List Members Reply: On another note, you shared the story of the kid with a .22 round, pliers and a hammer. What's the power of a .22 rimfire that discharges outside of a barrel? What velocity, what energy, etc.? Most of us agree, not enough to harm. However... In 2005, I suffered an injury when a fellow officer and I were working on a dysfunctional .22 revolver. The cylinder would not open. In trying to force the cylinder, we caused enough pressure to the rim of one of the rounds which fired from the cylinder and struck my first finger of my left hand, which was gripped around the gun but purposely clear of the 6" barrel. The bullet penetrated and shattered the joint. Hurt like hell. I pinched the bullet and pulled it out. Granted, this was not exactly the same as if fired outside a barrel, but the length of "tubing" in the cylinder was marginal. Consider too, my finger was within an inch or two of the discharge. (As I interpret this, the round that fired was in a chamber that was not aligned with the barrel, but was still supported by the chamber and had a fraction of an inch of chamber throat through which to pass. Another list member had suggested that if the round reported in the hammer incident had been held in the rounded section of the jaws of a slip-joint pliers, it might have received almost as much support as it would have had in a firing chamber. Clearly, in each case the rounds had a lot more support than those that cook off in fires.) Referring to your "God put those people on an island" segment, I would like to point out that the statement, "Mr. De Menezes was an illegal alien from Brazil who was mistaken for a terrorist and summarily executed when he panicked and ran from the armed officers whose attention he had drawn" perpetuates a myth that De Menezes was somehow complicit in his own death. Mr. De Menezes was unaware the police were attempting to apprehend him, never ran from police and indeed, was jerked from his seat on the train, completely surprised, and shot, 7 times in the head and once in the shoulder at close range, with no warning whatsoever. This was the result of incompetent mis-identification on the part of police. London police told several blatant lies concerning this affair and have since recanted, although no one was ever punished for this most egregious violation of not just Mr. De Menezes human rights, but in violating the most basic police procedures. Met police were found guilty of his wrongful death and fined £175,000 and costs. (My recollection was from the earlier reports; I did not recall or take the time to investigate the conclusion of the investigation and litigation.) --- The Second Amendment or the Whole Constitution?: The Firearms Coalition is a single-issue organization and GunVoters are a single-issue group, but, while that single issue is generally accepted as being the Second Amendment, the issue is actually the Constitution as a whole. The Second Amendment stands as a bulwark around the Constitution and "gun groups" in defending the Second Amendment are in fact defenders of the Constitution. Every government official, from the people who take away your water bottle at the airport, to the members of Congress, to the President of the United States, swears an oath to protect and defend the Constitution and to bear true faith and allegiance to it. This being the case, how is it possible that a proposal to require a statement of constitutional authority in all proposed legislation languish for more than 14 years in Congress - through Democrat control and through Republican control - without ever getting out of committee? ... http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6868 --- "Public Health" versus the RKBA: An October 19, 2009 article in the Washington Times examined federal health agencies that have spent millions of taxpayer dollars to study gun "safety." According to the article, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently financing research "to investigate whether having many liquor stores in a neighborhood puts people at greater risk of getting shot." The Times reports... Champions of the anti-gun movement, along with the anti-gun biased media, often use study results to plant fear and doubt among the uninformed masses on this particularly tempestuous issue. Notice the reference to more research being needed, with specific mention of a government - not private - agency. Yet Eugene Volokh, a prominent UCLA law professor and popular writer, promptly dissected the ScienceDaily.com headline, which had been repeated throughout the media... http://www.jbs.org/jbs-news-feed/5546-stealth-agencies-for-gun-control --- Bloomberg Allies Under Fire: Seven mayors in North Carolina are part of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-Bill of Rights organization, Mayors Against "Illegal Guns." ...Far from the stated goal of keeping guns away from criminals, the organization advocates for many anti-gun laws designed to simply deny the rights of lawful gun owners such as closing the fictional "gun show loophole." This reality has caused the coalition to lose many of the earlier members. Apparently seven of our mayors are either not bright enough to realize this or have no regard for your rights as Americans. They are listed below in the action section... http://www.ammoland.com/2009/10/27/is-your-mayor-a-bloomberg-anti-freedom-advocate/ The antis have "learned" about VCDL protesting the Falls Church Mayor, tomorrow, Monday, October 26 and the Norfolk Mayor, Tuesday, October 27 and are, er, up in arms. They are trying to get their members to turn out at the city council meetings to counter our protest... http://www.ammoland.com/2009/10/27/antis-are-upset-about-vcdl-protesting-anti-gun-mayors/ --- Bloomberg Deputy Challenged on Gun Show Stings: On October 20, 2009, Buckeye Firearms Chairman Jim Irvine appeared as a guest on WCPN's (Clevland Public Radio) "The Sound of Ideas," hosted by Dan Moulthrop. In a typical display of your tax dollars at work on the "impartial" forum of National Public Radio (NPR), the opening half of