Saturday, December 31, 2016

Followup TX: Brothers who shot Stepbrother Arrested



Clanton said he pointed his gun towards Bishop, but Clanton does not remember firing his gun and that he could have blacked out.

Clanton called 9-1-1, and according to the news release Clanton was extremely emotional when he told dispatchers “my brother had a gun and I shot him.”

A .357 Magnum revolver was recovered from the passenger seat of Clanton’s truck. A spent cartridge was in the firing position and four unspent cartridges were in the cylinder.

Investigators found Bishop behind the steering wheel of his truck with a single gunshot wound to his head. A loaded semi-automatic pistol was found in Bishop’s lap. There is no evidence that gun had been fired.


More Here

Stopped at 4 Dallas/Ft. Worth Walmarts: 3 had .22 LR





As I drove around the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex during Christmas season, 2016, I stopped at four area Walmart stores.  The first one was a couple of days before Christmas.  I did not have a car until the 24th, so I only looked in the Walmart at Frankford and Marsh Ln before Christmas.  I have written about .22 at that store for a year and a half.  It has had .22 LR in stock pretty reliably during that period, so I was not surprised to see a a couple thousand Winchester Super X, a couple of thousand CCI Stingers, a thousand CCI .22 short CB caps, and five  hundred CCI minimags.  They all seemed over priced, with the minimags the best buy of the lot at 7.47 cents a cartridge.



Benbrook Walmart Display
I stopped at the Benbrook Walmart next, on the other side of the metroplex, at the far South West edge.  I have been watching it for a year or so, and have never seen any .22 LR in it.  It was no surprise either.  The prices were the same as on the North Central edge, but there were only a few boxes of .17 rimfire.  No .22 LR.



Display at Dallas Parkway and Beltline Walmart
After meeting my Daughter for lunch, I stopped at the Walmart at Dallas Parkway and Beltline, a more central location. I did not expect to find any .22 LR. I thought the Frankford location was a fluke. I was wrong.  The Parkway and Beltline store had a fairly good stock.  The prices were the same.  You can see .22 Magnums on the left of the picture, some CCI .22 LR shotshells, plenty of Winchester SuperX, and some CCI .22 CB shorts.  I talked to a friendly Walmart employee who explained the situation.  For a period of time this year, the Walmart had been closed for remodeling. During that period, .22 ammunition kept coming fairly regularly, but it could not be sold.

When the store when back into operation, the employees keep the shelves stocked with .22, and they have not run out since.  SuperX is the most common .22 LR round they get in. They get some CCI, and a little bit of both Remington golden bullets and Federal .22 LR. They do not have a three box limit on purchase.

Plano Store Display

The last store I stopped at was in Plano, off the George Bush Turnpike.  The nearest cross street was Park.  This store was not as busy as the others, but it was a weekday afternoon between Christmas and New Year's Eve. I did not expect to find any .22 LR there.  Surprise! There, tucked down in the lowest shelf, with no price showing was nearly 2,000 rounds of Winchester SuperX, some CCI .22 Magnum and a carton of CCI .22 LR shotshells.

I was pretty sure I would find .22 LR at the Frankford store, but I was surprised to find significant quantities at two of the other three stores where I stopped.

The prices were nothing to smile about.  8.37 cents a round for Winchester SuperX seems a bit high to me.  Using a constant dollar calculator, it would translate back to about 1 cent a round in the early 1950's. It is not completely out of line.

I expect .22 LR to become more plentiful and cheaper in the coming year.

None of the .22 LR was in bulk packs, and that is where the best deals for blasting ammunition is found.  The Internet sellers have .22 LR as low as 5.6 cents a round, but you have to pay shipping.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch




Milwaukee Police Chief Right: CCW Justifiable Shooting Increases Homicide Numbers

63rd and Euclid on 27 December, 2016
Image from Fox6now.com

It was a dark and cold winter night on Tuesday, 27 December in Milwaukee, at 10 p.m. The sun had set more than three hours ago. There was no moon, but there was a cold breeze. The temperature held at 23 degrees. The blustery wind of the afternoon had dropped off. A 36-year-old Milwaukee resident was walking his dog in a secluded neighborhood. Street lights were far apart.

Two teenage criminals were in a car, cruising for trouble. They found it. The armed teens attempted to rob the man. He had a concealed carry permit, a handgun, and fought back. One of the teens was killed, the other, seriously wounded, fled in the car back to the scene of a previous shooting. From Fox6now.com:
Police say their preliminary investigation reveals Thomas was attempting to commit a robbery at the time of the shooting and was shot by the 36-year-old Milwaukee man who was being robbed -- who was out walking his dog on Tuesday night. That man is being questioned by investigators. He has not been arrested, and police say this case will be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office in the coming days.

The man has a concealed carry permit.

Officials also say Thomas' co-actor, an 18-year-old Milwaukee man, was also shot during the altercation. He apparently went to the neighborhood near 24th and Ruby after the incident -- and has since been taken into custody.
Police Chief Ed Flynn, a transplant from Massachusetts and New Jersey, says a big part of the Milwaukee homicide problem is concealed carry permits.   From the postcresent.com:
 “What we’re seeing are more guns on the streets,” the chief told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. “I can tell you anecdotally we’re seeing a number of shootings involving concealed carry permit holders — many of whom have extensive criminal records — but I’m not allowed to tell you how many or whom, because the law has been carefully written to prevent analysis of that information.”
Chief Flynn conveniently leaves out the fact that only one Wisconsin concealed carry permit holder has been convicted of a homicide, and he was convicted of manslaughter by a jury. He pled self defense. I am certain that if any other unjustified homicides had been committed by concealed carry permit holders, the information would have been leaked to the media.

But Wisconsin concealed carry permit holders are incredibly law abiding, like the permit holders in other states. The statistics show that CCW holders are more law abiding than police officers.

Milwaukee homicides may break the record set in 1993 this year. There were 160 homicides that year. The rest of Wisconsin typically has 37 homicides in a year.  Milwaukee seems to be on track to do so. We won't know until the end of the year.  There were a number of self defense shootings in Milwaukee this year. They are included in the unofficial site totals.

Chief Ed Flynn has said that another problem with minority neighborhoods in urban centers, is that they do not trust the police.
In “disadvantaged communities of color,” he noted, “crime has not gone down. It’s gone down in some place called America. But in those neighborhoods, there’s easy access to firearms… and there are extraordinary rates of homicide. Nationally, African Americans represent 51 percent of homicide victims. In our cities it’s more like 80 percent.

“It’s an urban tragedy. But the heart of the police dilemma is those neighborhoods that demand our services, need us the most, request us the most, depend upon us us the most, for social or historical reasons, distrust us, and… we can’t protect them effectively if we’re not trusted.
Chief Flynn is right about the problem being a lack of "trust of the police". You do not prove to people that you trust them by disarming them. From Machiavelli: From "The Prince":
There is no comparison whatever between an armed and disarmed man; it is not reasonable to suppose that one who is armed will obey willingly one who is unarmed; or that any unarmed man will remain safe.... - Niccoló Machiavelli, The Prince. 1537.
You do not foster trust of the police by claiming they are racist monsters who are looking for chances to gun down innocent black men. That meme has been implicitly pushed by President Obama and the establishment media with the whole "Black Lives Matter" propaganda. It is what has caused the Ferguson Effect, where police, repeatedly attacked by the media and "progressives", (but I repeat myself) pull back from violent neighborhoods. In those neighborhoods, the murder rate has skyrocketed.

