns deaths of people and children in the school, where a terrorist act took place.” Yet Putin is doing the same thing in Ukraine.
California
At least six people were injured in a Wednesday shooting at an Oakland, California school campus. California has all kinds of gun control.
Newsletters
The ACLDN and Rangemaster (pdf link) October newsletters are out.
Tactics
Open carry.
- I support the right, but generally not the practice. Read up.
Surviving the Aftermath of a Shooting.
A Medical Perspective On Ammunition And Lethality.
- Take this with just a grain of salt.
9mm vs 45 ACP
Removing bad screws
- Basic techniques. There are others, but you’re pretty limited on tiny screws in nice guns. A few other things worth mentioning are heat, penetrating oil, extractors, and especially left-handed (counterclockwise twist) drill bits.
Rule 4.
Industry News
AMMO, Inc. has opened a new 185,000 square foot world-class ammunition manufacturing facility in Manitowoc, WI. AMMO, Inc. currently promotes branded munitions as well as its patented STREAK ™ Visual Ammunition, /stelTH/ ™ subsonic munitions, and specialty rounds for military and law enforcement use.
Products
Ruger has reintroduced the Marlin Model 1895™ Guide Gun, formerly known as an “1895 GBL” (Guide Big Loop).
The MeproLight microRDS with a patented quick-detach adapter kit features a 3 MOA dot and utilizes a pistol’s existing rear dovetail slot to mount the adapter holding the red dot optic without the need to drill and tap mounting holes on barrels or slides. The adapter mounts directly to a Meprolight TruDot®, self-illuminated sight which also functions as a back-up sight should the shooter need to remove the optic. Available for a range of pistols.
UM Tactical’s UM3 Sight mount attaches to a pistol’s under-barrel rail and provides a rail over the top of the gun for mounting red dots, etc. on guns that have no topside mounting provisions. $100
Premier Body Armor’s Everyday Armor T-Shirt 2.0 is made of a proprietary moisture-wicking, antimicrobial compression fabric and features two armor pockets (front and rear) designed to accept Premier Body Armor’s Level IIIA, 7.75″x 12.75″ vital protection ballistic inserts. The rig is tested to stop common handgun rounds as specified by NIJ Standard-0101.06 such as 9mm, .40, .45, and .44 Magnum, plus Special Threat Tested against 12 Gauge (buckshot and slug), Liberty Civil Defense 9mm and FN 5.7×28 (SS197SR), and is stab and slash-resistant. $279 with the ballistic inserts.
Taiga Wolverine Folding Pump Shotgun. Not available here. Maybe a domestic company will make some.
The Langdon Tactical LTT Striker Control Device for Glocks, or how to fix a Glock.
Quotes
“Freedom ultimately means the right of other people to do things that you do not approve of.” – Thomas Sowell, Ph.D.
“If someone succeeds in provoking you, your mind was complicit.” – Epictetus
“When I saved some money, I starting looking for my bird gun. I knew just what I wanted. When I found it, I said to a pal, ‘This is it! I’ll never need another.’ He looked at me as if I had spoken in tongues. ‘You’ll always need another,’ he said. He was right. The next year, I bought a hammer gun.” – Michael Luders
“Some people are smart enough to change their preconceived opinions when confronted with overwhelming evidence showing that they are wrong.” – Greg Ellifritz
“Some people aren’t.” – me