Anti-Semitic Threats Stopped by Armed Samaritan in Florida

 

Harbour Way and Collins Ave Image from Google maps, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

A family from New Jersey learned the value of a legally armed population while vacationing in Florida. New Jersey is one of a handful of states where it is nearly impossible to obtain a permit to carry a gun for self defense.  From foxnews.com:

Eric Orgen said he, his wife, and his daughter, 16, had just left a synagogue in Bal Harbour and were walking on the sidewalk when a group of men driving by started shouting and throwing garbage at them.

"They just started screaming some derogatory things towards Jewish people out the window," Orgen told WPEC-TV of West Palm Beach. "My first thought was just making sure my wife and daughter were behind me so I could take the brunt of anything that was going to happen."

Orgen told the station the men said things like, "Free Palestine!," "Die Jew!" "F-- you Jew," and "I’m gonna rape your wife."

The family was helped by a driver who witnessed the attack and decided to intervene, Orgen said. Armed with a gun, the stranger defended the family and chased the group away.

"The guy in the car behind them saw everything go on," Orgen told WPEC-TV. "I saw him pull a gun and get in between - I mean he was almost there as our guardian angel, just protecting us. I think once they saw him they just took off."

The event is reported to have happened on 18 May, 2021, at 7 p.m. on Collins Avenue near Harbour Way in Bal Harbour, FL. The sun would not set until 7:44. It was partly cloudy, about 80 degrees F, with a strong breeze from the West at 17 mph.  Visibility was good. The windows on the SUV were open.

The family was grateful to the armed Samaritan who intervened. From the Blaze: 

A driver of an Audi was right behind the SUV and allegedly witnessed the hateful harassment. The motorist, who was armed, got out of his car and "pulled his gun to protect us and chased them as they drove away," Orgen claimed. "So thankful that a total stranger stepped up to protect us!"

In other reports the armed Samaritan was referred to as a "guardian angel" or a "good Samaritan".

The mayor, Gabriel Groisman, would not acknowledge it was an armed Samaritan which intervened, on his Twitter responses. 

The family reported the incident to the authorities. Ordinarily, a description of the perpetrators is included in police reports. It makes it easier to find them and arrest them. From local10.com:  

They reported the incident to local law enforcement. Orgen said his daughter is back home safe in New Jersey, but she is still a bit shocked and confused.

This correspondent was unable to find any description of the four men in the white SUV.  Such a lack of obviously useful information does not happen by accident.  Did the men appear to be white? Hispanic? black? Were they wearing Islamic dress, KKK hoods, other?  For some reason, the police, media, and perhaps the Orgen family, are unwilling to tell us.

Orgen and another man were reportedly wearing traditional Jewish hats at the time they were harassed.

The police in Bal Harbour are not Second Amendment friendly. Here is a recent video showing  Bal Harbour police ignoring Florida open carry law. 

 

Florida is one of only four states which prohibit open carry of holstered handguns in most public places. There are exceptions for camping, hunting, and fishing. The other three states which prohibit open carry are California, New York, and Illinois. South Carolina recently reformed its law to remove a ban on open carry.

Federal law currently prohibits visitors from other states from purchasing hand guns and carrying them in Florida while they are visiting.  The law, in effect, is a conspiracy between the States and the Federal government to keep citizens of tyrannical states unarmed, even when visiting states which have a greater respect for exercising Second Amendment rights.  

It is a direct inversion of the intent of the Commerce Clause, which was to prevent the states from hindering the flow of commerce between the states. 

The visitors from New Jersey were forbidden by law from carrying handguns for their own defense. 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

UT: Armed Teacher Stops Kidnapping of 11-Year-Old Girl from Playground

OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) – A 41-year-old man is in custody after allegedly trying to kidnap an 11-year-old girl in Ogden.

Ogden police were called to a local elementary school Tuesday after a teacher was able to stop the attempted kidnapping.

“An employee was watching the kids from the inside and observed the suspect walk up to this 11-year-old girl [on the playground] and put his hands on her in an attempt to take her,” says Lt. Brian Eynon of the Ogden City Police Department. “He ran outside, the employee did, and confronted the suspect. At that same time, the girl had the ability to pull away from the suspect.”

The teacher was able to get all 20 students off the playground and into the school.

Police the 41-year-old suspect, Ira Cox-Berry, then approached the building and began punching the window in an attempt to force his way inside.

That’s when the employee, a concealed carry permit holder, produced a firearm and held Cox-Berry off while calling 911.

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Followup MT: Rachel Belleson has Murder Charges Dropped Pemanently

A judge in Sanders County, Montana, on Tuesday dropped deliberate homicide charges against a woman who killed her abusive ex-husband, in a surprising win for advocates who argued she should not have to live with the threat of prosecution hanging over her.

Rachel Bellesen, a 38-year-old coordinator at the Abbie Shelter for domestic violence survivors, shot and killed her former husband, Jacob Glace, on Oct. 8 of last year. Bellesen admitted to the shooting but said she did so because Glace, who had pleaded guilty to assaulting her years earlier, had twice attempted to rape her that night.

Prosecutors moved to drop the charges against Bellesen without prejudice last month, claiming they needed more time to review the results of forensic tests. But advocates from the Abbie Shelter argued the charges should be dropped with prejudice, meaning prosecutors would not be able to bring them again at a later date. “An injustice has been done,” shelter director Hilary Shaw told The Daily Beast at the time. “And the right thing to do is to fully vindicate Rachel.”

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NY: Subway Disarm, Wounded Victim Takes Gun, Shoots Robbery Suspect

A robber shot an unsuspecting victim inside a Bronx subway station but the stick up backfired when the victim fought back, grabbing his assailant’s weapon and shooting him in the face, law enforcement sources said.

The 21-year-old would-be robber pulled his gun on a 40-year-old man in the mezzanine of the B/D station at E. 182nd St. and the Grand Concourse in Fordham Heights, said authorities.

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KY: Shooting of Burglary Suspect ruled Justified

The Wallace Avenue homeowner who fatally shot a burglar will not be charged in the incident, a Franklin Circuit Court grand jury decided Tuesday.


According to dispatch records, the homeowner called police at 9:35 a.m. on May 11 to report that someone had broken into his residence in the 300 block of Wallace Avenue and was still inside. While talking to the dispatcher, the homeowner reported he fired one shot with a 9-mm pistol that hit the perpetrator, who was later identified as Stephen Smallwood, 35, of Georgetown.

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TV (Media) Keep Pushing Lies About Guns

Last Friday, anti-Semitic thugs attacked a Jewish family, yelling “Free Palestine!,” “Die Jew!” “F– you Jew,” and “I’m gonna rape your wife.” Fortunately, an armed driver was able to stand between the attackers and the family. You may not hear about many of these stories, but they occur all the time. And there are dozens of cases in recent years where concealed handgun permit holders have stopped what police say would have been mass public shootings. Those would make gripping stories.

But don’t ever expect to see gripping stories like this on entertainment television. For years network television, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, refuse to show even a single successful defensive gun use by a civilian. You would surely never know that people successfully use guns defensively some 2 million times a year.