Milwaukee Chief Flynn seems to prefer that the innocent 36-Year-Old Milwaukee resident be a good little victim, and submit to whatever the teen criminals demand of him. The good citizens of Milwaukee disagree. In a quick review of the 80 comments at the article reporting the shooting, I could not find one that agreed with that view.  This one was typical:
JR
They got what they had coming to them. Good job to the robbery victim. This is why i am for carrying

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Link to Gun Watch

WI: Millwaukee Man Walking dog Shoots two Robbery Suspects, 17-Year-Old dies



Police say their preliminary investigation reveals Thomas was attempting to commit a robbery at the time of the shooting and was shot by the 36-year-old Milwaukee man who was being robbed -- who was out walking his dog on Tuesday night. That man is being questioned by investigators. He has not been arrested, and police say this case will be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office in the coming days.

The man has a concealed carry permit.

Officials also say Thomas' co-actor, an 18-year-old Milwaukee man, was also shot during the altercation. He apparently went to the neighborhood near 24th and Ruby after the incident -- and has since been taken into custody.
More Here

GA: Passenger in Porshe Stops Crime Spree, Shoots Carjack Suspect

Slowly, Atlanta police released details of what led to the shutdown in one of city’s most heavily-traveled areas:
  • A black Hummer was involved in at least eight hit-and-runs.
  • With cops on his tail, the driver got out of the Hummer and attempted to carjack a white Porsche stopped at Spring and 16th streets.
  • A passenger in the Porsche pulled out a gun and shot him.
  • Police used a Taser on the man.
More Here

Friday, December 30, 2016

NV: AG says Background Check Referendum Unenforceable



The FBI has stated that it cannot and will not comply with the mandate prescribed by the "universal background check" referendum that was passed in November in Nevada.  The referendum was Ballot Question 1, a complicated eight page referendum that required private sales to be conducted through federally licensed dealers. From the Nevada Secretary of State archive.org:


You can see that explicitly in subparagraph 3., the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, (NICS) is required to do the check, and *not* the Central Repository in Nevada, as is done according to Nevada law, currently. 

Nevada law allowed private individuals to voluntarily run checks on private firearms transfers. Ballot Question 1 made those voluntary checks mandatory, and required that they be done by the FBI in NICS.

According to Ballotpedia, the FBI has informed Nevada that they will not do the "background check" as required by the Ballot Question 1:
According to a letter from the FBI to Nevada, "the recent passage of the Nevada legislation [Question 1] regarding background checks for private sales cannot dictate how federal resources are applied." Furthermore, Nevada is one of 12 states with a state-run background checks system and does not depend on the FBI to perform existing background checks.[1]
The FBI suggested that the Nevada Department of Public Safety's Criminal History Repository (CHR) conduct the background checks of private-party sales and transfers. However, Attorney General Laxalt concluded that such a move would violate the initiative's language.
 The Attorney General, Adam Paul Laxalt (R) issued an opinion on the enforceability of the referendum. Taking into account the FBI's unwillingness to be directed by the State. From reviewjournal.com:
CARSON CITY — A new Nevada law requiring background checks for private party gun sales was deemed unenforceable Wednesday, days before it was to take effect because the FBI refuses to conduct them and the state lacks authority to do so.

The opinion issued by the office of Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt left gun enthusiasts elated and proponents of background checks reeling from the blow of another setback — the second since 2013 when a bill requiring universal screenings was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Backers are now turning their sights to the 2017 Legislature, while others expressed hope that the state and FBI can work out a compromise.
It appears that Ballot Question 1 is a dead letter for the present. Under an Obama administration, the FBI might be pressured to "find a way" to make it work. It is highly unlikely that a Trump administration will be so inclined.

Michael Bloomberg should have spend another million or so to buy some high priced lawyers to vet the initiative  before signatures were gathered.

It is about 20 million dollars down the drain for the anti-rights zealot.

That is chump change for Michael Bloomberg. 

Nevada Secretary of State Democrat Ross Miller, was quite willing to certify a dubious ballot initiative under questionable circumstances. The current Nevada Secretary of State, Barbara Cegavske, is a Republican.

If the performance is to be repeated, it will take another three years and more than $20 million.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch


Thursday, December 29, 2016

TX: Homeowner Disarms Suspect, Shoots Two, is Wounded



SAPD Sgt. Lena Smith said two men armed with handguns, one with two firearms, began knocking on the door of the house at about 1 a.m.

“Before they could open the door, the door was kicked in by two suspects,” Smith said.

A struggle ensued between the suspects and the homeowner, who managed to take away one of the guns from the suspects, investigators said.

That’s when bullets were exchanged between them, police said.

One suspect was critically injured by the homeowner and transported to University Hospital when responders arrived, Smith said.


More Here

TX: Homeowner uses .22 Rifle to stop, wound, Intruder



“(The suspect) broke a window in the back, and then came in through the front door,” Brittain said. “Pretty much bust through the front door ... with a bar.”


Once the suspect was in the living room, he was met by the homeowner with a .22 caliber rifle, Brittain said.
The homeowner fired several shots hitting the suspect twice before he fled down the street, police said.

More Here

GA: Clerk Shoots back in Gun Fight, Kills 1 Suspect



CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - Police said when masked men walked into a convenience store in Cartersville and started firing, the clerk pulled out his gun and shot back. One of the masked men was hit and killed and police are still looking for two others.
More Here

IL: Drunk Couple go to Wrong Home, Man is Shot



A Carbondale man is shot in the shoulder after police say he walked into the wrong home.

It happened just after 2 in the morning on Christmas Eve at a home on Stahl Street in Washington.

Police got the call for a possible home invasion.

When they got there, they say 29 year-old Casey Rice was on the ground with a gunshot wound.

Police say Rice and his wife had been out drinking with friends and family and walked back to what they thought was their relative’s home. According to police, the home they intended to go to and where they were planning on staying for the night was actually three blocks away.
More Here

OH: Domestic Defense: Man uses Gun to Shoot Brother armed with Knife


The 911 dispatcher asked the caller who had been shot.

In a calm voice, 21-year-old Ali Mohamed said, "My little brother."

"Did you see who did it?" she asked.

"I did," he told her on the recording of his call on Monday afternoon from a residence on the Near East Side. "He had a knife coming toward me. So I shot him with my gun in the stomach."
More Here

Teixeira v. Alameda to be Heard at Ninth Circuit, En Banc (gun store zoning) case



Earlier this year, on May 16th,  a three judge panel on the Ninth Circuit ruled that Alameda County in California could not impose a zoning ordinance on gun stores that was more strict than for other businesses.  In the case, Teixeira v. County of Alameda, the ordinance restricted gun stores from locating anywhere withing 500 feet of a residentially zoned district.  From the ruling(pdf):
Reversing the dismissal of plaintiffs’ Second Amendment claims, the panel held that the County had offered nothing to undermine the panel’s conclusion that the right to purchase and to sell firearms is part and parcel of the historically recognized right to keep and to bear arms. The panel held that the Ordinance burdened conduct protected by the Second Amendment and that it therefore must be subjected to heightened scrutiny—something beyond mere rational basis review.