the show was given solely to one of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's cronies - John Feinblatt, the city's Criminal Justice Coordinator... One would expect that, if Bloomberg's cronies had evidence of actual crimes being committed, that their response would have been and should have been to tell actual law enforcement investigators... Indeed, in preparation for his segment on the show, Irvine confirmed with the City of Sharonville, OH, where some of Bloomberg's minions went undercover, that Bloomberg had not turned over to them any evidence of any alleged crimes. Law-enforcement officials in other cities and states that received visits from Bloomberg's minions have been quoted as saying the same... http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6949 --- Gun Smuggler Pleads Guilty: The man known as "Zorra" is the latest catch for federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents in Las Vegas. Five days ago he pleaded guilty in federal court, and when he is sentenced in January he faces up to five years in prison. The agents placed Claudio Caesar "Zorra" Penunuri at the center of a gun smuggling ring from here to Southern California and then south into Mexico. He provided the more than $100,000 in cash to purchase 28 rifles and pistols from Las Vegas gun dealers, and the smuggling routes to ship them illegally into the hands of violent Mexican drug cartels... For Thomas L. Chittum III, the resident agent in charge of the ATF field office in Las Vegas, and his agents, the Penunuri conviction is the most recent in about a half-dozen arrests this year in gun smuggling operations set up to funnel Nevada firearms into Mexico... (The article goes on to repeat the discredited "90%" lie, ignoring the porosity of Mexico's military armories and the smuggling of true military armaments into Mexico across its southern border and seacoasts. Twenty-eight rifles and pistols seem like a drop in a bucket.) http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/28/blocking-guns-path-mexico/ --- Campaign to Repeal California Ammo Bill: The NRA and its supporters are promising to fight Assemblyman Kevin DeLeon's (D-L.A.) AB 962, the bill recently signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger that requires stricter control over the purchase of handgun ammunition and bans all internet ammunition sales. Because Schwarzenegger vetoed the same bill one year ago, gun groups were surprised by the action. "We think it was a devastating mistake,'' Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, told the Los Angeles Times. The group represents roughly 30,000 gun owners throughout the state. "Ammunition buyers are going to be treated like registered sex offenders now.'' The bill, which will go into effect on Feb. 11, 2011, requires that purchasers of handgun ammunition be fingerprinted and registered at the time of purchase. Retailers must then maintain these records and make them available for inspection by the Department of Justice. Backed by the NRA and the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA), Assemblyman Curt Hagman (R-Chino Hills) has revised his AB 373 to repeal AB 962. In a press release, Hagman claimed that AB 962 was an attack on the second amendment... http://sandiegonewsroom.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36257:nra-firing-back-at-gun-bill-&catid=49:california&Itemid=50 --- This Just in from Chicago: Local gun shop owners say they're seeing an increase in the number of women shoppers right now. The reasons, they say, are many, including the downturn in the economy and violence on the street... "It's very dangerous out there. I mean, there's people getting robbed here and there," said Josie Santiago. "It's just for protection." Santiago says she's always thinking about the danger lurking on the streets of the Chicago area. It's a big reason why she visited Illinois Gun Works in Elmwood Park. Not only did she shop for a new weapon, but she also wanted to find out about taking firearms training from the pros. "It's better that you know how to use it," Santiago said. "You know, take the class, take the course, protect yourself." ... (I hope Santiago is not her real name. I would estimate the it will take about a year before shoe could legally possess the handgun in Chicago and I'm unwilling to estimate how long until she could legally carry it in a state of readiness in any city or town in Illinois.) http://cbs2chicago.com/local/women.handguns.increasing.2.1274866.html --- Oops, Wrong House: Mobile [AL] police say a possible burglar was shot and killed while he was trying to break into a home. Police say they received a call of a burglary in progress on Louise Drive around 6:45 Tuesday night. Details are scarce, but police say the man was attempting to break into the home when he was shot in the chest by a female inside. According to police, the man was transported to USA Medical Center where he pronounced dead. His name has not been released. (The Mobile area is not a healthy one to be a burglar or a robber. The citizens there pride themselves on the high rate of firearm ownership and carry. Pistol permits, for concealed carry, must be renewed annually and, while I was waiting for mine to be processed, a courtesy to attendees at the 1998 ASLET seminar who did not have a badge on which to carry, I noticed no racial disparity among the other applicants.) http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/burglar-killed-while-trying-to-break-into-home/486340/Oct-28-2009_12-45-am/ --- Meanwhile, across the Pond...: A man who allegedly stabbed two teenagers after he disturbed them burgling his mother's home was today charged with murder and wounding with intent. Omari Roberts is accused of knifing Tyler Juett, 17, and his 14-year-old friend after they broke into the house in Nottingham on March 13 this year. Juett later died. Today Roberts, 23, was charged with murder and wounding with intent after the Crown Prosecution Service said his actions were "not reasonable" and that he should face prosecution. http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Man_charged_with_murder_of_burglar&in_article_id=758375&in_page_id=34 --- Oops, Wrong Truck: A security guard shot a burglar hiding in the backseat of his truck in southwest Houston. The shooting happened around 2am on Clarewood and Alder in southwest Houston. Security guard Miguel Amaya was on his way to work overnight when he heard a noise. He slammed on the brakes and saw an 18-year-old man in the backseat. The two men began fighting. "I noticed he had something big in his pocket so I was like, 'Stop or I'm going to shoot.' He didn't stop so I shot. I went for the legs because I didn't want to kill the dude," said Amaya. The burglar was taken to the hospital. Amaya was not hurt. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7084508 --- Too Fat to Aim?: A Florida man accused of killing his former son-in-law in New Jersey says he was too fat to have committed the crime. When Edward Ates takes the stand in his own defense Thursday, he's expected to tell jurors he didn't have the energy to accurately shoot Paul Duncsak and make a quick getaway... (I can see obesity interfering with running. You'd have to have a heck of a lot of fat below the chin to keep you from aiming and, at close range, point shooting should be perfectly adequate to hit an unprepared victim.) http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/56245 --- Arizona Teen Hunter Recognized: Move over, Annie Oakley; make way for 16-year-old Savannah Flores. The Payson High School sophomore might be as accurate a marksman as the noted sharpshooter who rose to fame in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show... Savannah has been shooting for about six years, mostly with her brothers, Justin and Noah, and the accuracy seems to come naturally. "I don't do anything special, just shoot," she said. Her shooting skills paid huge dividends Oct. 9 and 10, only about a week after she had sighted her big game rifle at the TRSC range. Over the course of those two days, the teen bagged both a deer and elk - a feat almost unheard of even among the most seasoned of veteran hunters. Not only is finding the two animals to harvest a tough task, drawing a hunt tag for both is an extremely lucky occurrence... ( A bit of hyperbole perhaps but it's nice to see a favorable mention of hunting and shooting.) http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2009/oct/27/payson_teen_awes_shooting_expert/ --- More on the Limited-Edition Winchester 94: ...This Model 94 was in production for well over 100 years and then a couple years ago Winchester stopped production. This icon of American deer hunting is believed to be the first to come on the scene chambered in 30-30 Winchester and has the distinction of being the first American small bore, sporting cartridge, loaded with smokeless propellant. I am sure that most folks will probably be surprised to hear, according to the historical department at Marlin Firearms Company, the first rifle offered in the 30-30 Winchester was the Marlin Model 1893. The Marlin 1893 came out in 1893, but was shortly followed by the Winchester Model 94. The Winchester Model 94 was an upgrade of the Winchester Model 92 rifle. Both the Winchester 94 and the Marlin Model 1893 were just as handy as the earlier Model 92's, but handled the much more powerful 30-30 cartridge... http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/10/27/conroe_courier/sports/larry_1028.txt --- Good Advice: Gun owners should always be careful to ask the right questions of potential firearms buyers when selling guns privately so as to avoid illegally selling to a felon or someone from out of state. For those who might like to ask more detailed questions about possible sale disqualifications... (This article goes on to list the crucial questions from the BATF 4473 form. F Troop is renowned for trying to turn minor violators into informants so, regardless of your views on the constitutionality and value of these restrictions, it seems prudent to avoid selling firearms to prohibited possessors.) http://www.ammoland.com/2009/10/27/ask-the-right-questions-when-selling-guns-privately/ --- Tangentially Related: Dozens of leading French politicians, business figures and artists, including the son of the former President François Mitterrand, have been found guilty of fuelling one of Africa's deadliest civil wars through the illegal sale of weapons worth £450 million. Giving judgment after a trial in which prosecutors accused France of tacit backing for the unlawful arms trades, the Paris Criminal Court sentenced prominent members of the country's Establishment to jail terms and heavy fines... (This is the sort of pretext for international treaties that threaten to override the American RKBA.) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6892954.ece http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/10/28/20091028france-arms1028.html Alex Kozinski, chief judge of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, has apologized for having maintained an e-mail "gag list" in which he distributed crude jokes and other humorous material, according to an opinion made public Tuesday. Kozinski was admonished earlier this year in a separate case for being "judicially imprudent" and "exhibiting poor judgment" by placing sexually explicit photos and videos on an Internet server that could be accessed by the public. The opinion released Tuesday by the Judicial Council of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals said the investigation into the gag list was concluded after Kozinski said he had stopped e-mailing the jokes and "apologized for any embarrassment to the federal judiciary." The panel took no action against the judge... (Some may recall Kozinski's eloquent pro-RKBA dissent in the denial of an en banc rehearing of Silveira v. Lockyer. Several paragraphs of the dissent can be read at http://www.spw-duf.info/quotes.html.) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-kozinksi28-2009oct28,0,1824687.story -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .