Thursday, January 30, 2025

Sri Lanka Air Rifles and Gun Control: Arrogant Ignorance on Display

 

 Flag of the Democratic socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon)

Sri Lanka has some of the most restrictive laws against firearm ownership and use in the world. The government recently demanded all legal firearms be turned in, except for those issued to farmers by the Ministry of Agriculture. No one is allowed to legally own a firearm without government permission. Government permission to own firearms is arbitrary and subjective.  The recent demand, by the government, for all legal owners to turn in their guns, has largely been ignored. From srilanamirror.com:

As of now, it has been reported that nearly 50 firearms have been returned. However, around 1,650 firearm licenses have been issued by the Ministry for various reasons.

The Ministry emphasized that all firearms and ammunition must be returned before the specified date, and legal action will be taken against those who fail to comply, as per the Firearms Ordinance Act No. 33 of 1916.

The deadline for turning in the legal firearms was extended from November 7, to November 21, 2024. This correspondent has been unable to determine if further extensions were implemented.

The population of Sri Lanka is about 24 million people. There are about 1,650 non agricultural firearms licenses in the country. The Small Arms Survey estimates there are 35,000 legal firearms. It appears most firearms licenses are issued to farmers to protect their crops.  The Small Arms Survey estimates there are 14 illegal firearms for every legal firearm (about half a million illegal firearms, many made in small shops for the black market).

Much of the food in the country is produced by small farmers on basic subsistence farms. In 2019, the Sri Lanka government instituted disastrous policies, forbidding the use of modern fertilizers and pesticides. Hunger and famine resulted. In 2022, the Prime Minister was forced to resign amidst violent protests.  In 2023, the Secretary of Agriculture attempted to aid farmers by subsidizing the procurement of air rifles to help control and discourage the numerous animal and birds pests who were raiding and destroying farmers' crops.

An article railing against the policy was published in The Morning in Sri Lanka. The level of ignorance and arrogance is astounding. This is about ordinary air rifles, which in most countries, even countries with extreme restrictions on firearms, are not regulated. Air rifles are not regulated in Sri Lanka. The article was published on October 29, 2023, about a year ago.

Farmers cannot be trusted with air rifles.  From themorning.lk:

He noted that it was difficult to guarantee safety regarding guns, especially in rural areas: “Distributing weapons to farmers will create massive socioeconomic issues within the community. Farmers are not trained to handle guns. They are farmers. Secondly, in their houses, there is no safe place to keep the gun. There are high levels of domestic violence in our society and these guns can be used to harm spouses.” 

Quoted in the article from a member of a farmer federation:

“Providing air rifles is not a solution to the problem of crop damage by wild animals. The real solution would be to fulfil the basic necessities of the wild animals. It is pointless to provide these weapons to farmers. Moreover, there is a risk that people will use these weapons for other purposes,” Karunaratne cautioned. 

He further noted that the matter required an approach that would ensure that the needs of wild animals were met. 

In response, the Minister of Agriculture seems a beacon of sanity. Perhaps he is the reason farmers' firearms were exempted from the general confiscation order. From the Minister of Agriculture: 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Amaraweera said: “The rifles were given on a concessionary basis where we contributed half the funds. We have given these farmers the necessary training to handle these weapons.”

Addressing the State oversight in existence for these weapons, the Minister noted that they did not constitute a significant concern for there to be a monitoring mechanism: “These are not lethal weapons,” he said, adding: “These are available in stores. Air rifles do not require licences. Anyone can buy an air rifle in the country, you only need the money. This is akin to a toy, since animals and humans cannot be killed with air rifles.”

Many people who want a disarmed population suffer from a surprising combination of arrogance and ignorance. In Australia, the arms legislation passed in 1996, made it harder to legally own a slingshot than to own a bolt action .30-06 or a double barreled shotgun.

Analysis:

Arrogance and ignorance are a recipe for disaster. Those with this combination are useful tools for those who desire to keep a population disarmed for political purposes. Strong gun controls seem to be correlated with corrupt and authoritarian/totalitarian governments who do not trust their people.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 


 

 

 


TN: Skyler Whitefield-Brewer Claims Self Defense in Nashville Killing of Richard Trout

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Police are investigating a self-defense claim after a man was shot and killed in the parking lot of Bar-B-cutie on Gallatin Pike.

The shooting happened just after 9 a.m. on Saturday. Investigators believe 23-year-old Skyler Whitefield-Brewner and 50-year-old Richard Trout were in a confrontation when shots were fired. Trout was struck multiple times and later died at the hospital.

Whitefield-Brewner fled the scene but later went to MNPD headquarters to speak with detectives.

More Here

NM: Rio Rancho Homeowner and Father Shoots, Kills Home Invader

The first incident was in Rio Rancho at 11:55 p.m. Saturday. Police responded to a call from the 1500 block of 12th Street SE after a homeowner reportedly shot an intruder.

Rio Rancho police said that two adults and three children were asleep in the residence when an unknown suspect kicked in the front door and entered the home. The homeowner armed himself and confronted the intruder, shooting him once in the torso. The suspect was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

 

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FL: Hillsborough County Fire Investigator Pulls Gun to Stop Attack

Deputies said when an arson investigator with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue arrived on the scene, a man near the fires tried to fight the investigator.

The investigator pulled a gun, officials said, forcing fire crews to stay back until law enforcement could take the suspect into custody.

Firefighters got the flames under control within 30 minutes, HCFR said. No injuries were reported.

More Here

NV: Domestic Defense, Armed Couple Shoot man who Attacked Woman

According to police, the officer and his wife were inside their home when they heard a “commotion” in the backyard of a neighbor’s house. The officer left his home and saw a man “mounted” on top of a woman, punching and strangling her. The officer then told his wife to call police, while the officer went into the backyard to separate the man and woman, McKenzie said.

The officer was able get the woman to safety. The man then followed the officer into his front yard and the officer gave “numerous” commands to the man to stop, saying he would shoot if he came closer, McKenzie said.

The man continued to approach the group and the off-duty officer and his wife both fired at him, McKenzie said. Medical personnel later pronounced the man dead.

More Here

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Hearing Protection Act Re-Introduced in 2025, NFA Reform

 

The Hearing Protection Act has been re-introduced in 2025. The act removes silencers/gun mufflers from the National Firearms Act and places them in the same category as rifles and shotguns.

The introduced act does this by adding silencers/gun mufflers to applicable laws which now cover firearms, more specifically, rifles and shotguns, and removing them from the National Firearms Act.

In Title 18, United States Code, in section 922(b) --

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking "shotgun or rifle" the first place it appears and inserting "shotgun, rifle, firearms silencer or firearm muffler"; and

(B) in paragraph (3) by striking "rifle or shotgun" and inserting "shotgun, rifle, firearms silencer or muffler"; and

The bill also changes the tax on firearms silencers/gun mufflers from the NFA $200 tax stamp to that of the current tax on firearms of 10%.

The bill demands the destruction of all current NFA registration records of silencers/gun mufflers within 365 days after the date of the enactment of the Act.

There is a specific provision in the bill which states the requirements in the hearing protection act meet any registration and licensing requirements of the National Firearms Act with respect to silencers. This provision meets some state requirements which require silencers purchased and possessed in a state have to met the federal NFA requirements. Arizona has such a requirement.  Without such a provision, it would require changes in state legislation to make silencers legal to possess in many states.