The panel held that under heightened scrutiny, the County bore the burden of justifying its action, and that the district court should have required the County to provide some evidentiary showing that gun stores increase crime around their locations or negatively impact the aesthetics of a neighborhood. The panel held that if on remand evidence did confirm that the Ordinance as applied, completely bans new guns stores (rather than merely regulating their location), something more exacting than intermediate scrutiny would be warranted. 
 It appeared to be a fairly uncontroversial ruling.  If you wish to ban gun stores, the Second Amendment cannot exist without a place to buy guns and ammunition. Therefore you have to show more than a mere "rational basis" to ban gun stores. (Rational basis is the least restrictive level of judicial scrutiny under which a judge examines a law to see if it violates constitutional rights. It is hardly any scrutiny at all).

The court ruled that under intermediate scrutiny, the middle step of the scrutiny ladder, the defendants had not shown any evidence that gun stores increased crime or negatively impacted the aesthetics of the neighborhood. Therefore they ruled against Alameda County.

Now the entire Ninth Circuit will re-hear the case, throwing out the three judge panel ruling, reminiscent of what happened in the Peruta case.  On 27 December of 2016, the Ninth Circuit posted this notice:
THOMAS, Chief Judge:

Upon the vote of a majority of nonrecused active judges, it is ordered that this case be reheard en banc pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 35(a) and Circuit Rule 35-3. The three-judge panel opinion shall not be cited as precedent by or to any court of the Ninth Circuit.
There appears to be a new tradition that has established itself in the Ninth Circuit. Three judge panel decisions, which are the vast majority of decisions, that involve the Second Amendment, will be heard en banc.

There must be an exception to this new tradition.

No doubt an informed reader will supply one.

Second Amendment cases that may be appealed to a Supreme Court with a Trump appointee are accumulating.

 ©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

WI: UW Madison Students Plan to Duplicate Texas Sex Toy Protest Failure


In 2016, students at the University of Texas at Austin staged a protest involving the public carry of sex toys. The protest was supposed to somehow change people's minds about the exercise of Second Amendment rights on Campus. The protest made national news for a day or two. No discernible effect was noticed at any administrative or legislative level.

The following paragraph has been updated and extended.

As a subjective matter, it seemed to trivialize and demean the protesters, labeling them as juvenile and preoccupied with sex. There appeared to be some sort of rule against the sex toys on campus. It is hard to understand what the point the protesters were intending to make. But it appears to me that the current crop of leftist protesters are obsessed with sex. Because they know little to nothing about guns, they attempt to somehow equate guns with sex, a subject they are much more comfortable with.  Some people have claimed that people who open carry guns are attempting to be noticed.  What does that say about people who march around waving large sex toys?

Now, students at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, are planning to duplicate the Austin Texas, failure.

From wpr.org:
A group of University of Wisconsin-Madison students is planning to carry sex toys on campus to protest a bill that may come before the state Legislature next year.

The bill, currently in drafting stages, said its sponsor, Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, would allow concealed weapons in public college or university classrooms. Concealed weapons are already allowed on campus grounds, but not in buildings.

Kat Kerwin, a sophomore at UW-Madison who is organizing the protest, said concealed weapons will make students uncomfortable in the classroom.

"Campus carry isn’t something that’s going to make campus safer," Kerwin said. "It’s going to make students uncomfortable, it’s going to make them wary to express their views in politically charged classrooms."

Kerwin said she believes professors will feel uneasy as well.

"It’s going to make professors feel unsafe and make professors want to leave and seek other big research universities that don’t have campus carry," she said.
There are differences in the two universities, of course. Both are large, "progressive" public universities. Both strongly depend on the generosity of the people of their state, through the state legislature. The Texas protest took place in nice weather. If the Wisconsin protest hopes to wait for nice weather, they may have to wait until after spring break.

Wisconsin already has campus carry, except for most University buildings. Texas has just implemented the campus carry legislation, including most buildings.

In the gun culture, professors that will not come to a university with campus carry is a bonus. The question has never been "will it make a campus safer?" The demand is "You have no legitimate reason to deny us our rights!"

The image of a couple of hundred frosty "progressive" students parading around in their parkas with their frozen sex toys waving about is almost too good to miss.  I have a contact or two in Madison.  Perhaps I can find someone to take pictures. Don't drop those things on the sidewalk. In below zero temps, they would almost certainly shatter. That is the engineer and meteorologist in me speaking.

Have at it, boys and girls. Should make some great photography!


©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

GA: Gun Store Owner Shoots, Kills 1 of 2 Robbery Suspects


COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A gun store owner shot and killed a man attempting to rob his store Monday morning, according to police.

The owner of Dixie Gun and Pawn on Veterans Memorial Parkway in Cobb County, along with one other worker, had just opened the store when two men with ski masks and guns came in, according to investigators. Police say the owner pulled out his gun and fired, hitting one of the gunmen.
More Here

MI: Elderly Man Shoots Intruder; Gun Beats Knife



BLACKMAN TWP., MI - Police are continuing to search for an intruder believed to have been shot when he entered the home of an elderly man on Winifred Street.

As of Tuesday morning, he had not been found, Blackman-Leoni Township public safety Deputy Director Christoper Boulter wrote in an email.

A man fired at least four times Friday night at the intruder, said to be armed with a knife, and the man fled with the homeowner's gun and pickup truck.
More Here

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

New York Woman Files Suit for Due Process when Denied Second Amendment Rights

Skelos, Cuomo, Silver


On April 7, 2015, Donna L. McKay voluntarily admitted herself into mental health unit at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital in Penn Yan, NY, for a variety of reasons, including taking some newly prescribed prescription medication and anxiety due to recent events that raised the stress level in her life. A doctor had suggested the possibility of a voluntary admission in the event of another panic attack. Some time after her admission, the treating physician, Dr. Marino, made an online report in compliance with the infamous "SAFE" act.
According to Dr. Marino, the online report did not state that Donna McKay was mentally defective, or that she had been involuntarily committed.

On April 13, 2015, the State Police sent a letter to Donna McKay stating that her pistol license, which she had possessed since 2008, was suspended, because of mental incompetence or involuntary commitment. All her firearms, including rifles and shotguns, had to be turned over to the Sheriff's department for safekeeping while the matter was being adjudicated.

A date of 19 May was set for McKay to appear to respond to the letter. The letter did not state the basis for the ruling. She appeared with counsel on 19 May. Over a year later, on 7 June, 2016, Donna McKay's pistol permit was ordered restored, and her firearms ordered returned. The routine report from her doctor had been the cause of the State infringing on her Second Amendment rights. In the court decision, the court noted that the state had considerable discretion when deciding whether a person should be allowed to exercise their Second Amendment rights. From justia.com:
A pistol license may be revoked and cancelled "for any good cause" [see, Mtr of Vale v Eidens, 290 AD2d 612, 613 (3rd Dept 2002)] at any time if the court determines that a licensee is no longer eligible or fit to continue to possess a firearm. PL §400.00(1) (n). This could include an inability to possess a pistol license due to mental illness (P.L. §400.00(1)(i), having been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility [P. L. §400.00(1)(j)] or having a guardian appointed for her [P. L. §400.00(1)(m)].