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TX: Senate and House Adopt Conf. Com. Report - Constitutional Carry to go to Governor Abbott

Texas Capitol image from wikipedia, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

On 24 May, Monday afternoon, the last significant legislative hurdle for restoring Constitutional Carry to Texas was overcome.

After years of toil, time and trouble, of betrayal and loyalty, of primaries and resignations, a significant Constitutional Carry bill has passed the Texas Legislature and is expected to be sent to Governor Abbott.

HB1927, in its final form, passed the House 82-62, and reported privately to me, passed the Senate on a straight party line vote.

Constitutional carry is a reasonable facsimile of the state of law about the carry of weapons when the Second Amendment was ratified, in 1791. At the time, no government permits were required to carry weapons, openly or concealed, by any State or the Federal government.  That situation remained the state of law for about two generations. 

It is almost certain Texas will become a member of the Constitutional Carry club in 2021.  It will make Texas the 21st state to join the club. There have not been any statistically significant ill effects from Constitutional Carry in any of the previous 20 states. 

HB 1927, in its final form of the Conference Committee report contains some relatively minor amendments wrangled over and included in the legislative process. 

Here are some highlights of HB 1927, as interpreted by this correspondent, who is not a lawyer.

1. Peace Officers may disarm a person at any time the officer reasonably believes it is necessary for the protection of the person, officer or another person. The officer shall return the handgun if the officer determines the person is not a threat, before the person leaves the scene.

2. Peace Officers, in the lawful performance of their duties, may temporarily disarm a person when the person enters a public, non-secure portion or a law enforcement facility, if a gun locker or other secure storage areas is/are provided.  The firearm shall be returned immediately after the person leaves the unsecured area.

3. Persons convicted of illegal possession of a weapon under Section 46.02(a), before September 1, 2021 are :

"entitled to have all records and files relating to the arrest expunged"

Subject to certain time limits and procedures. 

4. Carrying a firearm, if forbidden to do so in public, has a five year mandatory sentence. 

5.  The Department of Public Safety will publish a report on firearm statistics related to the carrying of firearms each year.

6. The department of Public Safety will create a course on firearm safety and handling, available on the Department's Internet site, freely accessible to the public.

7. In order to legally carry without a permit, in public, outside of a motor vehicle, it is required the person has not been convicted of one of the following offenses in the previous five years:

• Assault with bodily injury;
•  Recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury (shooting at building or cars, or pointing guns at people); 
• Make a terroristic threat; 
• Discharges a firearm in a public place other than a public road or sport shooting range; 
• Displays a firearm in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm.
  

8. A person who is a member of a criminal street gang may not carry a handgun on or about their person in a motor vehicle or watercraft. (with exceptions for traveling, hunting, or fishing). 

9. Creates the signage requirement for a 30.05 sign to go with the 30.06 and 30.07 signs. The 30.05 sign is not necessary if 30.06 or 30.07 signs are used. 

The law, if signed by Governor Abbot, will go into effect on 1 September, 2021. 

While HB1927 is not perfect, it removes 90% of the restrictions against Constitutional Carry which existed before the bill passed. 90% of adults will be able to carry, without government permission, in 95% of the places they could not carry before. 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

OH: Cleveland Nightclub Security Guards Evict Man, Shoot Same When he Threatens Them with Gun

Once the scene was secured, police say they learned that the shooting occurred after three security officers escorted a female out of the club. Once outside, police say Sanford brandished a firearm towards security.

Security advised Sanford several times to drop the weapon, the release said. Sanford refused, according to police, and pointed a firearm at security, who shot him.

Officers tried to provide Sanford with aid until medics arrived, according to the release. He was transported to Mercy Hospital where he died.

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MO: Resident Shoots Man who Threatened and Shot at Home

An investigation indicated that a 30-year-old Mexico man was threatening residents of a Breckenridge home several times that day, fleeing before the police could arrive a first time and returning afterwards to shoot at the home.

After one of the residents shot back at the man, he drove from the scene and crashed his car on North Missouri Street. Following these events, the man walked to a nearby house and was driven to Audrain Community Hospital before being transported to University Hospital for further treatment.

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Knife Reform Bottled up by Texas Senate State Affairs Committee HB 956)

 

Texas Capitol image from wikipedia, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten
 

Why are Texas Senate Republicans slowing a bill supported by most House Democrats?

In 2017, the Texas legislature passed a sweeping knife reform bill. It removed the criminal penalties for carrying most knives in Texas.  Because of a tragic and illegal knife attack on a college campus, at the last minute, amendments were added to the bill to make the possession of knives with a blade over 5.5 inches illegal in a small number of locations. 

This meant numerous people were kept at risk of arrest for using ordinary implements of the job, such as gardeners using knives to trim with or cooks using knives to prepare food in locations where 51% of the income came from liquor sales.

A cleanup bill to remove these restrictions passed the Senate in 2017, unanimously. It passed the House this year, with only two Democrats against it. 

It is in the Senate State Affairs Committee.

During recent testimony at the committee, objections were raised by Senator Eddie Lucio, wondering of any innocent person had ever been victimized by a ban of knives with blades larger than 5.5 inches in such circumstances. 

I recall such an instance, as related to me by college friends of my daughter at Texas A&M university, about 2005. 

One of the members of their "in" group of nerdy computer geeks was at a Science Fiction Convention, in March of the year. He purchased a replica sword at the convention, which was held on campus. 

One of the places 5.5 inch+ knives are still banned is on campus.

He went to class from the convention, and showed some classmates the replica. 

There was some animosity against the group of nerds in the class, and someone in the class called the authorities, an early example of cancel culture. 

The authorities pressed charges based on his possession of the replica sword. 

Being young and ignorant, I recall he agreed to a plea deal, and ended up with a felony conviction. It probably did not help that he has an Hispanic surname. I am withholding the name at present, while attempting to obtain permission to release it. 

When you are young, even if you have a computer degree from an excellent university, such as Texas A & M, a felony conviction with only probation, still limits your life choices.

Senator Lucio said he would support the bill, because of the people who asked him to support it. 

It is not so clear why a Republican majority committee is working to kill a knife rights bill supported by near unanimity. 

There was public testimony on 17 May. You can see the testimony from about 07:45 to 28:00 on the video. The bill was left "pending". 

That is a death sentence for knife law reform this session, unless the bill is voted out of committee. 

It is difficult to see why Republicans would oppose a clean-up bill such as this, which is also supported by most Democrats. 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch  

MI: Man Attempting Break-in Shot, Killed by Homeowner

FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) - Flint police are investigating after a homeowner shot and killed a 19-year-old man he said was attempting to enter his residence.

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NM: Home Invader Shot after He Returns to Victims Home

According to court documents, James Kennedy threatened to shoot a man in the head outside his apartment, hit him in the head with the gun, then forced his way inside. The man’s girlfriend was hiding inside the bathroom.

Documents state Kennedy demanded the couple’s belongings, and then asked for their car keys.

Kennedy then briefly left the apartment. When he returned, the man was armed.  