The bill has a preemption section which forbids states from imposing a silencer tax, or to require taxes on making, transferring, using, possessing, or transporting a firearm silencer in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or from  imposing a marking, recordkeeping or registration requirement with respect to such a firearm silencer.

The definition of silencers/gun mufflers is reformed to only include the outer tube or other single part on which provides the primary housing or primary structure of the silencer. This definition replaces the old definition which included any part of a silencer which was specifically used and designed for a silencer. This definition eliminates the previous definition which made any silencer part a legal "silencer".  The definition was sometimes stretched to include freeze plugs, o-rings and washers as silencers under the law.

Because silencers would be placed in the same category as rifles and shotguns, most states would allow silencers to be purchased across state lines, just as rifles and shotguns are at present. Silencers could be sold and transferred just as rifles and shotguns are today. It is unclear how the eight states which currently ban ownership of silencers would fare under this bill. The outright ban on ownership is being challenged in federal court in Illinois. Massachusetts is considering bills to legalize the ownership of silencers. New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, California and Hawaii are the other six states which currently ban silencers.

Analysis:

Because the Hearing Protection Act has much to do with taxes, it should be included in the reconciliation bill, dealing with the budget. If the act passes, expect additional  legal challenges to outright bans on silencer/gun muffler possession and ownership in the eight states where the possession of silencers is banned by state law.

The text of the hearing protection act has not been officially entered in the House of Representatives as of this writing, but should be soon. As with all legislation, amendments and horsetrading are possible until the legislation actually passes.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch





AZ: Phoenix Homeowner Shoots, Kills Burglar

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A burglar is dead after a west Phoenix homeowner shot him on Friday night, police said.

It happened near 106th Avenue and Heatherbrae Drive, which is just north of Indian School Road, just after 6 p.m.

The suspect, a 51-year-old man, was shot and taken to the hospital, where he later died.

No one else was hurt.


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TN: Man Smashing Car Windows Attacks Armed Samaritan, is Shot

The investigation revealed that Bullock smashed out the window of a car with a golf club near Knox Rail Salvage. A 24-year-old man heard the car window being smashed and confronted Bullock. Bullock then allegedly struck the man who intervened in the vehicle burglary with the golf club, and the man then shot Bullock.

Bullock ran from the area after he was shot but was detained by officers a short distance away from the scene of the shooting.

Charges are pending on Bullock related to the vehicle burglary and assault on the individual who shot him. That individual is fully cooperating with the investigation, which remains ongoing at this time.


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CA: Domestic Defense, Manteca Councilman Shoots Stepson

Breitenbucher called 911 and said that his stepson Landon White, 31, had attacked him and threatened to kill him, police said. He reported using his personal firearm in self-defense.

Police said White doesn't live in the house, but that Breitenbucher found him there when he returned home.

Breitenbucher suffered a head injury and White was shot in the abdomen, police said. They were both taken to local hospitals for treatment.

According to police, Breitenbucher has been released from the hospital. As of Friday afternoon, White is still unconscious.


More Here

Sunday, January 26, 2025

ME: Front Loader Attack Stopped with Gunfire

 


 
At about 5:30 a.m. nearly two hours before sunrise in Garland, Maine, a suspect stole a  Komatsu front end loader from a nearby gravel pit. The suspect then used the front end loader to attack a nearby home with people inside. The machine caused significant damage to vehicles parked in the driveway in an apparant attempt to force entry into the house. The sheriff's officer reports residents exited the house and fired shots at the driver, wounding him and forcing his retreat. Here is the report from Penobscott County Sheriff's Office:
 
Gunshots were fired during an incident involving a stolen front-end loader in Garland. 
 
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at approximately 5:30 a.m., the Penobscot Regional Communications Center received a report of individuals who appeared to be stealing a large front-end loader from a gravel pit near their residence. The incident was reported to be occurring on Upper Notch Road in Garland.
Shortly after receiving the initial call, the complainant reported that the front-end loader was now in their driveway, attempting to run through their house. The complainant also mentioned that the machine was destroying vehicles in the driveway.
 
The initial investigation suggests that individuals exited the home and fired several rounds at the front-end loader. The machine then reversed out of the driveway and fled the scene. It crossed a large field and went down a woods road.
 
At approximately 6:10 a.m. PRCC received another report that a large front-end loader was driving on the roadway, it was eventually located by law enforcement on the Center Road in Charleston. The lone occupant surrendered to law enforcement without incident and told them, he had been shot. Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the man to a local hospital. Upon his release, he was arrested and transported to the Penobscot County Jail. 
 
The operator of the front-end loader was identified as Michael Thompson (37) of Corinna. This investigation remains active and additional charges may be pending.
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Maine State Police.
The attack is remarkably similar to the mass murder by front end loader and gunfire which occurred five months ago, about 30 miles from Honolulu, Hawaii. That attack also started with ramming cars. It ended with the suspect shot and killed by one of the residents. In this instance, the perpetrator did not use a firearm, and was wounded instead of killed. 
 

 Image of windshield of Komatsu
 


Large front end loaders such as the Komatsu used in these attacks are very tough machines. the steel bucket can act as a shield against gunfire. In the pictures taken by the Penobscot Sherrif's office, you can see several bullet holes in the windshield of the front end loader.

No one in the residence was reported to be injured.


©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

VA: Stuart Acquaintance Damages Car, Home, is Shot

Hazelwood watched from his window as Goodyear hit Hazelwood’s vehicle with an iron pipe, according to what Hazelwood told the Sheriff’s Office. Hazelwood said Goodyear then approached the home, still armed with the pipe, and began to beat the home, breaking several windows. Goodyear then allegedly began to beat the front door of Hazelwood’s home with the pipe, eventually breaking the door open, at which point Hazelwood fired one round from a .38 caliber handgun, hitting Goodyear.

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TX: Houston Armed Security Guard Shoots 1 of 4 Robbers who Pepper Sprayed Him

At least two suspects inside a black Suburban were canvassing the parking lot. Police said one of the suspects jumped out of the SUV and pepper-sprayed both of the armored truck workers.

The security guard was able to fire his gun and hit the suspect who sprayed them. That suspect was taken to the hospital.

Police said they were not sure if the suspects got away with any money from the truck.


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FL: Domestic Defense, Houston Bother Shoots Brother

The shooter told responding officers that he and his brother – deceased male – had been involved in multiple disturbances and arguments over the past couple of days. The shooter said his brother was trying to force his way into a room occupied by two female family members and a child. The shooter said he shot his brother in an attempt to protect himself and family members. No other persons were injured in this shooting.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and it was determined the case would be presented to a grand jury for review.

More Here

Saturday, January 25, 2025

FL: Gunfight outside Strip Club, 1 Dead, 1 Wounded

Deputies said they arrived and found two men who had been shot.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel pronounced one of the men dead at the scene. The other person was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.

“The preliminary information indicates the decedent provoked a physical altercation with the victim, and there was an exchange of gunfire,” an MDSO spokesperson said in an email to Local 10 News. “The victim is out of surgery and in stable condition.”

An employee at a nearby business named John told Local 10 News that this isn’t the first time the adult entertainment club has turned into a crime scene.

More Here

TX: San Antonio Road Rage becomes Gun Fight, 1 Dead

The injured man was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police say he was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The man who ended up dying has been identified as the suspect.

Police say that both men were having a verbal altercation on the road while driving, then followed each other to the intersection of Springtime and Spring Hurst.

The suspect stopped his vehicle and opened his trunk. Police say the victim saw the firearm the suspect was holding and reportedly shot the suspect with his own weapon. The suspect was hit multiple times.

A firearm was located on the suspect and was recovered. The victim's weapon was also recovered.


More Here

Thursday, January 23, 2025

OK: Tulsa Gunfight , Self Defense

Police said officers were called to the apartment complex near South 129th East Avenue and East 21st Street at 7:24 p.m.

Officers found a man with multiple gun shot wounds and immediately began life saving measures until medical personnel arrived. The victim was transported to the hospital and taken into surgery.

Police said a suspect called and turned himself in. Firearms were found on both individuals.

The suspect was released after multiple interviews as the shooting appeared to be in self defense.

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IL: Chicago Concealed Carry License Holder Shoots Person who had Handgun


The 30-year-old CCL holder was standing outside around 9 p.m. when he got into an argument with someone who was inside a vehicle in the 7200 block of South South Drive, police said.

The 30-year-old noticed the person in the car holding a handgun, drew his own gun and fired, striking the suspect once in the chest, police said.

The suspect took himself to Jackson Park Hospital where he was listed in fair condition. Officers went to the hospital and placed the suspect into custody. Police said charges are pending.


More Here

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

OHIO: Civil Immunity for Defense of Self and Others, Ban on Finantial Insitution Collection of Firearms Data

Ohio Statehouse

Governor DeWine of Ohio signed House Bill 452 and Senate Bill 58  on January 8, 2025.

HB 452 grants immunity from civil lawsuit when a person is acting in defense of themselves or another to protect members or guests of non-profit corporations. This includes churches. Those who enter property with the intent to illegally harm others are not granted immunity.  The immunity section is a small part of the bill, which mostly deals with hospital security.

From House Bill 452, state.oh.us:

 (B) No person is liable in a tort action for injury, death, or loss to person or property allegedly caused by the person's act of self-defense or defense of another when performed during the commission, or imminent commission, of an offense of violence to protect the members or guests, including the person's self, of a nonprofit corporation against the commission, or imminent commission, of that offense of violence, unless the person's act constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

Granting immunity for acts defending self or others, even in this limited circumstances, appears to be a response to high level cases where defenders have been sued by aggressors. Examples include the lawsuits against Kyle Rittenhouse. Kyle Rittenhouse was cleared of all criminal charges by a unanimous jury of his peers in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  While found not guilty of criminal charges, he is facing lawsuits from one of the people who attacked him and from the family of one of the people who he shot and killed in self defense. The Rittenhouse case was prosecuted in Wisconsin, but people and legislators in Ohio could watch the case, live as it unfolded. The law removes a worry from non-profit managers and owners about possible liability if they allow people to be armed on their properties.

HB 452 will go into effect in about six months.

Senate Bill 58 prevents registration of firearms by governments at the state and local level. It makes the creation of lists of firearms owners by financial entities illegal. This is to prevent financial institutions or credit card companies from requiring specific codes for firearms or firearm related products.  They would effectively create a registration list. Senate Bill 58 also prohibits private entities from mandating firearm liability insurance as a prerequisite for the possession or purchase of firearms. Underlined words have been added with this bill.  From Senate Bill 58 state.oh.us:

 Except as specifically provided by the United States Constitution, Ohio Constitution, state law, or federal law, a person, without further license, permission, restriction, delay, or process, including by any ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution, practice, or other action or any threat of citation, prosecution, or other legal process, may own, possess, purchase, acquire, transport, store, carry, sell, transfer, manufacture, or keep any firearm, part of a firearm, its components, and its ammunition, and any knife, without being required to have firearm liability insurance, and without being required to pay a fee for the possession of a firearm, part of a firearm, its components, its ammunition, or a knife.

This bill against credit card codes and the creation of registration lists is a reaction against using financial institutions to discriminate against the firearms community by "de-banking" them. De-banking is one of the schemes of those who want to disarm the population. It is a way to achieve those ends without passing legislation.  The attempt to require firearms liability insurance is another scheme to make firearms ownership onerous and financially burdensome. SB 58 makes such schemes illegal in Ohio.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch






TX: Houston Gunfight, one Suspect Dead, one Arrested

Evidence indicates the male and another male attempted to commit an armed robbery of the business, which resulted in a shootout with employees.  One male was shot and the other fled on foot.  None of the employees was injured.

More Here

Monday, January 20, 2025

Il: Chicago Domestic Defense, Son Shoots, Kills Father

Witnesses said that the victim was involved in an argument that turned physical with his wife when he reached for a weapon. At that time, the son shot his father to protect his mother. 

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.


More Here

Sunday, January 19, 2025

Trinidad and Tobago Opposition Leader pushes for Right to Self Defense

 

The leader of the political opposition in the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is pushing for the rights of citizens to defend themselves with arms. As part of her campaign, she is supporting the rights of citizens to stand their ground and to keep and carry firearms for defense of themselves and others.

Trinidad and Tobago is a small nation just off the coast of Venezuela. As Venezuela has descended into a dysfunctional society, created by a Leftist government, refugees and criminal gangs are creating significant problems in Trinidad and Tobago.

Kamla Persad-Bessessar is the opposition leader in the government of Trinidad and Tobago. She is the leader of the United National Congress party, a mother, and has supported citizens rights to defend themselves against criminals in the past. Kamla Persad-Bessessar gave a speech on January 6th, 2025. From newsday.co.tt:

She then recommitted herself to bringing stand-your-ground laws, as well as legislation on the right to bear arms to give citizens a fighting chance against criminals.

Stand-your-ground laws allow people to use deadly force in certain situations to defend themselves against violent crimes. There was widespread public debate on this when the party first proposed the measure.

In her almost-hour-long speech, Persad-Bissessar said, “I was told only yesterday morning, in addition to the prosecutors not wanting to go to work because of the fear, they are now being told that certain judicial officers are under threat from criminal elements."

(snip)

On Hector's murder, she said criminals were in charge, despite this government's claim to the contrary.

“A UNC government will tackle this decay and stand firm against the criminals,” she said.

The example of the United States and the Second Amendment are having an effect on other countries.  The claims of those who want a disarmed society have been shown to be false. Disarming the law abiding population does not reduce murder rates. Disarming the law abiding population does not reduce suicide rates.

Disarming people who obey the laws means those who are physically weaker, such as women and the elderly, or people facing hostile groups, have no effective way to defend themselves.  As society is controlled by armed people, either in the government or in armed gangs (it is often difficult to tell the difference) those who are unarmed become easy victims. This is the message Kamla Persad-Bessessar is spreading with her speeches.

A government shows trust of the people it governs by trusting them with weapons, as the United States has done with the Second Amendment.  Some governments in the United States have shown they did not trust:

  • Residents who sided with the British monarchy over the new revolutionary government.
  • Indian tribes which where sovereign nations, thus without obligation or loyalty to the United States.
  • Slaves, which were not citizens, and who had reason to rebel against their legal status.
  • After the War between the States (Civil War), freed slaves and black people in general.
  • The vast majority of the American people, from 1968 - 2008.

Analysis:

During the Progressive era, Second Amendment rights were increasingly infringed. The restoration of Second Amendment rights has been in progress for roughly 40 years, accelerating in effect and scope. While American access to firearms has increased, crime rates have not. There are numerous examples of Americans defending themselves.

The claims of "safety and order" for a disarmed population have been false from the beginning. The common sense observations of Cesare Beccaria, published in 1764, have been vindicated:

False is the idea of utility that sacrifices a thousand real advantages for one imaginary or trifling inconvenience; that would take fire from men because it burns, and water because one may drown in it; that has no remedy for evils except destruction. The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.

The theories of Cesare Beccaria had a strong influence on the founders of the United States of America, and the framers of the Bill of Rights.

Leftist ideology, whether Progressive, Marxist, Fascist or NAZI, are all based on the theory government is a benevolent force. Just put the right person/people in charge, and everything will become better. Restricting government power, in any way, is seen as absurd and an obstacle to the "good" things government can do. Opposition to the Second Amendment is in Progressive DNA. Under Leftist/Progressive ideology, ordinary people should not be allowed free access to weapons or to information. Implementation of this ideology has led to societal disasters.

Governments are made of people. People are fallible. Good intentions do not guarantee good results. Limiting governmental power has proved to be one of the most useful political theories in the history of mankind.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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TX: Houston Man Shoots Attacker, Holds Same for Police

 

 

Police said the 20-year-old driver again tried to get away from the aggressive driver, but the truck drove into the oncoming traffic lanes to swerve in front of him and block them. That's when HPD said the truck driver got out and ran toward the car with his hands near his pocket. Police said the 20-year-old driver feared for his life and opened fire through the front windshield and through the side of the car, hitting the aggressive driver in the torso, arm and leg.

According to HPD, the 20-year-old driver used to be a security guard and had handcuffs on him. He detained the other driver and contacted police. HPD said he was fully cooperating with investigators.

The alleged aggressive driver was taken to an area hospital where he is expected to survive.

"He's our victim, but again, more of a suspect, really," said Lt. R. Willkens with HPD. "Kind of a self-defense thing."


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OK: Wagoner County Homeowner Shoots Intoxicated Friend

According to the Wagoner County Sheriff's Office, the homeowner came home and found one of his friends intoxicated and hanging out with his girlfriend.

The conversation between the homeowner and his intoxicated friend eventually became heated and at some point, the sheriff's office said the intoxicated friend attacked the homeowner.

The homeowner stated he was then forced to shoot his friend in self defense.

At this time, the homeowner is not expected to face charges.

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TX: Houston Carjacking Suspect Shot, Killed by Armed Teen Victim

he male shooter, 19, was not injured in the incident.

HPD Homicide Division Sergeant N. Lazo and Detective M. Providence reported:

HPD patrol officers responded to a shooting call in the parking lot of an apartment complex at the above address and found a male suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was in possession of a firearm. Paramedics pronounced him deceased at the scene.

Officers located the shooter at the scene. He stated that he and his friends were inside a vehicle when they were approached by the armed male, who raised a gun in their direction. The shooter stated he feared for his safety and fired shots toward the armed male, striking him. No one else was injured.

 

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Minnesota: Truck Drivers Sue to Restore Right to Bear Arms across State Lines



 

On January 7, 2025, two interstate commercial truck drivers filed a complaint in the Federal District Court for the District of Minnesota. The lawsuit contends Minnesota, and in particular the Commissioner for the Department of Public Safety, is infringing on the exercise of their Second Amendment rights by not recognizing their right to bear arms across state lines.

Here is the introduction of their complaint:

1. This is a constitutional challenge to Minnesota’s refusal to recognize firearm permits lawfully issued by other States. Minnesota criminalizes carrying a firearm without a Minnesota permit or a recognized out-of-state firearm permit. Every year, the Commissioner for Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety decides which out-of-state firearm permits Minnesota will and will not recognize. The recognition of out-of-state firearm permits is at the Commissioner’s sole discretion and is not based on objective standards.

2. Currently, Minnesota only recognizes the out-of-state firearm permits from 20 states, and refuses to recognize the out-of-state permits from 29 states, including Texas, Florida, and Georgia. In other words, millions of law-abiding citizens who lawfully bear arms in their home states cannot do so while visiting the State of Minnesota—unless they obtain a separate Minnesota firearm permit.


3. Minnesota’s failure to honor lawfully issued firearm permits from all States places an unreasonable burden on Plaintiffs’ Second Amendment right to bear arms. Individuals do not lose their constitutional rights simply by crossing into another state. In fact, there is no other constitutional right that Minnesota requires a visiting individual to first obtain permission before they may exercise a fundamental right.


4. The Minnesota firearm permit law and the Commissioner’s arbitrary refusal to recognize the lawfully issued firearm permits from all other States violates the Second Amendment. Defendant will continue to infringe on millions of Americans’ right to bear arms in Minnesota unless, and until, a court declares the law and actions unconstitutional and enjoins Defendant’s enforcement.

There are several cases in the courts challenging restrictions which place unreasonable burdens on the exercise of rights protected by the Second Amendment while traveling across state lines.  There are two combined criminal cases in the State of Massachusetts Supreme Court of Judicial appeal.  There are two cases in process in California.  Any of these cases could make precedent favorable to exercising Second Amendment rights across state lines, if only in one state or one federal circuit. Reciprocity across state lines is highly variable and rapidly changing.

These cases could become moot if Senate Bill S65, National Reciprocity, is passed into law.  The bill was recently introduced into the Senate, with a companion bill introduced into the House of Representatives. 29 states have permitless or Constitutional carry. 21 states have "shall issue" permit laws, even if several of them, Hawaii, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey, are actively resisting the implementation of shall issue in the courts and in their legislatures.

Most senators are from states which already have large numbers of people who can legally carry concealed weapons.  Those senators may see little advantage in preventing visitors  to their state from exercising rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment and the United States Constitution.  The re-election of President Donald Trump means if the national reciprocity bill passes the Senate and House, the President will sign it.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

Saturday, January 18, 2025

IN: Indianapolis Carjacking Suspect Shot, Killed

A failed carjacking left a man dead after police say the person he was targeting ended up shooting him in the Trader’s Point shopping complex on the city's northwest side early Wednesday.

At 5:41 a.m. Wednesday, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to the 5700 block of West 86th Street about a reported carjacking attempt. While en route, police say officers were told that a person had been shot.

Arriving officers found a man critically injured. The man, identified as Trevor Matthew Marrero, 23, died hours later at the hospital.


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MT: Domestic Defense? 71-Year-Old man shoots Man who Lived in Same Residence

Court documents released on Wednesday state that Martel called dispatch and said that he shot a man, stating that he did it because the man "came at him."

When police officers arrived at the residence, they heard the victim yelling for help and saying that he had been shot.

Martel reportedly immediately told officers, "I am the one who shot him."

According to court documents, Martel said that he frequently sat in a chair in the living room with a pistol tucked in the chair, waiting for the victim to "cross" an imaginary line.


More Here

Friday, January 17, 2025

Proposed National Reciprocity on Concealed Carry: S65 Specifics

On January 9, 2025, Senator John Cornyn, (R TX) and Senator John Kennedy (R LA) introduced a national reciprocity carry bill.  The bill requires all states to allow people who may legally carry concealed handguns in their state of residence to legally carry concealed handguns in other states. A picture ID would be required to verify the residency of the person who is carrying a concealed handgun.

From the press release of Senator Kennedy:

This legislation would:

  • Allow individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home states to exercise those rights in any other state that has concealed carry laws.
  • Treat state-issued concealed carry permits like drivers’ licenses, allowing an individual to use his or her home-state license to drive in another state while abiding by the speed limit of whatever state that person is in.

The official text of S65 has not, as of this writing, been published in the Congressional record.  Senator Grassly (R Iowa) links to a copy of the proposed text. This correspondent will assume the text is accurate for the purposes of this analysis.

There are 43 sponsors and co-sponsors of the proposed bill. It is a good start.  The bill may need to overcome a filibuster. 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster. Of the 100 senators, 58 come from states with Constitutional Carry. The other 32 states have some form of shall issue carry. Only 20 senators come from states which are actively resisting the Supreme Court to deny people the right to carry outside the home.  There is a reasonable possibility for the bill to overcome a filibuster.

The bill provides for two cases where individuals must be allowed to carry concealed handguns in states where they do not reside. The two cases are:

1. If the individual is carrying government issued photographic ID and has a license or permit to carry from their state of residence

2. If the individual is carrying government issued photographic ID and is not prohibited from carrying a concealed firearm in the state in which the individual resides, otherwise than in paragraph 1.

The wording appears a bit awkward to this correspondent. The two cases appear to be for shall issue states and permitless carry states.  To qualify, Individuals must not be prohibited from carrying or possessing or receiving firearms in interstate commerce. The handgun must have been has been shipped or
transported in interstate or foreign commerce. Individuals must carry government issued photographic identification. Individuals are required to comply with the restrictions on concealed carry in the state they are traveling in, but only to the least restrictive standard of residents of the state who are issued a license or permit to carry.

Analysis: If passed, the economic and structural restrictions which apply to shall issue licenses in the most restrictive states, such as Hawaii and New York, would result in visitors from other states being able to carry concealed more easily than residents of those states. This is close to the same carry authority provided  to retired and active duty police officers by LEOSA, passed in 2004.

LEOSA has already been tested in the courts, found to be constitutional and enforceable. It has been expanded over the years.

S65 only applies to concealed carry of handguns, similar to the restrictions in LEOSA. Neither bill applies to open carry.

While S65 only mentions "states", it applies to all territories of the United States.  The LEOSA statute also uses the word "state" or "states" and applies in all U.S. States and U.S. territories.

The bill is in early stages. Amendments to bills are common as they go through the legislative process.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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ME: Man Steals Front End Loader, is Shot while Attempting to Destroy Occupied Home

Soon after the initial call, the caller reported that the front-end loader was now in their driveway, attempting to run through their house and destroying vehicles in their driveway, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Based on an initial investigation, the sheriff’s office said people in the home came out and fired several gunshots at the front-end loader. The machine then reversed out of the driveway and fled the scene, crossing a large field and going down a road into the woods.

More Here

KY: Laurel County Shooting appears to be Self Defense

Sheriff’s investigators determined that two individuals had allegedly been assaulted by a man at the residence. During the incident, the man reportedly reached for a gun and was then shot by another male in what appears to be an act of self-defense, according to the sheriff’s office.

More Here

Montenegro - Two Public Mass Murders in four Years in a Small European Nation


Map of Montenegro

On January 1, 2025, a mass murder was committed with firearms in the European country of Montenegro. Twelve victims were killed. The perpetrator, Aco Martinovic committed suicide. Martinovic had been previously convicted of possession of illegal weapons and was appealing his sentence. Four of the victims were shot in Martinovic's home. He was drinking heavily before the event. From rferl.org:

PODGORICA -- The Montenegrin government has announced a raft of new gun-control measures, following a mass shooting that killed 12 people, including two children.

The shooting took place on January 1 in the western Montenegrin city of Cetinje. Four other people were injured.

On August 12, 2022, another mass murder started with the murderer killing a mother and two children in his home. The killer then started killing random people in the city of Cetinje. Another seven victims were killed before an armed citizen stopped the rampage by shooting the murderer and killing him, while the murderer was in a gunfight with police.  From rferl.org:

 The Action for Human Rights and the Center for Women's Rights NGOs called for a thorough examination of the police response, saying that Cetinje had only a minimal police presence despite being home to 120 known organized crime members and having experienced a similar massacre in August 2022, when an attacker killed 10 people and wounded six before being killed by a passerby.

If a person looks only at these two incidents and the four year period in which they occurred, Montenegro has had .91 people killed in mass public murder with firearms per 100K population per year.

Over a 20 year period 1998-2017, the United States had .0079 people killed in mass public murders where firearms are used. The rate in Montenegro for 2022 - 2025 was 115 times as high as the rate for the United States from 1998-2017.

The comparison is not fair, because it looks at a four year period in a country with a population of about 600,000 (Montenegro) compared to a country with over 315 million over a 20 year period (USA).  When an attempt is made to correlate mass murder with firearms to the number of firearms in a country, there is no correlation.  Overall, Europe does not have a great difference in the number of people killed by by public mass murder with firearms. Much depends on the definitions used.

The Montenegro experience dramatically illustrates the lie put forward by the Left: Mass murder by shooting only happens in the United States. This is illustrated by quotes in Crime Prevention Research Center study of mass public murder with firearms around the world, published in 2020. The CPRC goes on to show mass public shooting in Europe are pretty common. The study eviserates the lies quoted below.:

 “The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world.” –President Obama, interview that aired on CBS Evening News, Dec. 2, 2015

“This doesn’t happen anywhere else on the planet.” -- California’s Governor-elect Gavin Newson, referring to 12 people killed at the Borderline Bar and Grill, Thousand Oaks, California, November 8, 2018

“We stand alone in the world in the number of mass shootings," Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), November 5, 2018

Claims that the USA is unique in the number of mass public murders with firearms have become scarce after the presentation of Lott's paper to Congress.  Mass murder with firearms has little to do with the number of firearms legally available to the citizens of a country.

chart of countries gun ownership v mass murder with firearms

An interesting bit of information is the persistent claim one of the two mass murders in Montenegro was stopped by an armed citizen.

According to Crime Prevention Research Center, the FBI has consistently overlooked and misclassified reported cases where privately armed citizens have stopped mass murder. The FBI reported 4.1% of cases were stopped by armed civilians. The CPRC research shows the correct number to be  35.7%. If cases where private citizens are banned from carrying guns are taken out of the mix, the number is 63.5%.  The death toll in the USA would likely be much higher if citizens were forbidden from carrying weapons for defense.

Montenegro has one of the highest rate of private firearms in Europe. Looking at the data collected by the CRPC and presented by John Lott, there are several countries in Europe which surpass the number of people killed in public mass murders with firearms in the United States. Those include Norway, Kosovo, Finland, and France.  The trending tactic used to commit mass murder trend is to use ramming attacks with vehicles, such as the one in France in 2016, in which 84 (updated to 87) people were murdered.

Banning gun ownership by private citizens does not stop mass murder. In some ways, it facilitates mass public murders by greatly restricting the ability to fight back. None of the policies put forward in the wake of public mass murder with firearms in the USA would have been stopped by "universal background checks" or requirements to lock up firearms.

Analysis:

Mass murder is a cultural phenomena, independent of the weapons used.  The most important and effective way to stop mass murder is to stop the media contagion effect. Media contagion happens which media gives enormous coverage to mass murderers, making anti-heros of people bent on mass murder/suicide, or celebrates mass murderers as Jihadi martyrs.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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All of the above is true. It illustrates  of the ways to lie with statistics.


In August of

 

People killed in Mass Public Shootings per 100k per year  in Montenegro 2022-2025  population 605K   .91


Paper on rate of mass public shootings by Crime Prevention Research Center

Paper presented by John Lott, Congressional testimony 2020   has graphs




From rferl.org:


PODGORICA -- The Montenegrin government has announced a raft of new gun-control measures, following a mass shooting that killed 12 people, including two children.

The shooting took place on January 1 in the western Montenegrin city of Cetinje. Four other people were injured.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic announced the proposed new Law on Weapons on January 3 following a seven-hour session of the National Security Council, which is chaired by the country's president.

The proposed law will mandate the reverification of existing weapons licenses and impose severe penalties for those who fail to surrender illegal weapons within a two-month period. Spajic also said that hunting clubs would be verified and the authorities would establish an anonymous tip line where citizens can report illegal weapons possession for a reward.

Manhunt

The suspected shooter, Aco Martinovic, died on the way to the hospital after attempting suicide following the killings and subsequent manhunt.

Martinovic had previously had illegal weapons confiscated in 2022 and received a three-month prison sentence in late 2024, which he had appealed.

Police have not yet revealed the identities of the victims, but they are believed to have been relatives, friends, and godparents of Martinovic.

(snip)

The Action for Human Rights and the Center for Women's Rights NGOs called for a thorough examination of the police response, saying that Cetinje had only a minimal police presence despite being home to 120 known organized crime members and having experienced a similar massacre in August 2022, when an attacker killed 10 people and wounded six before being killed by a passerby.

AL: Armed Robbery suspet Shot and Killed by Shell Gas station Clerk

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, `Ala. (WBRC) - A 44-year-old armed man from Hale County was shot and killed Jan. 12 during a robbery.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department says Timothy Jones went into the Shell gas station in Cropwell around 4:30 a.m. with a knife. He was shot and killed by the clerk.

More Here

NY: Legally armed Brooklyn Man Shoots armed Robbery Suspect

A licensed gun owner who fatally shot a young man in a Brooklyn park in the dead of night claims he was acting in self defense after the 23-year-old victim tried to rob him at knife point, police sources said Tuesday.

The shooter told detectives he was walking through Carroll Park on President St. near Smith St. in Carroll Gardens around 2:45 a.m. Saturday when Jordan Dillard put him in a chokehold, and with a knife to his neck, demanded he hand over cash, law enforcement sources told the Daily News.

The two men fought until the would-be robbery victim, who has a concealed carry permit, whipped out a registered gun and shot the assailant in the torso. A knife was recovered at the scene; there’s no indication Dillard and the gunman knew each other, according to the sources.


More Here

PA: Harrisburg Fatal shooting may have been Self Defense

The shooting happened at a home on the 1200 block of Walnut Street near North 12th Street around 6:45 a.m.

When officers got there, they found two men who had been shot. Both were taken to the hospital.

One of the men died. He has been identified as Franklin Roosevelt Lee, 64.

The other man survived. He is the suspected shooter, according to police.

On Monday, Chardo told WGAL News 8 that investigators are looking into whether the shooting might have been self-defense. Stay with us for updates on this developing story.


More Here

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Ohio Court of Appeals: People may not be Deprived of Second Amendment Rights upon mere Indictment

Ohio Statehouse

In 2023, a prosecutor, using a grand jury, brought an indictment against Kendall Brown for robbery. The robbery indictment lead to an charge of possessing a firearm while under indictment. The robbery indictment was dismissed, but the charge of possession of a firearm while under indictment persisted. Brown moved to dismiss the charge for  firearms possession while under indictment. The trial court agreed and dismissed the firearms possession charge. The state of Ohio appealed. On January 3, 2025, the State appeals court agreed with the trial court, in a split decision, 2-1.The Court found the statutory ban of possession of a firearm while under indictment was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. From the decision, Ohio v Kendall Brown:

BERGERON, Judge.

{¶1} This case concerns the State’s power to disarm one of its citizens based solely on the fact that he is under indictment. After defendant-appellee Kendall Brown was indicted for a robbery but released on bail, officers discovered a gun in his home. The State then charged Mr. Brown anew, this time with possessing a firearm while under a disability—specifically, possessing a weapon while under indictment for a felony offense of violence. Mr. Brown moved to dismiss the new indictment, and shortly thereafter, the court dismissed his robbery indictment. He thus maintained, and the trial court agreed, that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution bars a prosecution like his. The State now appeals, asking us to resolve whether the Constitution prohibits Ohio from disarming an individual based solely on his indictment for a felony offense like robbery. On the facts and history presented in this case, we hold it does. We therefore affirm the trial court’s judgment dismissing Mr. Brown’s indictment.

Kendall Brown had never been convicted of a felony. He had never undergone a trial. He had only been indicted, which is to say, accused by a prosecutor. No Judge and jury had ever considered evidence presented by Kendall Brown or his attorney.

In this particular case, the evidence was weak. The robbery indictment was dismissed before the case ever went to trial. The conduct, keeping (possession) of a weapon is clearly part of the rights protected by the Second Amendment. Only three states have similar laws banning possession for a person under indictiment. The other two states are Hawaii and Washington. Ohio has only been in existence since 1972. There is no evidence felons were disarmed at the founding. From the Ohio Appeals Court Ruling:

The State, quite simply, fails to demonstrate any specific tradition in this country of disarming those indicted for crimes of violence. And an indictment on probable cause cannot be reasonably analogized to a conviction by a jury persuaded of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

In Ohio, the prosecutor relies on a nine person grand jury, of which only seven need to agree to obtain an indictment. A grand jury lacks important protections which exist in a jury trial. From the ruling, p14-15:

In presenting to the grand jury, prosecutors are not encumbered by the Ohio Rules of Evidence, see Evid.R. 101(D)(2), or the Fourth Amendment’s exclusionary rule, see United States v. Calandra, 414 U.S. 338, 354 (1974), leaving them free to rely upon hearsay or evidence seized unlawfully. Further, the prosecutor may withhold from the grand jury material evidence that would be exculpatory to the accused. State v. Wilks, 2018-Ohio-1562, ¶ 31, citing United States v. Williams, 504 U.S. 36, 51-52 (1992). This is why, as the old adage goes, many believe that you can indict a ham sandwich.

Indictments are backward looking; surety laws were forward looking.

The right to keep and bear arms, protected by the Second Amendment, was not a privilege one forfeited as a punishment, but a right that yielded when an individual was found by a court to be particularly dangerous. While such determinations were sometimes categorical, they were often, as in the surety laws, individualized and forward-looking.

Disarmament can be included as a condition of bail. The federal statue forbidding sale of firearms to people under indictment is different in a critical way. Simple possession is not covered by the federal statute, it is only forbidden:

"to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce any firearm or ammunition or receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.”

If a person is already in possession of a firearm, before an indictment, the federal law does not require them to forfeit their firearm. The federal law does not prevent someone who is under indictment from carrying a firearm for protection, unless they cross state or international borders.

Analysis: This correspondent believes the federal ban on acquisition, but particularly on transporting a firearm across state boundaries while under indictment, to be unconstitutional as well. As part of bail proceedings, restrictions may be put on travel. Those are individualized restrictions on a case by case basis, and may be appealed. The federal ban for people under indictment lacks serious due process protections.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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NM: Close Encounter Leads to Gunfight

A Friday night (Jan. 10) incident inside a house in west Roswell left one man dead and another man injured after the men shot each other during a confrontation. The Roswell Police Department’s investigation is ongoing, but at this time investigators believe the shot that killed the one man was fired in self-defense by the surviving man, who called 911 to report the incident. 
 
Police responded to the 1500 block of North Montana Avenue shortly after 9:30 p.m. Officers encountered a 30-year-old man and a 28-year-old female friend of his in front of the house, which is the man’s residence. The man had suffered a single gunshot wound to his midsection and was transported to a hospital with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. 
 
Inside the house, police found Alvin Sedillo, 27, unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Medics administered aid to Sedillo, but he was soon declared deceased at the scene. 
 
The investigation by RPD’s Criminal Investigations Division found that the two men, who were each in possession of a gun, and the woman were hanging out at the house and drinking. Investigators have further determined the following at this point: Sedillo left the house at some point, but later returned and became aggressive, producing a gun and demanding the other man and the woman give him their phones and other items and drive him to another location. Sedillo also demanded the other man give him his gun. When the man refused, Sedillo shot the other man. The other man then used his gun to shoot back at Sedillo multiple times. The woman was not injured during this incident. 
 
Once the RPD investigation is concluded, its findings will be reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office, which will make the final decision on whether any charges will be filed. Based on the initial findings of the investigation indicating self-defense, RPD has not made any charges against the surviving man at this time.


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TN: Attempted theft results in Gunfight, 1 Suspect Shot

He said he followed the men outside, grabbed the grocery cart, and tried to take the stolen merchandise as the suspects entered a van.

Reports say a man, identified as 33-year-old Robby Wooten, then got out of the van with a handgun, fired a shot into the air, and threatened to kill the store manager.

The victim reportedly fell to the ground and Wooten pointed the gun at him, but the victim pulled out his own gun and fired shots at the suspect.

 

More Here

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Review: But What About Ammo? by Ivan the Troll

Ivan the Troll has published an instruction set on making 9x19mm ammunition. The ammunition is designed for the FGC-9 hybrid 3D printed semi-automatic pistol/carbine in Europe. The ammunition is shown in video as functioning in an FGC-9, Browning style  tilt-barrel locking pistols and a straight blowback pistol.

The instructions were published in 2020 before Stark1809's untimely death. They are titled But-What-About-Ammo Version 1.0.

The instructions are detailed and fairly easy to follow. They use 3D printing and a number of well understood improvised loading techniques to load fired 9mm cases and primers to end up with usable ammunition. 9mm ammunition is difficult to purchase in most of Europe, unless the purchaser has a firearms license. Even then, a firearms license often only applies to purchasing certain kinds of ammunition. Deactivated (fired) 9mm cases and projectiles appear to fairly easy to obtain.

The downloaded guide contains detailed specifications, video of testing, velocities obtained, and  a shopping list of what materials to purchase.

The most interesting part of the video is how Hilti nail driver ammunition is used as a source for priming compound and gunpowder. Much of the value of the directions consists of Ivan the Troll's experimental work to determine the proper amount of powder to use from the Hilti power drivers to obtain usable velocity out of the reloaded 9mm cartridges.

For those interested in such techniques, one of the most dangerous and resource eating tasks is to calibrate the amount of scavanged gunpowder needed for a functioning reload. Ivan the Troll has done this time and resource consuming work. He makes the results available to the world. 3.5 grains of red Hilti gunpowder does the job to produce about 750 feet per second loads with 124 grain jacketed bullets. 4.1 grains of Hilti gunpowder produces about 1000 feet per second.

Insert image of Hilti from whataboutammo image in pictures file

If it is difficult to legally obtain 9mm ammunition, it is almost as difficult to test improvised ammunition.

Ivan the Troll does a good job to show how to make ammunition with his methods.

For those who desire the next level of reloading ammunition in restricted circumstances, this correspondent recommends Modern Handloading by Maj. George C. Nonte, Jr.  Nonte's book was published in 1972. It has an entire chapter on making your own tools. Many of the tools can easily be made by hand. A case resizer made of steel or even of low melting alloys would be much easier and more durable than the method used in ButWhatAboutAmmo. The 3D printed plastic resizer only works well for about 20 rounds.  If a person has access to a small lathe, the work becomes almost trivial.

Of particular interest in Ivan the Troll's work was his description of how well the ammunition functioned in the FGC-9. The FGC-9 is a direct blowback design. The somewhat weaker versions of the reloaded 9mm ammunition are said to have performed well:

The FGC-9 will run even the underpowered loads (because it is simple blowback), the handguns all need the ‘recommended’ loads in order to cycle – they still fire with the underpowered loads, but won’t cycle the slide fully.

Note: I did experience some failures to extract on the FGC-9 tests when using the recommended loads as they are higher pressure, which makes blowback extraction more haphazard. The barrel I had in my FGC-9 for these tests isn’t perfectly formed, which is probably the reason for the failures – but it’s worth noting that if you have issues with extraction of this ammo when other ammo works fine, you might want to load a little less powder.

This correspondent has reloaded ammunition for about six decades, using everything from simple handmade tools to sophisticated progressive machines. The hardest part of reloading, if the authorities do not want you to do it, is the information and knowledge of how to do so. Mass manufactured tools are very nice and make the job much, much easier. If you desperately need a few rounds of ammunition, and have some time, you can usually figure out how to get or make a few rounds. It is the knowledge which is key.

Defense Distributed and Ivan the Troll are making the knowledge available to the world.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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(much of Europe and the rest of the world)


But WhatAbout: Ammo  

How to make your own caps and primers AmmoLand

 

Reloading in restricted circumstances AmmoLand

I highly recommend Modern Handloading by Maj. George C. Nonte, Jr.


NY: Buffalo Off Duty Officer Shoots Robbery Suspect, Child Endangered

According to Buffalo Police, Dorian Jones, 19, allegedly robbed the officer near the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Hertel Avenue by showing what appeared to be a handgun while taking the victim’s vehicle – a 2010 Mercedes. The vehicle contained one of the victim’s children, age 13, while a second juvenile, 15, was outside of the vehicle with the victim. Buffalo Police said the off-duty officer shot the suspect during the robbery attempt.

Jones was located on Wilbury Place, police said, and was taken to ECMC with non-life threatening wounds. The vehicle was retrieved around the corner on Wilbury Place and the 13-year-old juvenile was safely located. A pellet gun was also found, police said.

More Here

Monday, January 13, 2025

AL: Burglars Enter Gun Shop at 3 a.m. Suspects Arrested at 5 p.m. January 12, 2025

The Priceville Police Department said two suspects entered Tucker’s Guns & Ammo in the 600 block of Highway 67 around 3 a.m.

PPD said at 5:09 p.m. Sunday that they had arrested and charged 19-year-old Maki William Burt, of Decatur, with second-degree burglary. Three people under the age of 19 were also arrested and will face criminal charges, but due to their age police did not identify them.


More Here

Sunday, January 12, 2025

NICS December, 2024 Gun Sales and 2024 total Predictions Confirmed

 


NSSF uses a slightly different method to estimate gun sales

The National Instant background Check System Checks (NICS) recorded the sixth highest gun sales on record for December, 2024.

Last Month this Correspondent predicted, on AmmoLand: December sales would be about 1.6 million. Gun sales for 2024 would be about 14.6 million. From the previous article:

 "This correspondent expects a drop in gun sales in 2024, to a bit less than what was recorded in 2022, to about 1.6 million sales."

 Estimated gun sales for December, 2024 were 1.62 million.

"This correspondent’s prediction is 2024 will have had 14.6 million guns recorded as sold by NICS."

Estimated gun sales for all of 2024 were 14.68 million.

 


Comparison of gun sales by type, 2023 to 2024

The gun sales for December of 2024 were the seventh highest on record. The total gun sales for 2024, as estimated from recorded NICS sales, are the eighth highest since NICS started records in 1998. 

December is usually the strongest month for gun sales through the NICS system. Gun sales dropped off in December, most likely because of the election of former and future president Donald Trump. Donald Trump has always campaigned as being friendly to and protective of, the Second Amedment. Major campaign supporter of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, transformed the media landscape with his purchase of Twitter. Musk has been a strong and vocal supporter of the Second Amendment.  Donald Trump's three Supreme Court appointments made all the difference in restoring the Second Amendment to the same level of official recognition as the First Amendment.  That fight continues with a few states defiant of the Supreme Court and the Constitution.

People considering purchasing firearms no longer needed to fear the political attacks of the Biden administration the Democratic party and the "old, dominant media". The "old dominate media" showed it was no longer the dominant or mainstream purveyor of news, able to gatekeep information and create the narrative it desired for the nation. Without the fear of the Democratic party, or the fear-mongering of the "old dominant media", the urgency of firearm purchases has receded.

Some market segments may be saturated. When Barack Obama was elected, the estimated number of "modern firearms " (1899-2008), privately owned in the United States of America was 308 million. In the last 16 years, another 208 million have been added to the private stock. 

Constant dollar prices for practical and effective firearms, have decreased by roughly 75% in the last 120 years. Quality ammunition prices have dropped by about 90% or more in constant dollars. Anyone who can legally own a gun, in 90% of American states, can own one and a hundred rounds of ammunition for a weeks work at a minimum wage job.  In a few states and cities, the right to own a firearm is still limited by legislation.  Those unconstitutional statutes are being challenged in court. 

The states in defiance include the high population states of California, Illinois, and New York. When court cases prevent those states from unconstitutionally infringing on Second Amendment rights, expect a significant increase gun sales, to meet the pent up demand.

December of 2024 was the 65th consecutive month where gun sales, as estimated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, totaled over one million a month.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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Saturday, January 11, 2025

FL: Murder Charges Dismissed for Ed Druzolowski ; Self Defense on his Property


Video at this link to report From fox35orlando

On December 27, 2024, a judge finally dismissed murder charges against Edward Druzolowski. Druzolowski, aged 78,had shot and killed a violent felon, Brian Ford, 42, who was a neighbor. Ford had approached him with a chain saw and threatened him, on September 17, 2023, more than a year previously. The incident happened on Druzolowski's property in Volusia County, Florida.

Durzolowski was covered by Florida's Stand Your Ground law. Why did it take so long for the judge to dismiss the charges? The incident appeared to be a case of self defense by an elderly man defending against a violent felon.

Druzolowski may have made misstatements in his early talking to police officers. Early stories did not mention that Ford had a chainsaw or that he had threatened Druzolowski. Early reports, published on September 18, 2023, claimed Druzolowski said the opposite. From Fox35orlando:

Druzolowski said he thought his neighbor would leave his property after he pointed the gun and told him to leave. He said he had the gun for his protection and that he felt safer with it, but also noted that his neighbor did not have anything in his hands – weapons or otherwise – and did not threaten to harm or kill him.

Image of Edward Druzolowski 

Druzolowski was reported to have said he believed his revolver had two empty chambers, and the second pull of the trigger would also be a "click". Instead it was a "boom".

Two days later, it was reported Fords son, eight years old, who was at the scene of the shooting, had told police officers a different version of events. The son said his father had told Druzolowski  he would cut off Druzolowski's head with a chainsaw. The son said the chainsaw was not running at the time.  The chainsaw and two knives were found at the scene next to Ford's body.  The event occurred on Druzolowski's property. Ford was cutting tree limbs on Druzolowski's side of the fence with the chainsaw.  From fox35orlandoeo:

Criminal defense attorney Michael Panella was not involved in the case, but said a stand your ground defense comes down to reasonableness, and whether the threat justifies deadly force.

"First of all, the decedent was armed. I think that's a huge deal. The fact that he had the capability to cause great bodily harm with a chainsaw during this altercation can’t be underscored enough", Panella said. "The other issue that came up in this case is that he had a reputation for violence."

Panella also noted the drastic age and strength differences between Ford and Druzolowski – all factors he said a judge would take into consideration when ruling on a stand your ground case.

According to the Volusia County Clerk of Courts, Ford had been arrested close to two dozen times since 2004. Some of his charges were violent offenses.

Another incident in Florida in 2023 involved a gun and a chain saw. From AmmoLand:

In 2023, in another gun v. chainsaw incident in Florida, a Florida Court of appeals ruled merely displaying and loading a firearm was not a "use of deadly force".

Analysis:

It is bad policy to attempt to give detailed responses to police immediately after a self defense event. These events almost always produce high levels of adrenaline. Acute stress can cause memory loss and the distortion of events in memory.  If Druzolowski's first interview with police  had included the chainsaw, knives, and the threat, he might never have been prosecuted.  Those facts were included in his testimony after the effects of the stress wore off and he had the aid of an attorney. From synopticpotential.com:

What’s more, science suggests that the effects of stress on your ability to remember can be quite long-lasting (e.g. from 25-90 minutes after the stress) whilst your cortisol levels are still elevated, and only recovering once your cortisol has started to near its baseline levels.

In the emotion of the aftermath of shooting his neighbor, those facts escaped his memory. The physical evidence and the testimony of an eight year old who was on the scene, with no reason to lie about a threat by his father, were extremely important.

This correspondent knows of several instances where victims psychologically have a difficult time admitting they had to kill an attacker in self defense. Instead they fantasize it was an "accident", or "I did not intend to shoot him", or "The gun went off". These sort of statements can conflict with a legal justification of self defense.  They indicate a crime of manslaughter or negligent homicide. If a person did not intend to shoot, the justification for shooting in self defense is placed in question.

If a person is involved in a case of self defense, consultation with an attorney should be done before a detailed statement is given to the police. Police officers routinely wait 24 hours before giving detailed statements when they have been involved in a shooting. 24 hours gives time for the stress to wear off and memory to return.


©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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