When exercising its discretion, the court must look to the underlying facts in the record before it and as they relate to the respondent's fitness and eligibility to hold a pistol license. And the court is not bound by a standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt but rather "good cause" based upon "substantial evidence". Perlov v Kelly, 21 AD3d 270, 271 (2nd Dept 2005), citing Mtr of Abramowitz v Safir, 293 AD2d 352, noting that "our obligation is limited to insuring that respondent (court) met the very minimal evidentiary requirement necessary to uphold its determination', quoting Mtr of Scully v Safir, 282 AD2d 305, 308 (1st Dept 2001).

In this regard, "the State has a substantial and legitimate interest and indeed, a grave responsibility, in insuring the safety of the general public from the individuals who, by their conduct, have shown themselves to be lacking the essential temperament or character which [*5]should be present in one entrusted with a dangerous instrument." Dorsey v Teresi, 26 AD3d 635, 636, quoting Mtr of Pelose v County Ct. of Westchester, 53 AD2d 645 (2nd Dept 1976), app. dism. 41 NY2d 1008.
Consider what happened to Donna McKay. At no time did she do any thing that would have justified taking her Second Amendment rights from her.  A routine form, submitted by a doctor as a routine matter, that did not find that she was either involuntarily committed or mentally defective, was sent to the State Police. The police, without any further investigation or judicial process, issued the order that effectively deprived McKay of her rights for over a year. It is plausible that if she had not hired an attorney and vigorously defended her rights, they would have been taken forever.  Notice the asymmetry. It took the State less than a week and a few keystrokes, to take away McKay's rights. It took more than a year, and considerable treasure to restore them.

After winning the court case to restore her rights, her lawyer,  Paloma Capanna, has filed a lawsuit to require a more rigorous process in the future. From the timesunion.com:
By not having representation when police initially took her weapons she was deprived of due process, Capanna contends.

The suit, filed earlier in December in federal court in Rochester, seeks an injunction that would require the state to provide legal counsel in gun confiscation cases and notification to individuals who are facing confiscation.

State Police declined to comment since the matter was pending litigation.

An estimated 380,000 New Yorkers have been reported to the NCIC database. Capanna argues that those people should be notified.
In spite of having her pistol permit restored and her firearms returned, Donna McKay is still in the federal NICS system as a prohibited person. Her name was added to the prohibited person list when the State Police sent the the notice suspending her pistol license.

The New York Safe Act has numerous significant flaws. It is actively being challenged in several court cases. The act was passed as an "emergency" measure without regular debate or committee hearings, in one night, under pressure from Governor Cuomo.

Of the three men most responsible for the "SAFE" act, two have been convicted on corruption charges. Sheldon Silver, former Speaker, of the New York State Assembly, was convicted in 2015. Dean Skelos, the former leader of the Senate, was convicted in December of 2015.  Governor Cuomo, is being investigated on a number of corruption charges. The election of Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton, does not bode well for Governor Cuomo.

The lawsuit against the State of New York was only filed a few days ago. It will take months to work its way through the courts.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court. It may be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. If the case travels that far, it may find a Court with one or more Donald Trump appointees.


©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch


Tuesday, December 27, 2016

TX: Armed Son Shoots, Kills 1 of 2 Intruders



KINGWOOD, Texas -- A burglary suspect was shot and killed in a Kingwood home on Christmas Eve.

According to police, the incident happened around 9:45 p.m. Saturday on Longleaf Pines Lane when a resident noticed broken glass in a front window of his home.

Police said as he was checking out the glass, the homeowner noticed a suspect in his home. He then alerted his son who was also in the house with his wife.

The son, who carries a weapon, shot the suspect. He died in the home.
More Here

TX: Homeowner Shoots, Kills Suspect in Car Burglary



In one instance, a homeowner shot and killed a suspected burglar inside a house on Longleaf Pines Lane in Kingwood.

In Fort Bend County on Malin Court, a man shot and killed someone who was rummaging through his truck.

The sheriff's office there tells us the suspect killed on Malin Court was only 18-years-old.

"The bullet hit the bottom of this bumper right here and they had to retrieve the bullet out of there," said Michael Adams, who showed us where a bullet went through the back of his Lexus Sunday morning.

Investigators tell us Adams' neighbor got off at least three rounds at the suspected burglar--2 of them hit the suspect; another hit Adams' car.

"I feel lucky it hit the bumper versus shattering a window," Adams said.
More Here

KS: Farmer's Life Changed after Theft and Defensive Shooting



ST. FRANCIS — Farmer Blake Feikert is in fear for his life and for others close to him because the man he admitted to shooting while burglarizing him a second time is walking free.

“We need to have some justice. If they do it once, they’ll be back to do it again,” said Feikert, 39. “I think everybody needs to be able to protect their property.”

The man he shot is recovering from injuries and is home from the hospital, Feikert said, but has yet to be publicly identified or charged after being found 25 days ago in Feikert’s farm shop with a wound from a .45 caliber handgun.
More Here

MI: Armed Victim Shoots 2, Stops Carjack



DETROIT (WXYZ - Detroit police say a CPL holder shot and wounded two men who tried to carjack him at a gas station in northwest Detroit early Friday morning.

According to police, it happened just after midnight in the area of 7 Mile Rd. and Shiawassee at the Valero gas station.


More Here

TX: Fort Bend man shoots, kills burglary suspect


A Fort Bend County man is not facing charges after shooting and killing a man he said was breaking into a car, officials said.

A grand jury will determine if a Fort Bend County man will face charges after shooting and killing a man he said was breaking into a truck.

It happened in the 8200 block of Malin Ct., police said.

The man went into his kitchen around 4:45 a.m. and noticed on his security cameras that someone was outside his home.

He asked his wife to call police while he went outside to confront the suspect.

"I carry weapons and I have a few magazines in the vehicle and I have a holster and I have ammo. A few boxes of ammo," he said. "He had his left hand full of some of my stuff and with his right hand, I was unable to determine whether or not he was putting something into his pocket or if he was pulling something out of his pocket."

The man fired three to four shots, killing the man on the scene.

"I am so sorry," he told us. "This was not my intent when I walked outside."

No names have been released in the case.

http://abc13.com/news/fort-bend-man-shoots-kills-burglary-suspect/1672817/

Monday, December 26, 2016

NC: Store Employee Shoots, Kills Armed Robber



CANDLER – Authorities in western North Carolina say a 21-year-old man was fatally shot while robbing a Mexican grocery store.

The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office says deputies found Darwin Villatoro lying on the ground near Tienda Mexicana in Candler about 8:30 p.m. Friday after a store employee called 911. The Asheville resident was pronounced dead at the scene.
More Here

Followup WA: 81-Year-Old Justified in Shooting Intruder who Stapped Husband



SULTAN — A prosecutor says an 81-year-old woman had no choice but to use deadly force when she fatally shot a home intruder in April.

The Herald reports Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson wrote in his decision that Barbara Moles fired as 25-year-old Steven Sheppard advanced toward her.


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NC: Off Duty Deputy Shoots Dogs that Attacked Woman



FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — An off-duty sheriff’s deputy shot two dogs in the parking lot of the Home Depot on Skibo Road in Fayetteville after they attacked a woman, police said.

