Legislation
Well folks, we erroneously predicted last week that the U.S. House would not attempt to pass the “assault weapons” ban before the August recess, based on the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s statement (lie) on Thursday. The measure was passed by House Democrats last Friday after our newsletter went for publication on Thursday. Our apologies. The bill is expected to face a tougher battle in the Senate, and of course it is completely unconstitutional (as are over 90% of gun control laws) and the Supreme Court (THIS court anyway) would most likely immediately and forcefully slap it down upon arrival.
RINOs Jacobs (NY) and Fitzpatrick (PA) voted for the bill, and Democrats Cuellar (TX), Golden (ME), Gonzalez (TX), Schrader (OR) and Kind (WI) voted against it.
We note that the official purpose of HR 1808 stated in the bill is “To regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited, and for other purposes.” So they have stated in writing that they are trying to violate the Constitution, which itself states “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
“During the hearings I mean it was stunning, how idiotically stupid some of these politicians are…” – Tom Gresham
Clearly we need more cockroach spray.
Litigation
The National Foundation for Gun Rights has filed suit (pdf link) in federal District Court in Denver against the state of Colorado over the state’s 2013 ban on magazines that hold over 15-rounds, based on the SCOTUS decision in the Bruen case. The NFGR does not have a consistent record of winning lawsuits.
The ATF is being sued in federal court in North Dakota by half the country over its illegal rulemaking and illegal gun registry. We note that the Mississippi AG is not on the plaintiff list.
The California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) filed a lawsuit in federal court against California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) on Monday, challenging the state’s Unsafe Handgun Act (UHA), alleging that the law’s requirements for a handgun to be deemed “safe” for sale in the state represent an unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment, which does not limit the right to “safe” arms.
Still no word on homicide charges for Actor Alec Baldwin. We’re waiting.
More on the Greenwood, IN, mall shooting
It turns out that the hero who prevented a massacre in the Greenwood Park mall on July 17 was not carrying under Indiana’s new constitutional carry law, but actually had a CCW permit. We further hear that those on the left who accuse the hero of “breaking the law” by carrying in the mall in spite of their “no guns” policy, are not only wrong, but are liable for defamation, as falsely accusing someone of a crime is defamatory on its face. (We maintain that accusing government officials of civil rights crimes based on the fact that they are infringing on Constitutional rights, would NOT be a false accusation, since that is actually what they are doing.)
It also turns out that a blind pig (me) found an acorn. Remember when I said that the reported two-minute massacre time was likely not correct?
Turns out it was really fifteen seconds.
Rule 4
We have a report in a case where a Kansas police officer responding to a domestic violence call shot at a charging dog on the scene, missing the dog but wounding an innocent bystander with fragments. Although Kansas has a “self-defense immunity” law, the Kansas Supreme Court decided that it only covers the intentional use of force, not an application that misses the threat and hits bystanders. In this case a trial for reckless aggravated battery will likely be on the agenda. So remember that even in a justified defensive shooting, if you hit a non-threat you may be liable. Rule 4 (Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it) is in effect – everywhere and all the time. Even if the law in your jurisdiction is on your side, we all know that an innocent who didn’t get shot is a lot less likely to sue you than is one who did get shot.
Bringing a knife to a gunfight
“At that point, the person who appears to be being robbed takes out a knife, stabs the person with the gun. That individual is now deceased.”
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- Interesting juxtaposition of school killer statistics
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Newsletters
- The August Rangemaster (pdf link) and ACLDN newsletters are out.
More on post-incident tactics
- We’ve been over this many times, but never too much.
Enemies
- UPS stealing ammo? Well, they actually told us they were going to steal guns and gun parts from shipments entrusted to them, so why not ammo? I’m guessing there’s a federal felony in there somewhere.
David (Piglet) Hogg: Gun Control Should Have Been Addressed Centuries Ago
Katie Pavlich: It was: July 4, 1776
The Journal of the American Medical Association has concluded that bigger bullets do more damage. Well, they are the “experts.”
ATF Myths: Not everything you hear is true.
Yes ATF, we know you lie to us.
The FBI says we are all “Militia Violent Extremists“
“Most interestingly, the FBI considers talking about the ATF’s Waco Siege or Ruby Ridge as a sign of violent extremism.” Well, those actually are examples of violent extremism – on the part of the federal government. Meanwhile, FBI Director Christopher Wray says he’s “not familiar” with the FBI’s document.
And since they don’t want us talking about federal government atrocities at Ruby Ridge, now we’re going to talk about federal government atrocities at Ruby Ridge. The FBI death squad sniper, Lon Horiuchi, was charged with manslaughter for the death of Vicki Weaver, but the charges were later dropped. That doesn’t mean he isn’t guilty. The feds also paid Randy Weaver several million dollars for killing his law-abiding family, but no one went to jail.
A bad idea?
We’ve heard a story about a fellow who, when learning of a local gun “buyback” event, went home and 3D printed a bunch of unserialized guns to sell at the buyback, for more money than it cost to make them. I’m not a lawyer, but I wouldn’t try that. I believe federal laws basically prohibit making guns or assembling guns without serial numbers from “80%” frames or receivers, with the intent or for the purpose of selling for a profit. Now if the turn-in “guns” were just “80%” frames and therefore were not legally guns, no harm, no foul.
Police response
It currently takes New Orleans police an average of 2½ hours to respond to a 911 call, according to a new analysis presented to the City Council last week.
Meanwhile, we have reports that Jackson, MS police aren’t responding at all to some emergency 911 calls, including shootings, and now Jackson Police Chief James Davis has issued a statement advising citizens to not drive in Jackson at night or alone.
The Only Ones
Li Qiang, a 36-year-old police officer who was decorated for bravery in 2021, is being hunted by police in China’s Sichuan province after allegedly killing three people and injuring two others in a shooting rampage last week. Red China has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world.
Pennsylvania state trooper Cpl. Michael Perillo was arrested and charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of aggravated animal cruelty after he deliberately and repeatedly rammed his patrol car into an injured horse, driving on top of it so his unidentified partner could shoot it.
TV
A new program called “Build Box” has contestants assembling guns from a box of parts under a time limit and presumably using/competing with them. Airing on the Outdoor Channel in October.
Sales
Gun sales hit a new record in July: the 36th straight month of over 1 million retail firearms purchases, with 1.2 million last month. However, it was a substantial decline from the previous two Julys – the highest in history.
Ruger reported a 30% reduction in second quarter sales from the second quarter of 2021, which was the highest quarter in sales and profitability in its history.
The charts appear to show that a little more drop will bring sales back to “normal” levels.
In related news, membership in the National African American Gun Association was up 58% in 2021.
Minutiae
What I’m reading
It’s a good one.
Products
- Timney: Let go, and let God
- EAA’s Girsan MCP35 PI is a compact version of its Hi-Power copy, with a 3.88″ barrel.
Quotes
Catapults are just angry spoons.
“I’ve been told in a well-known law enforcement school that if you can’t settle the matter in six rounds you’d better take up some other line of work. This is like saying that if you can’t win all your fights in the first round you’d better give up boxing…Sure you should have things under control in six rounds, but just suppose you don’t!” – Jeff Cooper