The female victim told investigators, "...he raised his pistol as the male ran at him and in fear for his life... he fired multiple shots at the male. He stated he fired seven shots and he began hitting the male with the pistol. He stated the male was trying to get the gun out of his waistband as they fought for the gun."

Kennedy was shot in the stomach, but managed to make it to his mother’s house.

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Grizzly Bear Attacks Three Bowhunters Armed with Pistols

Wind River Peak from wikipedia, Chiffre01, 1 August, 2010 CC BY-SA 4.0, Cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

On the East Fork of the Wind River, near Lander, Wyoming, three bow hunters were walking to their hunting grounds, bows in hand.  An old boar grizzly suddenly charged them from a few yards left of their approach.

The bow hunters had set up base camp the day before at the East Fork trail head. The next morning, they rode horses six miles up the trail, turned west and rode uphill until the terrain was too steep for the horses.  At about 7:30, they dismounted and continued up the steep slope of the trail on foot, in line. 

The three men had covered about 500 yards from the horses when it happened. They heard loud crashing noises above them to their front left. The lead hunter started to reach for an arrow, thinking it might be an elk. He saw the grizzly coming at them. He dropped the arrow and bow and drew his Taurus .45 1911 semi-auto. He yelled at the bear and started backing away. As the bear saw the two other hunters behind the lead, it momentarily paused, giving him time to rack the slide and chamber a round. The Taurus had eight rounds in its magazine.

The pause was momentary; not a full stop of the charge. The lead hunter was able to start shooting from a range of six feet. The grizzly grabbed the lead hunter by the left thigh and the hunter went down with the bear on top of him. 

As the bear closed with the lead hunter, the middle and last hunters had seen the bear, dropped their bows, and drawn their pistols, a .44 magnum and a 9mm. They started shooting. 

With the lead hunter down and the bear in his lap, he put the .45 against its head and shot his last rounds. The bear went limp. The lead hunter was able to crawl out from under the big bear.

Shortly afterward, the bear was seen to move, and the hunters fired two more rounds into the chest cavity from the side. The hunters estimated they had fired 19 cartridges at the bear; 8 rounds of .45, 6 rounds of .44 magnum, and about 4 rounds of 9mm.

The event occurred on 20 September, 2014. Detailed reports of the incident were discovered in a reply to a Freedom of Information Act (FOID) request about bear attacks. This correspondent has not discovered any detailed reporting in searches of public media on the Internet.

The hunters rode back to base camp. There, they were able to access a cell phone booster in a friend's truck. They made contact with Wyoming Game and Fish (WG&F).  The WG&F warden made arrangements to contact the men the next day, on September 21,  2014. 

Two WG&F wardens interviewed the three hunters and took statements.  They went to the attack scene and investigated. Everything they found collaborated what the hunters had told them. 

At the scene, they collected 12 cartridge cases, including 9mm, .45, and .44 magnum. They examined the bear, which was an old male with worn teeth. The age  of the bear was estimated at 17 years. The wardens found seven bullet wounds in the bear, five of which were from the front, and two of which were from the side. They recovered four bullets from the bear in three different calibers.

Each of the three hunters had hit the bear at least once.  They concluded the hunters has shot and killed the old boar grizzly in self defense. The grizzly had been feeding on white bark pine nuts a few yards off the trail.

The WG&F took the four bear paws and the bear head.

After the reports were filed the Special Agent for the US Fish and Wildlife Service met with the Assistant United State Attorney assigned to the case on 20 November, 2014. They determined the shooting of the grizzly was in self defense, and fell under the self defense exception in the law. It was recommended the case be declined for prosecution. 

On 3 December, 2014, the Special Agent received a letter of declination from the Wyoming United States Attorney's Office, determining the shooting was in self-defense, and thus not a violation of the law. The investigation was recommended to be closed.

The attack appears to have been unprovoked. There were no cubs. The bear started charging the hunters before they became aware it was in the vicinity. The attack started from only eight yards. The hunters were able to draw their pistols and direct effective fire in order to stop the attack.  While the bear had grabbed the lead hunter by the thigh, the combination of clothing, worn teeth, and quick shooting by the victim appears to have prevented the need for hospitalization. 

If their had been any penetration of the victims flesh, some medical treatment would have been necessary. None was mentioned in the FOIA report. All three hunters were interviewed a few hours after the attack. No mention was made of a trip to the hospital.

In the investigative documents, it was mentioned the incident had been posted on facebook, with pictures. This correspondent has been unable to find those posts. 

It is likely most defensive uses of pistols against bears are not reported in public media, especially if no hospitalization of people is required. Readers are encouraged to report any incidents of defensive uses of pistols against bears which are not recorded in the latest update of the database of known and documented incidents.  Send the information to to Dean Weingarten, via AmmoLand.

All incidents which can be documented are included, whether the defensive action was successful or not.

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

CA: Armed Samaritan Barber Stops Attack on Collegue by Former Employee

An ex-employee of a Riverside barbershop stabbed two former co-workers before being shot to death by one of his victims on Friday evening, May 21, the Riverside Police Department said.

The victims suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Officer Ryan Railsback, a department spokesman, said Saturday.

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WA: Car Owner Justified in Shooting Mental Case who Attacke Him with Club

Officers spoke with a man who said he saw another man breaking into his car. Tacoma police said the car owner shot the suspect during a confrontation.

The suspect fled, but the car owner followed the man and called 911.

The 40-year-old suspect was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Police said the shooter, 32, was arrested and booked into jail for investigation of first-degree assault. On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office said charges would not be filed.

“All indications are that the person whose car was prowled acted in self-defense after being advanced on by the other party, who was holding an object to use as a weapon,” the sheriff’s department said.

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Louisiana Legislature Votes Overwhelmingly for Constitutional Carry in 2021

 

Louisiana State Capitol, from wikimedia CC 2.5, 18 Oct, 2006, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

HB 596 was passed on 5 May, 2021. It is fairly good Constitutional Carry bill with a 21 year old age limit and a requirement to reveal to peace officers your condition of being armed.

Voting was 73 to 26 for final passage.  From the advocate.com:

A bill that would allow citizens 21 and older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit breezed through the Louisiana House on Wednesday.

The measure, House Bill 596, won approval 72-28 after a short but spirited debate.

It next faces action in the state Senate, which approved a similar bill last week by an equally lopsided margin.

Eight Democrats voted for the bill, with 64 Republicans. 70 votes are needed to override a veto. The eight Democrats voting for the bill were: 

Rep. Brown, Chad [D]

Rep. Carter, Robert "Robby" [D]

Rep. Carter Sr., Wilford Dan [D]

Rep. Cormier, Mack [D]

 Rep. Johnson, Cazerrick Travis [D]

 Rep. LaCombe, Jeremy S. [D]

 Rep. Thompson, Francis C. [D]

 Rep. White, Malinda B. [D]

One Republican voted against the bill: 

 Rep. Stagni, Joseph "Joe" A. [R]

Two Republicans and a Democrat were absent and did not vote:

Rep. Cox, Kenny R. [D]

 Rep. Hilferty, Stephanie [R]

 Rep. Villio, Debbie [R]

Shortly after the vote on Constitutional Carry, the House voted unanimously for HB 124.  HB 124 removed the ban on carrying knives from people who have a concealed carry permit.  It passed 94 - 0.  It did not make sense for people to have the right to carry pistols, but not knives.

Constitutional Carry is a reasonable approximation of the state of law when the Second Amendment was ratified, in 1791. At that time, no permit was required to carry weapons, openly or concealed.

Governor John Bel Edwards has promised he would veto a Constitutional Carry bill. Then the Senate passed SB118, which is similar to HB596. It passed with a strong majority, 27 for and 11 against. 

Both House and Senate votes are enough to override a governor's veto. An override would require a 2/3 majority, 70 votes in the House, and 26in the Senate. 

For a number of reasons, veto overrides are often more difficult to obtain than the original votes suggest. Legislators may wish to go on record as voting for something, knowing the governor will veto it. Then they vote to uphold the veto.  There is also party loyalty involved. Many are unwilling to override a veto of a governor of their party.

It is still good strategy to attempt a veto override of a governor of the opposite party. It shows the base you are serious; it shows principle on the part of the legislators. 

For Democrats, it might show a willingness to go against the party, when their voters are more conservative. 

While an override may be a long shot, it may be work in this case.

Texas is a strong contender to pass Constitutional Carry in 2021. 

Utah, Iowa, Tennessee, and  Wyoming have all restored Constitutional carry this year. There are now 20 states with Constitutional Carry.

VA: Gun fight, Armed Samaritan Confronts Armed Fugitive for Police

A bystander, who has a concealed carry permit, is said to have confronted the man too, which gave officers enough time to get to him to take him into custody. Chief Drew emphasized that the situation could’ve been much worse if not for the "good Samaritan," because officials say the fugitive was considered “armed and dangerous.”

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TX: Security Guard Shoots 2 who Threatened Him

According to preliminary reports sent by SAPD around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, the three men reportedly got inside their truck, threatened the security guard, pinned them with their vehicle and then reached for what security said may have been a gun.

That's when the security guard shot at the men, hitting two of them in the driver, passenger seat. The man in the backseat was not injured. 

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Rock Island Auction: Evolving the Art of Gun Auctions in the Age of the Internet

 Image by permission from RIA, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

Rock Island Auction has quickly become one of the premier gun auction places on the Internet.

Rock Island Auction is separate from Rock Island Arsenal. It is a word association for marketing. There is no legal association. Both institutions are located in Rock Island, Illinois, but have no overlap. Rock Island Auction is also frequently confused with Rock Island Armory, also known as Armscor. Armscor is a firearms and ammunition manufacturer based in Nevada.

Rock Island Auction (RIA) had its first regional auction in February of  2003. It was a 600 gun auction. The auction was designed as an in person auction, regional so that it could serve the midwest.  RIA wanted people to come, to be at the auction in person. 

RIA has become a serious presence on the Internet. They have grown into having six major auctions a year. There are three premier auctions of the best of the best. They distribute a color catalog of the premier auction, at considerable expense, with lovely images of the lots to be auctioned.  RIA has begun to make the catalogs available digitally.

There are three sporting and collector auctions, which contain items which may not be the "best of the best" but are often of excellent quality. A black and white catalog is distributed for the sporting and collector auctions. 

Creating and printing the catalogs are a substantial cost to the operation. Those six auctions are done in person, online, and over the telephone.

Six other auctions are done in the remaining months. Catalogs are not printed for those auctions. Those auctions are done online, not in person.  There are live bidders on the phone and by RIAC Live. Bidding is the same as other auctions, except for the lack of in person bidding.

In 2020, RIA sold 27,550 lots. The lots contained 44,045 individual items. Most of the items are firearms of various types. 

The Sporting and Collector auction in February of 2021 brought in over $11 million.

 Image by permission from RIA, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

The lots are kept at the Rock Island facility, and are on display. Displaying the items well is a key part of Rock Island Auctions. They work hard at presentation. At any one time, there are likely to be 25,000 firearms in the building. 

This correspondent spent about an hour talking to President Kevin Hogan of RIA. He is passionate and knowledgeable about his work. RIA has 135 employees. They are specialists who learn the fine points of firearm evaluation and sales.  Kevin praised his team. He said it takes hands on knowledge to learn to evaluate firearms. Mere book knowledge is insufficient. His team has the advantage of a proprietary method of evaluation. The method includes information from nearly a million firearms and related items  sold through their system. 

It is common for people from 25 countries to be involved in any single auction. 

RIA offers several conveniences for both the seller and the buyer. They handle anything from one firearm to collections of thousands of firearms. They help evaluate the firearms' worth, and what auction would be the best vehicle to sell them.  

Items can be shipped to RIA, or they can be dropped off. RIA has roving teams which travel around the country picking up items and collections for their auctions.  The item(s) to be picked up have to be worth their effort. They will talk to you on the phone to determine if a pick up is worth it. You can send them pictures to aid in the evaluation. Once an evaluation is made, the seller can determine if they wish to use Rock Island Auction services.

If they do not have in-house knowledge of an item, they will use outside sources to evaluate it. This is a rare event.

Unlike many auctions, Rock Island Auction publish what individual lots have sold for. Those prices can be found with searches on the Internet. The price is the total paid for the item, which includes the buyer's premium. 

President Hogan says if you are interested in using RIA, go to their website and start looking around.  Do searches for particular items you are interested in.  President Hogan said people used to look at books. Now they go to the Internet first.

Lots are determined by what consignments are available for each auction. President Hogan said it is difficult for RIA to make money on a lot of less than $300. It is one of the reasons there are often several items in a lot.

Auctions are conducted at a fast pace. Because the catalog items are known for weeks in advance, bids which have come in prior to auction day set a price close to market value. Those willing to pay a bit more are quickly accommodated. The average lot is on the block for 30 seconds or less.  There are seldom any surprises.

Rock Island Auction handles about 1200 lots a day during an auction, about 150 an hour! There are often a hundred or more bids on a lot before the auction ever starts.

There are several services offered to the buyer. 

RIA fields thousands of questions a month from buyers. Their trained evaluators will hold the item in their hands and answer questions which cannot easily be determined by a few photographs.  President Hogan encourages buyers and bidders to call and ask questions about particular lots/items.

If a buyer is looking for a particular item, they can sign up with RIA, and place that item on a wish list. The bidder will be notified when an item they are interested in becomes available. 

If a buyer wishes to bid by telephone, they can sign up to have a text message sent to their phone in advance of the item coming up. An assigned RIA assistant will help in making bids for the item over the phone. 

Bids made over the Internet can be placed with a maximum amount. It is possible to win an auction for less, depending on the competition. Your winning bid may be less than what you placed as a maximum bid. 

Rock Island Auction has Rock Island Live to allow for live online bidding, as an alternative to Proxibid. Rock Island charges 1% for this service. 

Proxibid is a third party site, which carries the RIA catalog.

RIA publishes low and high estimates for what an item will bring. Bidding usually starts no less than 1/2 of the low estimate. If there are a lot of absentee bids, the starting amount may be more than the low estimate. The auctioneers have discretion to determine the starting bid.

Rock Island Auction has their own Youtube channel, with about 500 videos available on the Internet. Ian McCollum, of Forgotten Weapons, often works with RIA to show particular unusual firearms which are available. 

This correspondent has viewed several of Ian's videos. They are well done. When searching the Internet for particular historical firearms, Rock Island Auction repeatedly showed up.

President Kevin Hogan said the current demand for firearms is insatiable. He is of the opinion that collectable firearms are under-priced compared to many other collectable markets.

He says investment grade firearms are inexpensive, compared to other collectables. Hogan says collectables should not be considered only as an investment. 

The profit should be considered in pride of ownership, or in the enjoyment factor.  If you are buying only for an investment, he says, buy something else. 

RIA handles everything related to firearms. They handle accessories and books, often sold in lots. 

This correspondent has spent considerable time looking at the items available on RIA offerings. They are the current equivalent of the Sears or Wards catalog "wish book". 

Buyers premium is 15%. Paying by credit card adds 3.5%. Bidding by RIAC Live adds 1%, for a total of 19.5%.

If a buyer bids via Proxybid on line, an additional 3% is added to the buyers premium, resulting in a total of 21.5%.

The buyers premium and credit card fees are paid on the "hammer amount" (winning bid). 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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TX: Domestic AR-15 Defense, Brother Shoots Sister's Husband who was Shooting through Door with a Shotgun

The husband then went to the downstairs apartment and threatened to shoot down the door while he demanded to see the children, police said.

Police said the husband fired a 12-gauge shotgun through the apartment door, and the wife's brother returned fire, shooting several rounds with an "AR type rifle" at the husband.

The husband was struck several times and was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he died.

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MS: Domestic Defense, Man Shoots, Kills Wife

RALEIGH, Miss. (WJTV) – According to Smith County Sheriff Joel Houston, a Raleigh man shot and killed his wife in self-defense.

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AR: Mass Murder Stopped by Man Armed with Rifle

Image screenshot from 5newsonline.com video, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten. Rifle believed to have been used to stop the murder.

In Fort Smith, Arkansas, a young man, for unknown reasons, killed an elderly neighbor and attempted to kill others.  The murder is reported as occurring at the Three Corners Townhouses on 74th Street, at about 7:19 a.m. on 15 May, 2021. 

As the murderer fired into the apartment buildings, a resident retrieved a rifle and fired one shot, killing the murderer and stopping the threat.

From 4029tv.com: 

Mitchell said calls about the gunfire began coming in at 7:19 a.m. and when police arrived, two people were dead.

According to police, 87-year-old Lois Hicks was shot multiple times inside of her apartment by an individual with a semi-automatic rifle. The shooter, 26-year-old Zachary Arnold continued to shoot his rifle at neighboring apartments.

Police said the shooter and the victim both lived at the complex. Police added that a resident at the complex heard the gunfire and shot and killed Arnold with a hunting rifle as Arnold continued to shoot at neighboring apartments.

As related by eyewitnesses on video from local television stations, the murderer came outside and started firing shots, while demanding people come out of their apartments. Two elderly women came out. When they saw what was happening, they ran back into their apartments.

From video of the crime scene by local stations, it appears the murderer was outside and the apartment doors were at ground level. One older woman closed her door; the other did not. The murderer followed the victim back into her apartment, and shot her several times with a semi-auto rifle, killing her.  From 5newsonline.com: 

Another resident, Amber Lane, says Lois Hicks and Arnold live in the same building. She says Hicks and another neighbor went outside to console Arnold, but when they saw the gun, they ran back inside their apartments. 

“There were two older women, both had come out. One of them had ran back in, and the other one ran back in, but she didn’t close her door, then he walked in and did what he did,” says Lane. 

Then the murderer came back out, and demanded more people come out. One eyewitness said the murderer shouted "You are all going to die."

A woman came out from an apartment further away, and asked if the murderer was "ok". She was rewarded by shots fired in her direction. A man came out to see what was happening from across the complex. He also had shots fired at him.

A neighbor then retrieved his own rifle, and, as the murderer was firing more shots, fired one shot, killing Zachary Arnold. The distance and exact timing of the shot is not clear. The incident is still under investigation.

Eye witnesses believed many more people might have been killed if the armed Samaritan with a rifle had not shot and killed Zachary.

Police are investigating the shooting to determine what Zachary Arnold's motive may have been. 

Because the shooting was stopped before four unrelated people were killed, the shooting will not be considered a mass killing by the FBI. It will not be included as a mass shooting in the media. 

It may be included in the FBI data base of "active shooting incidents" stopped by armed people. 

Early reporting is often wrong. Careful crime scene analysis and interviews of all available witnesses is the proper police procedure. When the investigation is done, a better understanding of exactly what happened should emerge. 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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TN: Armed Samaritan at Hookah Lounge Shoots Suspect who Shot Victim

Around 12:30 a.m. Monday officers responded to a shooting at Blow Hookah Lounge on Exocet Drive where EMS rushed two people to the hospital.

Investigators say the suspect, identified as Kavious McNeil, shot the victim and a “third party” shot McNeil. The victim sustained non-critical injuries but McNeil was critically injured.

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TX Conference Committee for Constitutional Carry Assignments made, Leadership Confident

Texas Capitol image from wikipedia, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

Texas Second Amendment supporters have been working hard to pass Constitutional Carry in Texas for several years. The leadership of the Texas Republicans has been hostile to the idea, even though Constitutional Carry was one of the top planks in the Texas Republican Party platform. Changes in leadership, by resignation or removal in primaries, made passage plausible in 2021. 

A new Republican Party Chairman, Allen West, pushed hard for passage. Speaker of the House, Dade Phelan supported it. It passed the house, 84 to 56 in mid April. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (who controls the Texas Senate) and Governor Greg Abbot got on board. It passed the Senate, with all 18 Republicans voting for it. All 18 votes were needed to bring the bill to the floor, as required by the Texas Senate filibuster rule. 

The price of some of those votes were in eight amendments, several of which were problematic.

On Wednesday, 12 May, the House rejected the amendments attached to HB1927 in the Senate, and moved to send the bill to a conference committee to work out the differences.

Speaker of the House, Dade Phelan, immediately appointed five members of the House, including Schaefer the sponsor of the bill, and Burrows, Canales, Guillen and White.  

On 13 May, in the afternoon, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick appointed five members of the Senate to the Conference Committee. They are Schertner, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, and Hughes. 

The members of the Conference Committee all voted for HB1927. This shows both Speaker of the House Dade Phelan and Lt. Governer Dan Patrick, who runs the Texas Senate, are serious about passing HB1927 and getting it to Governor Greg Abbott, to sign into law, this session.

It may be that only 16 votes will be needed in the Senate to pass a bill from the Conference Committee. Perhaps a reader who is intimately familiar with Texas legislative procedure can enlighten us on that point.

There is not much time left in the Texas legislative session this year. The Session ends at midnight on 31 May. There are legislative procedures and schedules to follow.  

Both Speaker Phelan and Lt. Govenor Dan Patrick expressed confidence they could get the bill to Governor Abbott to sign. Dade Phelan Tweeted:

Texas is on the cusp of a watershed victory for #2A. @DanPatrickTX and I are energized and optimistic that the House and Senate we will get HB 1927 done and to @GregAbbott_TX very soon. #txlege

If HB1927 becomes law, Texas will be the 21st member of the modern Constitutional Carry club. 

 

Louisiana recently passed a Constitutional Carry bill with large majorities, but Governor Bel Edwards has threatened to veto it.

 

The States which currently have Constitutional Carry (the Tennessee law goes into effect on 1 July) are: 

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi  Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

 

If Texas restores Constitutional Carry, which was taken from Texas in 1869, under Reconstruction, five states will have joined the Constitutional Carry club in 2021. 

 

The lack of any measurable increase in violent crime in the States which have had long experience with Constitutional Carry has been a powerful argument for passage of Constitutional Carry bills

 

The theory that people carrying weapons in their ordinary activities fosters crime has been discredited. 

Much of the progress in 2021can be attributed to fear of the Biden regime, which has been openly hostile to the right to keep and bear arms. State legislatures are reacting to protect the rights of their citizens.

 

 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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NC: Home Invasion Suspect Killed by Armed Resident

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – One suspect is dead after an attempted armed robbery in Jacksonville.

On May 16, at approximately 3:40 a.m., Onslow County Sheriff Office deputies were dispatched to 12 Bailey Drive, lot 3, in reference to someone being shot. Upon their arrival, deputies said they found 28-year-old Xavier Jameel Newkirk behind his vehicle that was parked beside his residence.

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Minnesota turns down Application for Concealed Carry Permit by Carey McWilliams - Violation of ADA?

Image from Carey McWilliams, by permission

Carey McWilliams is a gun owner, a successful small and big game hunter, with concealed carry permits for 20 years.  He has been turned down for a Minnesota permit because he is blind. He has applied for a second time.

It is blatant discrimination based on a disability. It probably violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

The initial thought of blind people carrying firearms causes many to do a double-take. Consider the concept more closely and you will see it makes perfect sense. Blind people do not give up their rights simply because they are blind. 

Many states do not discriminate against blind people who apply for concealed carry permits. If there are states which discriminate against blind people who apply to simply own a firearm, they are few and poorly documented. 

It is every American's right to keep and bear arms, as affirmed by the Second Amendment and numerous state constitutional amendments. 

Carey has written books on how the blind can safely use firearms. 

Everyone has limitations on how effectively and safely they can utilize weapons for self defense, hunting, or recreation. Some people cannot hold a weapon very steadily. Some cannot handle recoil. Some cannot hear well. Some do not have fast reaction times. 

Some people cannot see.  That does not mean they cannot use a firearm for self defense.  From personal correspondence with Carry McWilliams, in May of 2021:

The second part of the 2006 Minnesota denile was the same issue they are trying to use now, namely that because of blindness I pose a danger to myslef and others do the same thing that I have done for decades now.

To this, I point out that I being blind am not subject to furtive action
concerns, have to use my gun at contact ranges to insure the legal
requirements of target identification and need. And for the objects
beyond, unless you have x-ray vision to see through perps, always have
things well-lit, never get spun around, and every bullet fired will
never be deflected after being fired, Checking is really more for target
shooting and or hunting. Tooler says you have seconds to check shots and aim like at the range and my legal range is pointblank and other CQC types of actions. There is also an extra safety built-in which is that
my hearing is on the line, so will not shoot unless no other choice.

Well, the mountains of permits and training certificates are in the
sheriff's hands for reconsideration of the denile. This should take 20 business days before a court hearing is needed. I hope that the system there will issue the permit as the over 20 years of CCW experance is far more than most CCW holders over there have.

If a public entity denies participation to a person with a disability, the ADA puts the burden on showing the person can not be accommodated on the public entity. From ada.gov:

§ 35.139 Direct threat.

(a) This part does not require a public entity to permit an individual to participate in or benefit from the services, programs, or activities of that public entity when that individual poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

(b) In determining whether an individual poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, a public entity must make an individualized assessment, based on reasonable judgment that relies on current medical knowledge or on the best available objective evidence, to ascertain: the nature, duration, and severity of the risk; the probability that the potential injury will actually occur; and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures or the provision of auxiliary aids or services will mitigate the risk.

 It seems clear to me that Carey McWilliams has shown he is very responsible with firearms, and not a threat to public safety. 

Everyone has limitation when it pertains to using firearms in self defense. 

Carey McWilliams limitations are different from yours or mine. It does not mean he cannot overcome them and be effective.

Legally blind people have effectively defended themselves with firearms. Just because you are blind does not mean you have given up your Constitutional rights.

I have known Carey McWilliams for a few years now. I know many other people who are not blind, who can obtain concealed carry permits. Carry ranks in the top tier for preparation, diligence, and responsibility. I wish him God speed in obtaining his Minnesota permit. 

There are now 20 Constitutional Carry states where blind people do not need permits to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

There have not been any problems in any of them. It would be front page news if there had been.

All of us have limitations of one kind or another, be they physical, such as sight, hearing (many shooters), strength, agility, or reaction time; or mental such as memory, quickness of thought, speech, or emotional or rational intelligence. 

All these limitations can be overcome. 

Carey McWilliams has done an amazing job of understanding and overcoming his limitations. 

As a famous character in a movie once said: "a man has to know his limitations" .

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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CA: Home Invader shot by 85-Year-Old Homeowner

CATHEDRAL CITY, CA — A suspect who was allegedly shot by an 85-year-old Cathedral City homeowner in self-defense remained hospitalized Monday, police reported.

The shooting occurred about 6:15 p.m. Sunday in the 38200 block of Chuperosa Lane, according to Cathedral City police Sgt. Albert Ruiz. Patrol officers responded to the house following a 911 call reporting a male intruder had entered the home and threatened the residents, he said.

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AL: Legislator fired from Mobile Sheriff's Dept for Support of Second Amendment

Image screenshot from Rep. Shane Stringer Facebook, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten
 

On 14 May, 2021, Alabama Representative Shane Stringer was fired by Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran because Representative Stringer is a strong proponent of Constitutional Carry in Alabama. From policetribune.com:

But Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran and Capt. Stringer have clashed politically since he joined the department.

Mobile County Sheriff’s Department Spokeswoman Lori Myles said that Capt. Stringer’s political views ran afoul of Sheriff Cochran’s beliefs, AL.com reported.

Sheriff Cochran disagreed with Capt. Stringer’s sponsorship of constitutional-carry legislation, Myles said.

Representative Shane Stringer was a Captain in the Mobile County Sheriff's office. He was Chief of Police in Satsuma, Alabama, before he was elected as a representative.

Here is an image of the statement released by Representative Stringer. Shane Stringer is a member of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, where HB 618 is being considered. 

From Representative Shane Stringer's press release (for those who have difficulty reading the image):

State Rep. Shane Stringer (R - Mobile) said on Friday that he is proud to stand in defense of the Second Amendment gun rights of Alabamians despite being fired by Mobile Sheriff Sam Cochran for his position on the issue,”

(snip)

“The U.S. Constitution does not say you have a right to keep and bear arms as long as you pay what amounts to a gun tax in the form of permit fees,” Stringer said. “It says you have the right to keep and carry firearms… period.”

Stringer said that despite Cochran's action, he remains committed to his legislation and to the Alabama law enforcement community. 

 “As a state legislator, I swore an oath to God that I would support the U.S. Constitution, and this legislation does just that,” Stringsaid. “And whether or not I am employed by the Mobile Sheriff’s Office, my heart and soul will always belong to the mission of enforcing the law and to my fellow officers who seek to protect the men, women, and children of Alabama.”

On Monday, 17 May, 2021, Alabama legislators may vote on HB 618, a Constitutional Carry bill, according to Al.com.  Because of procedural rules, May 17th is the last effective day of the 2021 session. It is a long shot that HB 618 could be heard and passed in one day.

In 2017, this correspondent related how he had been discriminated against because of his support for the Second Amendment.

I was downgraded in my career for a number of years, based on my willingness to push for less restrictions on firearms use. Two separate supervisors both told me that was the reason I was downgraded, in separate conversations, years apart. They were sympathetic, and appreciated that I did not hold them responsible. As I recall, one of them volunteered the information, the other responded to a carefully worded neutral question.

As a white male who had no reasonable claim to membership in a specially protected group, I judged it best to forgo legal challenges.

There can be a price for integrity and/or activism. It is wise to pick your battles and chose your favored field of action. I do not regret my decisions.

At some point, you have to draw a line and make what may be life-altering decisions. 

Representative Stringer deserves accolades for his integrity. It remains to be seen, how much he and his family may suffer for it.

Alabama has one of the highest rates of carry permits in the nation. About one third of adults have permits. Those permits must be obtained, and can only be obtained, through a county sheriff. As of 2020, there were 1,085,404 Alabama concealed carry permits. The cost of a permit in Alabama is about $20 per year. 

The money from permit applications go to the Sheriff's Office. Many have stated the Sheriffs oppose Constitutional Carry, because this source of revenue could be reduced. About 20 million dollars a year is at stake, about $6-7 per year, per person, averaged out.  The money has few strings attached, by the state, so it is, essentially, a slush fund for the Sheriff. Some counties in Alabama place additional limits on how the money may be spent. This correspondent has not found such restraints in Mobile County.

Alabama has 67 counties, ranging from about 9,000 in population (Greene) to 658,000 population (Jefferson). 

Mobile, the county where Sheriff Cochran fired Representative Stringer, has a population of about 413,000. On the average, this would mean the carry permit system in Alabama would bring in about $2.7 million dollars a year, every year, for Sheriff Sam Cochran to use for public service, as he pleases, as long as it is not directly used for his personal benefit. 

In 2014 only 12.9% of Adults in Alabama had concealed carry permits.  In 2014, 14.1% of Mobile County  residents had concealed carry permits.That was above the state average, indicating Mobile County likely has a higher than average number of permit issued in 2021. 

Concealed Carry permits soared since Alabama carry law was reformed in 2013.

Retired military veterans are not required to pay a fee for pistol permits.  It is unknown how many of the million plus pistol permits are issued without cost to retired military veterans.

The initial application for a permit must be made in person. The Mobile County Sheriff's office is only open for this purpose from 8-5 on weekdays.  This places an additional burden on people who hold ordinary employment. 

While open carry in Alabama does not require a permit, a pistol may not be carried in a vehicle without a permit. This places a considerable burden on open carry, making transportation of a pistol quite inconvenient without a permit. It is likely one of the reasons for the high percentage of adults with carry permits. 

Since Alabama made the permit shall issue in

Millions of dollars in fees to sheriff's departments, with relatively little accountability, is strong motivation for sheriffs in Alabama to oppose Constitutional Carry. 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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IL: Man Wounded in Gunfight with Car Burglars

Authorities said the man reported that he was inside his home when he "heard a noise outside and saw the dome light lit on his vehicle."

Police said he then grabbed a handgun and went outside to investigate, saying it appeared multiple people were breaking into his car.

One of the suspects opened fire on the man, who then returned fire, according to police, who said the suspects then fled the area. It was not immediately clear if any of the suspects were shot, and police did not release further information on the incident, including the number of or a description of the suspects.

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WA: Video of witnesses where man was shot after Attacking people

Link to video

TX: Armed Samaritan Abortion Protestor Protects Woman from Being Shot

The shooting happened Saturday around 8:30 a.m. in the 7400 block of John Smith Drive, near the intersection of Wurzbach and Babcock roads on the Northwest Side.

A man who arrived with a woman at the facility pulled out a gun and shot at the woman but missed, Ramos said during a morning press conference near the scene.

A person who was with a group of protesters near the clinic saw the shooter and used his handgun to fire at the man, police said. Police said the protester had a license to carry the pistol.

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Texas Constitutional Carry to go to Conference Committee, Future in Doubt

Texas House, 12 May, 2021, Screen shot from live feed, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

 

On Wednesday, 12 May, 2021, HB1927 came back from the Texas Senate to the House. The House had passed the bill with a good margin. Governor Abbot said he would sign the bill. The Senate just barely passed the bill, but included eight amendments. 

The question was: Would the House accept the amendments, and send the bill to the Governor's desk for signature, or would the House send the bill to a conference committee. The conference committee could work out a compromise with the House. If they did, then the bill would have to go back to the Senate and the House for approval.

The Democrats in the House raised a point of order, claiming the amendment to HB 1927, which requires the state to create an online training course about gun carry and the law, fell outside the single issue rule, and was therefore illegal.

Legislation in Texas is supposed to address a single issue only. Naturally, what is a single issue is subject to interpretation. Several of the other seven amendments added in the House could as easily fail under the single issue rule. 

This correspondent is not in the Texas legislature. Representative Schaffer is. He is the House sponsor of the bill. Representative Schaffer came to the podium, asked the House to reject the Senate amendments, and send the HB 1927 to a conference committee.

It had been worked out behind the scenes. The House asked for a conference committee.

To this correspondent, it appeared the House was betting 90% of Constitutional Carry against a chance of gaining a few more percent toward a 100% bill.

Members of the House Conference Committee would be made up of five members who voted for HB 1927 in the House.  From thetexan.com:

The House’s appointees to the proposed conference committee will be the bill’s author, Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler), as well as Reps. Terry Canales (D-Edinburg), James White (R-Hillister), Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City), and Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) — all of whom supported the original House version.

It had appeared, if the House had accepted the Senate Amendments, it was a done deal. There is some question as to whether the point of order would be upheld. The point of order was withdrawn, and became moot when the House did not concur with the Senate amendments, and asked for a conference committee.

 The clock is ticking. There are only 17 days until the Texas legislature adjourns at the end of 31 May, 2021. 

If Lt Governor Dan Patrick wants this bill to pass, he needs to appoint a conference committee immediately, staffed with members in favor of the bill. They need to work out differences and put a compromise bill to both houses very quickly.

In conference committee, many things can happen. 

The bill can be delayed until it dies.

The Senate can reject the conference committee recommendations.

The House can reject the conference committee recommendations.

The two houses can agree to changes to the Senate amendments. 

If they do so, then the bill goes to Governor Abbott for signature.

This correspondent has seen many bills die at the last minute, when passage seemed imminent. 

Time will tell what will happen to HB 1927, the Texas Constitutional Carry bill.

Governor Abbott has said he will sign Constitutional Carry if it comes to his desk. 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

WI: Wisconsin CCW Holder Defends Against Four Men

Police in Brookfield, Wis., told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that four men assaulted a 35-year-old man last Friday morning as he left a Target store due to what the paper described as "a disagreement over sports trading cards." The victim, who has a concealed carry permit, was able to pull his gun and the attackers ran away. Officers later found the four men and took them into custody.

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South Carolina House Concurs on Open Carry and More; H3094 Goes to Governor

South Carolina State House, Christmas 2006, Brandon Davis, public domain, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

The South Carolina Open Carry with Permit bill, HB 3094, was amended in the Senate. The House has now concurred in an 83 to 34 vote. The bill will now be sent to Governor McMaster, who has indicated he will sign the bill.

South Carolina has been one of only five states which ban the open carry of loaded handguns in most public places. The other four states are: California, Illinois, New York, and Florida. 

There have been several serious efforts, including court cases, to restore open carry to Florida. The right to open carry handguns in Florida was lost during the Jim Crow era, in order to disarm black people. In 1941, a judge opined about the passage of an 1893 Florida law:

[T]he Act was passed for the purpose of disarming the negro laborers and to thereby reduce the unlawful homicides that were prevalent in turpentine and saw-mill camps and to give the white .citizens in sparsely settled areas a better feeling of security. The statute was never intended to be applied to the white population. . . .

HB 3094 is likely to be signed into law in the next week or two. If that happens, only four states will ban the open carry of handguns in most public places.

HB 3094 had amendments added in the Senate to incrementally move toward Constitutional Carry in South Carolina. One of the more important amendments eliminated the $50 fee for a carry permit in South Carolina. When Constitutional Carry bills are considered in the future, the impact on funding will no longer be a consideration.

Another amendment to the bill made South Carolina a Second Amendment sanctuary state.  Here is the H3094  provision:

SECTION    9.    A.    Article 4, Chapter 31, Title 23 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 23-31-250.    (A)    The State of South Carolina, and its political subdivisions, cannot be compelled by the federal government to take any legislative or executive action to implement or enforce a federal law, treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation related to an individual's right to keep and bear arms enshrined in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution that limits or proscribes carrying concealable weapons, whether concealed or openly carried, as provided in this chapter.

(B)    Any federal law, treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation related to limiting or proscribing the carry of concealable weapons must be evaluated by the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall issue a written opinion of whether the law, treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation purports to compel legislative or executive action prohibited pursuant to subsection (A).

(C)    If the Attorney General renders an opinion that a federal law, treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation purports to compel legislative or executive action prohibited pursuant to subsection (A), then:

(1)    no public funds of this State, or any political subdivision of this State, shall be allocated for the implementation or enforcement of that federal law, treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation;

(2)    no personnel or property of this State, or any political subdivision of this State, shall be allocated to the implementation or enforcement of that federal law, treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation; and

(3)    no official, agent, or employee of the State of South Carolina, or any political subdivision of it, shall implement, attempt to implement, enforce, or attempt to enforce that federal law, treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation."

B.    This SECTION takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

A third amendment changed the wording of Section 16-23-420. The amendment extends the legal right to store firearms in locked vehicles in secured containers, such as the glove compartment, closed console, trunk, or separately secured closed container on college or university property.  The section formerly only applied to people with permits. When HB3094 becomes law, the section will apply to everyone, gaining the right to have a firearm in a vehicle without a permit. 

This is a significant step toward Constitutional Carry in South Carolina. 

According to sources in the legislature, Governor McMaster may sign the bill into law by 21 May. 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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WA: Armed Samaritan Shoots aggressive Man, who Attacked Others

Several men tried to intervene, police said Wednesday. The man used pepper spray on them and struck them with a baton.

One of the other men had a pistol. He shot the alleged aggressor twice, police said.

The wounded man was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died. He had not been identified publicly Wednesday. He was in his early 30s, police said.

Police spoke with “numerous” witnesses at the scene. Officers detained the shooter, who cooperated with them. He was not arrested.

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April 2021 NICS Breaks Record, Gun Sales continue high for Month

Graphic Courtesy David Scott and Dean Weingarten

April 2021 numbers for the National Instant background Check System (NICS) set another record.  The previous record for April, in 2020, was 2,911,128. In 2021, the April NICS were 3,514,070. 

Actual firearm sale are different. Over half of NICS checks are done for carry permits or carry permit rechecks. Illinois had nearly 890,000 rechecks alone in April of 2021. 

Using our formula, the estimate for 2020 was 1,648,688 1.649 million firearms sold. The same formula, applied to 2021 gives us  1.665 million firearms sold. The increase is only 1%, but it breaks the record. 

It appears the United States has reached a new normal. Guns and ammunition are being produced as fast as they can be. Demand is almost being met. Some guns are becoming available again. Some common shotgun ammunition is available in the stores.

17 boxes of 100 rds of Federal 12 gauge target loads were available in a local Walmart this week.

Most common pistols, pump shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles are seldom found on dealers shelves. They tend to be purchased before they arrive, and leave the store shortly after they get there.

The country is deeply divided between those who believe the old, Progressive media, social media, and the Tech Oligarchs, and those who do not.

The unrest and violent riots common in many cities where leftist power is dominant has convinced many of the desireability of personal weapons, especially with the bizarre demands to defund the police and release thousands of criminals into the streets.

If the Biden administration's extreme spending plans and attempts to render the Republic into a Leftist oligarchy fail, it is likely demand will drop, the noted capitalist capability to produce things people desire, for profit, will succeed in doing so, and prices will start to fall.

The specter of inflation from all the covid crazy spending may, or may not keep prices high.

The number of privately held firearms in the United States, with the increase of 1.67 more last month, is about 471 million. The estimate is made using the method pioneered by Newton and Zimring, and extended by Gary Kleck in “Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America”.  

The United States manufactures and imports about 9.1 billion rounds of ammunition a year. That is about 20 rounds of ammunition per firearm in the United States. 

Most people have not been keeping a hundred rounds of ammunition per firearm. Many people now think that is the bare minimum. The increase in demand is showing up as bare shelves at the gun shops. It is possible the lack of ammunition is serving as a check on the demand for gun sales.

The United States has more firearms per person than any other nation on earth. It also has more ammunition. Modern ammunition lasts a very long time, at the minimum of several decades. The key to long term storage of ammunition is cool to moderate temperatures, keeping it dry, and away from contamination by oils.

Given those conditions, much hundred year old ammunition has been happily fired at the range.

Guns take a long time to wear out, with just a minimum of care; ammunition lasts for several generations. The societal effects of an armed America will be felt for many decades to come.

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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