One dog was killed, and one was wounded in the leg in the Friday-evening incident. The surviving dog was taken by animal control.
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UT: Home Intruder Shot


At this time, the shooting is being investigated by police as self-defense. It appears the shooter was defending himself against a home intruder who had broken into the apartment, according to Orem Police Department.


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WI: Kremer Pushes Campus, Constitutional Carry for 2017


Wisconsin has made incremental progress in restoring the right to keep and bear arms in the last few years.  Representative Jesse Kremer has been an active Second Amendment supporter in the legislature. He was re-elected in the 2016 presidential year.  The state has built on the Constitutional amendment passed in 1998, with 74% of the vote.
The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose
Representative Kremer seems to believe that the amendment, now Article 1, Section 25 of the Wisconsin state constitution, means what it says.

Wisconsin passed Act 35, a good shall issue law in 2011. Improvements to Act 35 have been made, reducing the cost and making application and renewal possible online. The legislature removed the silly 48 hour waiting period that Wisconsin required for handgun purchases from federal firearms licensees. Last year, Wisconsin removed state restrictions on the carry of knives by non-felo

Kremer has introduced gun related reforms for the 2017 session. They include removing some restrictions on school carry and campus carry for people with concealed carry permits, and a bill to remove the requirement of a permit for most concealed carry.  That would place Wisconsin in the permitless or "constitutional carry" group, which currently has 11 states as members, and Puerto Rico, if a current court ruling there holds. From madison.com:
On the Wisconsin Gun Owners website, Kremer has included his own petition for supporters of the measure.

Kremer confirmed that the proposal is one of several pro-gun initiatives he plans to introduce early in the coming legislative session. He’s also working with other Republican lawmakers on introducing a “constitutional carry” law, which would allow anyone who can legally own a firearm to carry it without a permit. He said the permit process would still be in place so that gun owners could carry their firearms in states with reciprocity agreements. A permit also would likely be required to carry a firearm on campus, he said.
Representative Kremer recently appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio, defending his objectives.  Here is a link to archived WPR program:

WPR show on School and Campus Carry

In the University of Wisconsin student newspaper, the Daily Cardinal, Kremer is quoted about the positive effects of campus carry.  
From The Daily Cardinal:
Kremer said both parties are working to make college campuses safer but argued that college students who are of legal concealed carry age should have the same rights as those who are the same age but not in college.

“I feel we need to be proactive for a bill like this where we provide protection and prevent crime around our college campuses,” he said.

Kremer told The Daily Cardinal last week that he plans on reintroducing a campus carry bill next session, although he said it may not be rolled out immediately at the beginning of the next legislative session in January.
Wisconsin has suffered from a lack of strong Second Amendment leadership in the legislature since Senator Pam Galloway resigned in March of 2012, for health reasons in her family. Galloway had been instrumental in passing Act 35, one of the most successful shall issue permit laws, in 2011.  The legislature seems primed to pass significant reforms, but leadership on the issue has been lacking.

Representative Kremer may emerge as the Second Amendment legislative leader that has been missing in Wisconsin.


©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.  

 Link to Gun Watch

Sunday, December 25, 2016

AR: Shotgun Beats Handgun in Store Defense shooting



Shop owner Sonny Singh said that he got to the Mountain Pine Corner Store around midnight after grabbing some dinner. The store was closed, but he heard alarms going off.

He said that he went inside and saw a man with a gun and some money so he rushed behind the counter and got his shotgun.

Singh says he told the man to drop the gun, but instead he fired a shot. That's when Singh fired back.
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CO: Domestic Defense, Father Shoots Son in Leg



It happened around 6 p.m. at a home on Candlestar Loop. Police said the son, 34-year-old Michael Jones, was acting violent and aggressive toward his father and other family members. When Jones threatened to kill his father, the father asked him to leave, but he refused. When Jones advanced on him, the father shot him in the leg.

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Delaware Judge Holds that State Constitution Does not Apply in State Parks, Forests


Judge T. Henley Graves


A year ago, the Bridgeport Rifle and Pistol Club filed suit against the state against the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The suit is designed to enforce Article 1, Section 20 of Delaware's Constitution. From ballotpedia.com:
A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and State, and for hunting and recreational use.
The departments mentioned ban the possession of guns from public parks and state forests, unless the person is actually hunting with a valid hunting license.
From the seafordstar.com:
This is not the club s first involvement in a lawsuit. It filed a brief in support of a 2010 complaint by two residents against the Wilmington Housing Authority and the authority s ban on guns in common areas of its public housing complexes. In 2014, the Delaware Supreme Court decided that the ban was unlawful under Delaware s Constitution. Also unlawful, the court decision said, was the authority s requirement that residents who owned guns have any permit or license available at all times for inspection. 

We were successful in ensuring that people who live in public housing have the same rights as everyone else, Hague said.
Winning the current suit would benefit people who travel to Sussex County to participate in shooting competitions at the rifle club, Hague said: We have a lot of competitors who like to go camping. They like to come down for a weekend, attend a match and then camp at Trap Pond State Park.
It would seem the suit is a slam dunk. The constitutional provision is clear. Precedent has been established by a previous state supreme court decision. But the local Superior Court Judge was not convinced.
From wral.com:
On Friday, a Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the state, saying the regulations do not violate Delaware's Constitution.

"The regulations do not run afoul of the Delaware Constitution, defendants were not pre-empted by the General Assembly in enacting the regulations, and defendants did not exceed the scope of the authority granted to them by statute in promulgating the regulations" wrote Judge T. Henley Graves.


The logic here seems to be that the regulatory agencies were not stopped from violating the state constitution by the legislature, when the regulations were passed. Therefore the agencies did not exceed the authority given to them by the General Assembly?

Huh. What? The judge explained further:
The judge concluded that the state agencies have an important governmental objective of keeping the public safe from the potential harm of firearms in parks and forests.
So, a constitutional provision that guarantees the right to protect yourself with arms, can be overridden by a regulatory agency because the agency has an important government objective of "keeping the public safe from the potential harm of firearms"?

The Bridgeville Rifle & Pistol Club's facebook page, and the Delaware State Sportsmen's Association's webpage do not have any response to the judge's decision yet.

Judge Graves may believe the decision is up to a higher level court than his. I expect that an appeal will be filed.

  ©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. 

 Link to Gun Watch








Saturday, December 24, 2016

PA: Gun beats BB Gun in Attempted Robbery



Police said Calvin Leon Smith, 47, walked into a Subway on East Carson Street with a gun, which was later determined to be a BB gun. An employee told police that Smith went behind the counter while pointing the gun at him. The employee, who has a permit to carry a firearm, pulled a gun from his pocket and shot Smith three times.
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GA: Woman Fires Warning Shot with .45, Holds Suspect for Police


The intended victim, who was armed with a .45, fired a warning shot and held Smith at gunpoint until police arrived.

Smith was placed in police custody and taken to the county jail.

Five vehicles were burglarized over the past two weeks in Tifton, with valuables and money that were left in the vehicles being stolen.
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LA: Man is Robbed, Arms Himself, Follows Robber, Wins Gunfight



A man was sitting in his vehicle when an armed male approached him and demanded his wallet and his cell phone, said Bossier City Police spokesperson Mark Natale.

The victim complied and the suspect — later identified as Camron Deon Williams, 20, of Shreveport — began to walk away. The robbery victim then armed himself and followed Williams, Natale said.

The robbery victim and Williams then exchanged gunfire, with Williams firing several rounds at the victim who returned at least two shots. Williams then ran away from the scene.

The robbery victim was not hit, but Williams showed up about 30 minutes later at University Health for treatment.

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MD: Private Investigator Shoots Teen who Threatened him



Police say the 73-year-old investigator, a former city police officer, was sitting in his car Wednesday afternoon in southwest Baltimore when a group of young men approached. When the 13-year-old boy opened the car door and displayed what appeared to be a handgun, police say the man shot him. The others fled.
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TN: No Charges in Birchfield, Sanders Domestic Shooting, Stabbing



HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Hendersonville Police said no charges will be filed against the widower of late country music singer Jean Shepard in deaths at his home Saturday.

Police said Benny Birchfield, Shephard’s widower, 79, fired shots to “neutralize the threat” at Elnora Court over the weekend. Police said Birchfield shot five times in self-defense and killed Travis Sanders, 21. Birchfield said he was trying to protect his granddaughter, Ice Hawkins, 18.

Hawkins was found alive in the home, but passed away on the way to the hospital from injuries sustained in the stabbing.

Police said Birchfield confronted Sanders about 3 a.m. after hearing commotion. That's when Sanders stabbed Birchfield and he fired shots.

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Gun Hater Propaganda Movie Bombs at Box Office


Miss Sloane was supposed to be an effective gun hater propaganda masterpiece. It should have been considering the money spent on it.

The production budget for "Miss Sloane" is reported at 18 million, with one of the top advertising budgets for movies, ever, of 15.9 million. Total box office, so far is just short of 3.2 million. It seems likely to be a major loser. Prospects for video sales look dim.

I did not see the movie. The ads and the premise were obviously a propaganda attempt, directly at odds with reality. That prompted me to avoid it. I refused to send them money. If I am to watch fantasy, let it be uplifting, fun, and exciting. The latest Star Wars fantasy epic spent about the same amount on advertising. Box office receipts have been 50 times greater.  I saw the Star Wars effort, Rogue One. It had some nice positive images for an armed population.

A conservative contributor at freerepublic.com took the effort to see "Miss Sloane". Here is his response. From freerepublic.com:
“No one wants to see a propaganda movie.”

True, yet “Miss Sloan”, which I have seen, is astoundingly bad, even for a piece of Hollywood propaganda. The movie The Contender, which came out about 15 years ago, was reviewed by Elle magazine as having been “...written to elicit screening room ovations by Rob Reiner.” Indeed, that movie was transparently leftist propaganda. However, The Contender also was well written, well acted, and well paced. I enjoyed watching it, even as I hooted at its obvious agenda. “Miss Sloan”, in contrast, is a snooze, lacking anything believable in the way of characters or dialogue. To tell you how incredible (in the literal sense of the word) the plot is, the Washington Post panned not only the movie, but the gun control legislation proposed in the movie, arguing — again, this is the WashPost — that the legislation was largely already in place and, anyway, would not have prevented any of the recent mass shootings. THAT should tell you just how bad Miss Sloan is, even
for a piece of Hollywood propaganda...and that, folks, is saying something!
If you are one of the many gun culture people who refused to see this propaganda fantasy, rejoice. Your choice was completely vindicated.  In the last couple of days, 21-22 December, per theater revenues were $14 and $16. There were lots of empty seats in those theaters!

The gun haters made their usual mistake. They thought image and propaganda could beat reality. They were wrong. Be glad that gun haters wasted about 30 million dollars to no effect. It is 30 million that is not available to be spent on misleading anti-Second Amendment initiatives, the one place where billionaires have been able to buy some temporary victories for the gun haters.

The purpose of "Miss Sloane" was to give a boost to a Hillary Clinton attempts to pass more infringements on the Second Amendment early in her presidency. Just like the box office, that idea bombed.

Merry Christmas! Miss Sloane gives all Second Amendment supporters a nice gift for 2016!

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. 

 Link to Gun Watch

Pistol Truck Terrorist Used to Shoot Police in Italy: Erma .22?


Image from the sun.co.uk:

The pistol used by the German truck attack Jihadi looks a lot like a Walther. But it is a clone, probably made by Erma Werke.  The Erma 552S is nearly identical, but without markings, it is not certain. There is also an Erma RX-22, which has a shorter extractor, a longer grip, longer slide and barrel, and an eight round magazine. Clones of the Erma 552S were made and sold by Iver Johnson as the TP22. I have had a couple of them, and they have a reputation for reliability and accuracy. The sights are fixed, so consider yourself fortunate if they are on the money. Of the two that I shot, one was on, one was not. An avid pistol competitor friend had one he thought highly of. The magazine holds seven rounds.



American Arms sold the PX-22. It is virtually identical, but has "DESIGN BY ERMA WERKZ" on the frame, and the serial number on the right side.  The Erma pistols have the serial number on the left side, as does the TP22.  I have seen both wood and plastic grips on the Erma versions.

Erma and Iver Johnson also made a .25 ACP version.  Erma Werke  made an 8mm blank firing version. The extractor on the blank firing version is shorter, so I doubt that this is a converted blank firing gun.

It has been reported that this was a .22 caliber version, by the Daily Mail. From the dailymail.co.uk:
When the patrol approached him, he pulled a 22 calibre pistol from his backpack and shot one of the two police officers, Cristian Movio, 36, in the shoulder.
The Itallian police were working as a pair. The wounded policeman's colleague Luca Scatà, was a rookie officer. Scatà returned fire and killed the Jihadi.

The .22 rimfire has been used to kill a significant number of people. In this case, the officer's wound was not life threatening.

 ©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

Friday, December 23, 2016

AZ: Suspect Follows Victims into Walmart, Shoots them, is driven off by Gunfire


According to police, the victims initially had contact with the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Almalik Ward, in the parking lot. Ward reportedly followed the men into the store and confronted them.

Police said Ward fired at the victims, and one of the men returned fire with his own gun.

Detectives identified a woman seen by a store employee picking up shell casings at the scene and disposing them, which helped them identify Ward as the shooter.
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Followup FL: No Charges for Uber Driver who shot Suspect


Namique Anderson, 29, of Miramar, was confronted by a man with two handguns after picking up a passenger in Aventura just before 6 a.m. Sunday. He could lose his job for violating Uber's no-weapons policy by carrying a gun.

"Honestly, it doesn't matter if I lose the job," Anderson said Monday in a phone interview. "I have to protect my life. That's all I did."
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TX: Accident or Crime Prevention? Armed Child Shoots Woman


Officers found a 43-year-old woman shot in the chest and she was transported to a Tyler hospital for treatment.

The investigation revealed that a 14-year-old boy had shot the woman, thinking she was an animal that was next to an abandoned house. Investigators found the woman's car under a tarp, hidden in the backyard of the abandoned house and did not have permission to be there.

Investigators believe she might have been in the process of burglarizing the house.
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TX: Resident Shoots, Kills, Intruder



A man believed to be a resident of the home told investigators that he shot the unidentified man after he broke inside and was attempting a robbery.

The homeowner is not expected to be charged and was cooperating with police as homicide detectives continued to investigate.

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NV: Off Duty Officer fires at Suspect


Police say the off-duty Las Vegas officer happened to be in the lobby when the suspect tried to rob the West Flamingo Animal Hospital with a semi-automatic handgun at about 2:30 p.m.

Police say the officer tried to intervene and fired his weapon twice after a “violent struggle” that lasted nearly 40 seconds.
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SC: Man with Dog and Gun Drives off Intruder



The suspect had reportedly kicked the apartment door in and then proceeded to enter one of the bedrooms in the apartment – Kyle’s. Green said his son thought he was in a dream, but his dog Raz knew it was a real-life intruder and went on the attack.

Raz jumped at the intruder and the suspect shot back, firing one gunshot that nearly missed Kyle and hit his pillow. Kyle then shot back, also missing the intruder, Ted Green said.
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FL: Private Secuity Guard wins Gunfight at Armored Car



The source told Local 10 News that the guard fought back and shot the two robbers. Sky 10 was above the scene shortly before 5 p.m. and saw a tarp covering the body of one man.

A fast-food worker told Local 10 News reporter Carlos Suarez that she heard at least six shots.
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TX: Homeowner Shoots, Kills, Intruder



It was reported that a white male had entered the home without the consent of the owner. During the incident, the intruder failed to stop when advised to by the 51-year-old homeowner.

The homeowner fired one shot, striking the intruder in the chest and causing him to stop and fall down. The intruder, identified as 20-year-old Samuel Brown from Longview, was later pronounced dead and an autopsy ordered.
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PA: Armed Woman Shoots at Attacker, Rickoshet hit Security Guard in Shin


The victim told police that after several verbal confrontations, the male charged at her with a large stick and attempted to strike her.

She said he also threw hot coffee at her.

Police say the woman then drew her revolver and fired two shots at the male. Authorities believe the first shot ricocheted from the ground and struck the security guard in his shin.
More Here

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Finish First Tactical Files Suit against Kalishnakov USA and Premax Manufacturing



On October 27, 2016, Finish First Tactical, LLC filed a lawsuit against Kalashnikov USA and Premax Tool and Machine, Inc, also known as Premax Manufacturing.  In the court documents (pdf), it is alleged that Finish First Tactical had an agreement with Kalashnikov USA to furnish certain parts and components to Kalashnikov USA.

Finish First Tactical then subcontracted with Premax Tool and Machine to produce some of the work for them. As part of the agreement with Premax, First Finish alleges that a Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was signed, so that intellectual and contractual property rights would be preserved.

It is a fairly common agreement, often used to prevent a sub contractor from "cutting out the middle man".

Finish First Tactical claims that Premax and Kalashnikov USA violated the NDA, and is suing for damages of $1,000,000 each.

Finish First Tactical claims that they notified both defendants of the wrongful actions and that they refused to stop those actions, violating the NDA agreement.

This is exactly the type of disagreement that courts have been invented to settle. All three sides will be able to hire legal representatives, supply evidence, and seek discovery of evidence from the other sides.

It tends to be an expensive process.

The documents shown are from only one side of the dispute.

It may be months or years before the dispute is settled.

 ©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

  Link to Gun Watch


Florida Committee Assignments Positive for Open and Campus Carry



Florida has been flirting with licensed open carry for several legislative sessions. Some of the flirting has become rather provocative, to the point of teasing. Last legislative session, open carry passed the house with large margins, but was blocked in the Senate by Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, a "moderate" Republican committee chair from Miami.

Portilla lost his seat in the 2016 election. Some have suggested the Republican leadership was using Portilla to accomplish what they wanted. From a comment by Bob at The Truth About Guns:
Miguel Diaz de la Portilla was a Republican for those that don’t know. Also the Senate President is not a fan of open carry and just appointed a Democrat to Chair the Criminal Justice Committee. SB 140 can go through their and not Stuebe’s committee and it can be killed there.
Open and campus carry have a much better chance of a successful encounter with the Florida legislature this year.  The Senate president has routed the bill around the Criminal Justice Committee.  From tampabay.com:
Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, has sent SB 140 -- by Sarasota Republican Sen. Greg Steube -- to be heard before three committees, all chaired by conservative Republicans who passionately support gun-owners' rights. They are: Steube's Judiciary Committee; Government Oversight & Accountability, chaired by Dennis Baxley of Ocala; and Rules, chaired by Lizbeth Benacquisto of Fort Myers.

Committee assignments are a routine step that is typically not significant but, in this case, is quite revealing of Senate leadership's support for Steube's wide-ranging measure.

Notably: The bill will not be reviewed by the Criminal Justice Committee, a common stop for past gun-related legislation. That committee is now chaired by an Orlando Democrat, Randolph Bracy.
A lot can happen to bills in a legislature.  There are many places they can be stopped.  But for now, SB 140 looks to have a good chance.

Elections have consequences.

 ©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

"Climate Change" and Guns of little concern for American Voters


Climate change and guns were tied among the issues that Americans ranked lowest in importance in 2016, according to a new poll out from Gallup.

The polling group's annual survey ranks the issues Americans say are of the most importance to them each month throughout the year, ultimately averaging the responses out for an annual yearly estimate. While public opinion on most of the 25 issues listed on the poll varied from month to month, "the environment" ranked consistently low in national importance for most Americans throughout the entire year.
More Here

CA: Sacramento County Sheriff may ease Gun Permit Process



Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones may send California gun prohibitionists into orbit over his Tuesday announcement that his agency will ease the process for obtaining a concealed carry permit.

More Here

OH: Kasich Signs incremental Gun Reform Bill SB 199




On Monday, 19 December, 2016, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed SB 199, a gun law reform bill.  SB 199 does away with gun free zones at airports outside the secure area, school "zones" away from actual school property, and some public buildings. It allows schools of higher education more leeway in setting their own policies. From toledoblade.com:
Senate Bill 199 would lift the state’s current ban on carrying concealed firearms in day-care centers, airport terminals, school safety zones, and certain government buildings and would give public colleges and universities the authority to allow weapons on campus.
SB 199 passed the legislature 68-25 in the House and 22-8 in the Senate, both with veto proof majorities. The bill started as a bill to allow active duty military to carry in the same places as those allowed to concealed carry permit holders. It was combined with a bill to make it legal to carry concealed in areas where open carriers were already allowed.

The bill gained momentum form the car and knife attack at Ohio State University on 28 November, 2016.  The officer who stopped the attack, Alan Horujko, is reported to be a competitive shooter.  From cincinnati.com:
Horujko, who listed himself as a "competitive shotgun shooter," trained to be a police officer at the Delaware Area Career Center. He worked as a security guard and then as an officer for OhioHealth hospitals in Columbus.
The attack has been claimed by ISIS and brought increased calls for campus carry reform.

The move to allow colleges and universities to decide whether or not to allow carry on campus seems like a reform. I doubt that it will have any real impact. I have read of only one institution of higher education that voluntarily allowed campus carry. That is Liberty University in Virginia. As a private institution it is not constrained by Virginia law. I do not recall a public university or college that has voluntarily decided to allow concealed carry.

There are significant other provisions in the bill. The bill, as passed, is 66 pages long. It can be read here as Am. Sub. S. B. No. 199 As Passed by the House in pdf format.  Here are some of the other provisions,

  • Institutions of higher learning are made immune from liability from actions of legal concealed carriers. The immunity also applies if they decide to allow people with concealed carry permits to carry on campus.
  • Active duty military are allowed to carry the same as people with concealed carry permits, if they show that they have undergone training similar to that required by the Ohio concealed carry law.  
  • Private or public entities may not prevent people with concealed carry permits from keeping firearms locked in private vehicles in a closed, locked, compartment.  
  • Immunity from liability for firearms kept in private vehicles is included in the bill, including immunity from actions cause by the theft of such firearms.

SB 199 will go into effect in 90 days.  By my count, that will be the 9th of February, 2017.

 ©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch


Good Description of Small Shop 1911 Gunmaking in Phillipines

The Philippine city of Danao has a few manufacturers, making copycat Colts and other 1911s with templates and hand tools. Unfinished though they are, they get handed off to finishers that make these guns look like the real deal. They fire, they’re dangerous, and they’re being imported. At $230 a sale, these illegal guns aren’t all that expensive, but they are massively illegal. They’re even given fake serial numbers and branding to match the real deal. The manufacturers make a barebones living, the shippers get a sizeable chunk of profit, and we get shafted with more gun crime.


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MS: Armed Woman Shoots ex, Accidentaly Shoots Brother in Head



Her boyfriend fired a warning shot at the ex with a rifle, but Williams got a handgun and started firing shots, deputies said. She accidentally hit her brother in the head.

Watkins left the scene. Investigators said he showed up at a hospital to be treated for a bullet wound in his arm.
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TX: Armed Resident Rescues Brother, Shoots Attacker



The victim’s brother woke up, walked into the kitchen and witnessed the attacked. He went to his bedroom, told his wife to call 911 and went back to the kitchen.

He fired one round and struck the suspect who was standing over his brother. The brothers held the suspect down until police arrived. The second suspect, a Hispanic male, fled the scene. The suspect who was shot in the back was taken to the hospital. His injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.

More Here

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Pistol used in Russian Ambassador Assassination Sarsilmaz K2P (video)


Today, 19 December, 2016, in Turkey, the Russian Ambassador, Andrey Karlov, was assassinated by a Turkish police officer, Mert Altintas. 

Link to Video

The picture below is good enough for identification of the pistol.





 The pistol looks to be a K2P Sarsilmaz 9mm Turkish Police model. 



The K2P has a standard capacity of 16 rounds plus 1 in the chamber. It uses the CZ 75 type internals and inside the frame rails.  The pistol has a good reputation, and is imported into the U.S. by EAA.

Update the pistol appears to be the Canik TP9,  domestically produced in Turkey and imported to the U.S. by Century Arms.




©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch



PA: Pizza Delivery Driver Shoots Robbery Suspect

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A pizza delivery driver shot a would-be robber during an attempted holdup in Northeast Philadelphia.


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FL: Uber Driver Shooting, Suspect found Dead at Scene



“And a male jumped out of the caravan with two guns in his hand and he pointed them at the Uber driver who also had a fire arm and his car which he was permitted for. He shot the suspect on the scene who is later pronounced deceased.”

Police say the passenger in that van got into the drivers seat and sped off.

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MD: Teen Shoots Buck that Broke into Home


A 17-year-old in Frederick, Md., shot and killed a deer after it stormed his house and attacked his Christmas tree.


More Here

PA: Repair Shop Owner Shoot Robbery Suspect

  Philadelphia (WTXF) An auto repair shop owner stopped a would-be robber by shooting him tonight.

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AL: Armed Customer Shoots at Masked Man



HEFLIN, AL (WBRC) -

Police in Heflin are searching for a man who pulled out a gun and robbed a store, but he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

Investigators say the crook robbed the Chevron station clerk and the owner says a customer shot at the thief.
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AL: Domestic Defense, Family Member shoots Steven Tyler McNeil

Steven Tyler McNeil, 25, of Dothan was arrested and charged with domestic violence, Dothan Police Capt. Will Benny said. McNeil got into an argument with a family member on Park Place Court and the family member shot McNeil.

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LA: Uber Driver Shoot Carjacking Suspect



According to police, an Uber driver picked up a passenger from the Ritz Carlton Hotel just before 1:30 a.m. While stopped at a red light at the intersection of North Rampart Street and Canal Street a man, later identified as 28-year-old Andre Satcher, a got out of a silver sedan with a gun and demanded that the driver and the passenger get out of the vehicle. Both of the victims complied.

As the driver was exiting the vehicle, he grabbed his pistol off of the car door and began shooting at the Satcher. A hotel bellman who was standing nearby was shot in the hand. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for his injury.
More Here

FL: BBQ Owner Shoots Robbery Suspect



Original Story: The owner of a popular Pasco County BBQ stand, Jordan’s BBQ, shot and killed a would be robber after Sheriff Chris Nocco says he tried to rob them.

This all happened at the BBQ stand located in a grassy area off of Hilton Road and Eliand Blvd in Zephyrhills.

Pasco County Sheriff said an unknown man walked up to the BBQ stand around 3:40 p.m. Thursday asking for money. The owner’s son told the man to come back tomorrow and he would get him a job to make some money.
More Here

Monday, December 19, 2016

Vista (CCI, Federal) Exec sees Possibility of Price War in .22 Ammo

Image from lmtribune.com

When I talked to ammunition insiders at the Shot Show last year, the word was that .22 ammunition production would be increased by 20 percent for CCI and Federal in 2016.  The end of 2016 is here. It looks as though the production increase is a little behind schedule, but is in the process of completion. A revamp of production facilities is occurring for CCI at the Lewiston, Idaho location.

In an interview with Business Profile at the Lewiston Tribune, Marty Zacha, Vice President of ammunition products, talked about .22 rimfire production expansion and the election of Donald Trump. From lmtribune.com:
BP: Are you seeing any reduction in sales now that a Republican has been elected president and people are less worried about new regulations for guns and ammunition?
MZ: Yes. There's been a few order cancellations. Not a lot, but a few. If you go into a gun store, even right up here at Sportsman's Warehouse or North 40 in Lewiston, you see a lot of guns on the shelf, where a few years ago you wouldn't have seen that. It was harder to find what you really wanted.
BP: What will you do with the upgrade if demand for rimfire ammunition plummets?
MZ: This plan was born more to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Historically in the ammunition market, when things start to go soft, which we're starting to see right now because of the election, it becomes a price war. If the market changes, the rimfire equipment can be switched to manufacture power loads that drive fasteners into steel and concrete in construction and stunners for the meat processing industry. We've done those in Lewiston for years. (for over one half century) That's a very big business for us. It has been anywhere from about 12 percent to 50 percent of what we do in Lewiston. There's points where we can adjust if need be depending on what the market is doing. It could be bigger or we might redeploy somewhere instead of what we originally planned.
BP: Could Vista Outdoor choose not to order equipment for later phases of the project?
MZ: It would take a very dramatic market correction to make that happen.
Note that Mark Zacha suggests a price war in .22 ammunition is a high possibility. President Trump has not been inaugurated. The increased production at the Lewiston facility has not come on line.  The plant should come on line in the next few months.

.22 LR prices have been slowly dropping.  Two months ago, I predicted that we would see bulk .22 LR ammunition for sale at 4 cents a round by October of 2017.

I stand by that prediction.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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