WA: Marine Veteran who Took AR-15 from Rioters Tells His Story

A Marine Corps veteran turned security contractor, who asked that his name not be used for security reasons, unintentionally took the internet by storm after a video surfaced of him disarming a Seattle rioter who had stolen a police officer’s AR-15 from a destroyed squad car Saturday.

The preliminary details of what happened have become distorted on social media, with misconceptions about a second rifle that was slung on his back as well as why he was at the protests that developed following George Floyd’s death in police custody. Coffee or Die obtained an exclusive interview with the contractor to set the record straight on what happened that day.
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IL: Shop Owner Drives off Hammer Weilding Robbers, Catches One

A Logan Square store owner with a concealed carry license fired shots at hammer-wielding looters who confronted him in his shop early Monday, prosecutors said. The businessman even managed to detain one of the alleged intruders for police.
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OK: Domestic Defense, Armed Woman Shoots Ex who Attacked Her

The victim stated she was approached and subsequently physically assaulted by Hahn, who hit her with a rock and struck her several times with his fists. The victim said Hahn then poured diesel fuel on her and threatened to light her on fire.

The victim said she tried escaping to her truck, but Hahn again grabbed her. She stated she feared for her life, pulled her handgun, and shot Hahn. The victim then used Hahn’s cellular phone to call 911 to report the incident.
Hahn is currently in stable condition at a hospital.

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GA: Walmart Shooting was Self Defense

Walmart stores are covered with cameras. It is certain the shooting was recorded, likely from more than one angle.

When officers arrived, they located a man in his mid-60s shot inside of the Walmart, police wrote.


Detectives detained a man in his late 50s for questioning.

According to DeKalb County police, “today’s shooting is the result of self-defense. The suspect was released and will not face charges.”
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PA: More on Gun Store Owner who Defended Self and Store, Shot 1 of Several Burglary Suspects

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police said one person is dead following a shooting during a burglary attempt inside a South Philadelphia gun store early Tuesday.

It happened around 4:20 a.m. on the 1500 block of South Front Street in the Pennsport section of the city.

Police were called to the Firing Line Gun Range and Gun Store.

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CA: Man Attempting Burglary of Gun Store Held by Owner at Gunpoint

FREMONT — A gun store owner in Fremont held a man at gunpoint late Sunday night after the man allegedly tried to burglarize the store, according to the police and the owner’s father. 

Police said the man, 24-year-old Gerardo Bravo-Infante, admitted he planned to steal guns, and was arrested and booked at Santa Rita Jail.

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SC: Concealed Permit Holder Fires Warning Shots to Drive off Mob Beating Customer

“Shots were fired during the height of the violence outside of our restaurant around the time a window at Halls was being broken,” a statement from the restaurant said. “In an effort to protect customers and staff, a Halls’ team member drew his licensed concealed firearm and discharged it into the air while other members of the Halls team brought an injured guest inside the restaurant.”

The restaurant added that “no one was injured by the gunfire, but a Halls’ guest was injured in front of the restaurant.” The steakhouse said in a statement that they are cooperating with authorities and will conduct an internal investigation.

Additionally, the restaurant said that certain staff members are trained and licensed to carry concealed weapons.

Windows were broken and some damage happened from an object being thrown through the glass, the restaurant confirmed. There was no looting on the premises.

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NE: Killing of James Scurlock was Self Defense

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The killing of James Scurlock has resonated with people across the Metro. The Douglas County Attorney’s Office says the shooter was protecting himself.

County Attorney Don Kleine said he made the decision by looking at the evidence, the interview of the shooter, and the videos of what happened.
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TX: Domestic Defense, Ex Enters Home, Confronts New Boyfriend, is Shot, Killed

A man was shot and killed Sunday morning while confronting his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend during a birthday party at her Missouri City home, according to Houston police.
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TX: Domestic Defense? 20-Year-Old Step-Daughter Shoots Step-Dad

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A shooting at a north Harris County apartment complex may be a case of self-defense, investigators said.

It happened on the 2400 block of Spring Rain Drive around 6:15 a.m.

When deputies arrived, they found a 40-year-old man dead from a gunshot wound.
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OH: Police Invesigate Possible Home Invasion, after Suspect is Wounded

During their invesitgation authorities determined the male had been injured during a possible home invasion on South Lawn Avenue.

The male subject was later flown to Grant Medical Center for treatment of his wounds. His condition is unknown at this time.

Officials said they secured the residence and an investigation began.
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OH: No chages for Store manager who shot criminal last October

No transcript available

Video  Here

GA: Armed Victim Shoots, Kills Armed Robbery Suspect

Police said a robbery suspect was shot and killed by his intended victim Friday morning in a neighborhood near Lithonia High School.

The man who was killed, identified as 19-year-old Aaron Cobb, is accused of going to a location on Marbut Farms Trace about 1 a.m. to commit a robbery, DeKalb police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent told AJC.com. Cobb was allegedly accompanied by others at the time of the shooting.

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Louisiana Bill may flip the Script in Favor of the Second Amendment and Churches

Image courtesy Dean Weingarten

Louisiana is one of a few states which ban guns in churches, but allow church leaders to allow guns on a case by case basis. According to Concealed Carry.com, as of 2018, there were ten states and the District of Columbia with this policy of religious discrimination against churches which approve of an armed population.

The laws in states that ban guns in church are a way to demonize guns. They fairly scream: Guns Bad! Good People Don't Have Guns!

The laws flip the script of the Second Amendment, where guns are assumed to be part of every day life. Arms were seen as property so valuable, they were directly protected in the Bill of Rights.

The states which have such laws are listed at concealedcarry.com. 

They are Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Carolina.

The District of Columbia has a similar law.

With the exception of the District of Columbia, the ban on guns in church, without special permission, are in pro-Second Amendment states.

North Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi are Constitutional Carry states. Louisiana, Georgia, Ohio, and South Carolina have shall issue concealed carry permits.

In most states, the carry of guns in churches is treated the same as on other private property.

My church, in Arizona, actively accepts armed worshipers. Many attendees carry openly. 

In colonial America, some colonies required worshipers to bring arms to church.

The Louisiana bill, HB 334,  would flip the script back toward the traditional position, with guns having an accepted, honored place in American life. If you have a problem with that, it is allowed, but it is *your* problem, not the problem of American society.

Notice the framing of the issue by a reporter in Louisiana. Here is the lead  from 4wwltv.com:

To Terry’s dismay -- a series of gun bills passed the house Friday. One -- House 334 -- would allow those who have a concealed carry permit to carry a concealed handgun into a church.

“There is too much murder and violence and particularly gun violence that goes on right now without exacerbating that by arming our citizenry and encouraging that,” said Terry.

That phrasing indicates guns need to be "allowed" to be in Church, not that carrying guns is a Constitutional right, and particular churches are allowed to ban guns on their private property if they wish to do so. The quote sets the stage. Guns are Bad!

It is the script which progressive have been pushing in the United States for nearly 100 years.

The assumption, under English and American law, is everything which is not forbidden is allowed. The progressive assumption is the opposite: everything which is not allowed, is forbidden.

The American traditional assumption encourages innovation and tolerance. The individual is mostly in charge of their own life. The progressive assumption is the government knows best, and should make our decisions for us.

To be fair, the progressive assumption has changed from endorsing Christian morality up until about 1965, to endorsing pagan or Roman sexual mores or lack of constraints after 1965. At the moment, the progressive ideal seems to attack traditional Christian sexual morality, the idea of the family, marriage and, it must be said, motherhood.

Progressive policy has come to promote sexual activity without limit or responsibility, essentially the sexual morality in Aldous Huxley's  Brave New World.

Single women vote Democrat by large percentages.

Banning guns in churches is another way for leftists to enforce their vision of what is acceptable and what is not.

Louisiana has a veto proof Republican majority in the House and is one vote short of a veto proof majority in the Senate. It has a Democrat governor, John Bel Edwards. There is a strong chance he will veto the bill, if it is sent to him.

Republican legislators are likely to give him that decision.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

WY: Followup, Benjamin Ketcham Shooting of Aaron Briggs was Self Defense

Saying that he "exercised reasonable force in self-defense," Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Grant Manlove on Friday evening announced that she had dismissed a second-degree murder charge against Benjamin Ketcham.

Ketcham was arrested on a warrant for second-degree murder on May 27 for the May 22 shooting death of 36-year-old Aaron Briggs of Cheyenne.
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OH: Homeowner Shoots 1 of 3 Teen Intruders

The Lorain Police Department is investigating a May 29 shooting where a homeowner shot an intruder.

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PA: 70-Year -Old Shoots at Attacker who Stabbed him

The man was walking on Wright Street around 10:15 p.m. when police said he was attacked and stabbed with a knife by another man who was following him.

The victim was able to stop the attack by pulling out a gun he was legally allowed to carry and firing a shot.

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NV: Domestic Defense, Wife Shoots Husband as he Chokes Teen Daughter

Officers responded to the home after a woman, described as a black female in her mid-40s, reported that she shot her husband after the two got into a fight. The officers located the husband with a gunshot wound in the bedroom of the apartment. He was described as a black male in his late-40s.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the man had an argument with the couple's teenage daughter. The altercation escalated and got physical when the man began choking his daughter until her mother intervened.

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WA: Elderly Homeowner Confronts Burglar, Shoots, Kills Same

Investigators believe the burglar broke into the home and went into a room containing guns. The homeowner, a man in his 70s, awoke to sounds in his home, confronted the intruder and shot him, Snell said.

"That’s probably what I’d do, too," said Brad Miller, who lives nearby. "‘Cause I’m a firearms owner. If it happens, I’m ready to do the same thing."
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Brazil's President Bolsonaro: "An armed people will never be enslaved!"

President Bolsonaro of Brazil

On 22 May, 2020, the Supreme Court of Brazil issued an order that a recording of a private meeting of President Bolsonaro with his staff be made public.  President Bolsonaro uses impassioned language some might find offensive.

It shows what President Bolsonaro thinks when he is not in the public view.  The video is of a meeting on April 22, 2020.

The public exposure of the  video echoes what has been happening in the Trump administration.  The political opposition to Bolosonaro's reforms have instigated criminal investigations into President Bolsonaro's family.

The video is ambivalent about the investigations; both sides have claimed vindication.

The video exposes what President Bolsonaro thinks about an armed population. Except for the passionate use of expletives, it could be something written by George Mason, Richard Henry Lee, or Tench Cox in the federalist papers.

Here is the translation from the video posted on twitter. Some of the translation has been slightly edited for clarity.

Sir Minister of Justice, please. (MJ is Sergio Moro)

It was decided, not long ago, that you couldn't handcuff almost anyone. (Refers to a Brazilian Supreme Court decision, that handcuffs were an abuse, unless there is a real threat shown)

Why are they putting handcuffs on a citizen that's working, or on a woman in the public square? And the Justice doesn't say anything? 

You have to f*cking speak! (talking about Sergio Moro not coming out against mayors and governors having people arrested for going outside)

You are going to be quiet?! Until when?! Or do I have to keep exposing myself? (The ministers should be supporting President Bolsonaro)

You have to speak, put it out there! Dish it out! 

You can't put on handcuffs, violate a decision of the Supreme Court! And we are going to be quiet? Until when?!

They keep on humiliating our people.  And that is growing...
People keep pointing at me: "I've voted for you, for you to do something..."  "voted for you, for you to make decisions" 

And it's true!

I couldn't care less about reelection!

And we have to think about this, all of us. What these son of bitches want, Weintraub, is our freedom.

     (Abraham Weintrab is the minister of Education.)

Look, how easy it is to impose a dictatorship in Brazil, how easy it is.
The people are locked in their houses. 

That is why I want, Minister of Justice and Minister of Defense, that the people arm themselves. 

That's gonna ensure that no motherf*cker is going to show up and impose a dictatorship here! Because it's easy to impose a dictatorship here. Too easy!

 A f*cking mayor makes a f*cking decree, handcuffs people and keeps everyone at home! If they were armed, they'd go to the streets!

And if I was a dictator, I'd want to disarm the people! Just like all the others' disarmed people before they imposed their respective dictatorships. 

That is when our demonstration, and I ask that Fernando and Moro sign the ordinance today...

   (Fernando Alveredo, Minister of Defense)

Because I want to give a f*cking message to these *ssoles, on why I'm arming the people. Because I don't want a dictatorship here! And it can't be postponed anymore!

Alright? It can't be postponed anymore!

Whoever doesn't accept my ideals, Damares...

   (Damares Alves, Minister of Women, Family and Human Rights)

Family, God, Brazil, guns, freedom of speech, free markets... Whoever doesn't accept that, is in the wrong government. 

  (A message to his Ministers not stepping up due to not supporting such ideals)

Wait until 2022 Sir Avaro Dias? Wait for Alckmin? Wait for Haddad? or maybe Lula, right?  And you can go and be happy with them.

In my government, you are wrong!

It's to blow it wide, the gun question here!  I want everyone armed! 

Because an armed people will never be enslaved!

You cannot find a more impassioned plea for the people to be armed, in the run-up to the passage of the ratification of Bill of Rights in the United States in 1791.

They say a person's character is revealed when they think no one is looking.

This was a private meeting, where President Bolsonaro did not think it would be made public.

There are many reasons President Bolsonaro is called the Trump of the Tropics.

Support of power to the people, by having them armed and able to defend  themselves, is one of them.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

PA: Man Shoots, Kills Burglary Suspect in Philadelpia

PHILADELPHIA — A man shot and killed an alleged burglar after he said he caught him breaking into a trailer and stealing DJ equipment in Philadelphia, according to reports.

Action News reports the shooting occurred at about 4 a.m. on the 2700 block of East Somerset Street when a 37-year-old man saw two people breaking into a trailer which contained his DJ equipment.
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NV: Domestic Defense, Man Shoots Son who Threatened to Stab Mother

A man was shot dead by his father after the former threatened to stab his mother. The incident took place in Las Vegas on Monday (May 25).

According to local reports, the unidentified man started arguing with his mother while holding a knife. When things got out of hand, the mother threatened to call 911 if he didn’t stop. The son then took away the woman's phone and threatened both his parents with a knife.

The son was “holding the knife in an aggressive manner directly over top his mother, who feared for her life. The father also believed the male was about to stab his mother so he was forced to shoot him to save her life,” police said.
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Oklahoma Legislature Forbids "Red Flag" Laws, or Enforcement of Same

Oklahoma Capitol

The Oklahoma legislature passed SB 1081 on 15 May, the last day of the legislative session.  It was one of the last bills passed in 2020 before the legislature adjourned. It appears to be the first anti-red flag law passed by any legislature.

The legislature passed the bill, had it signed, enrolled, returned to the House, signed, returned to the Senate, and sent to the Governor, all on the same day.
A legislature can act quickly, when there is sufficient will to do so.

The anti-red flag bill was introduced in 2019, by Senator Nathan Dahm. Dahm wrote an op-ed, published in the Oklahoma Senate, explaining the need for and purpose of the anti-red flag bill. It is well written, but not widely published. It was put out as a press release. The entire op ed is included below. From oksenate.gov: 

In the midst of a new wave of constitutionally illiterate politicians trying to erase the Bill of Rights, the time is now for conservatives across the country to embrace a bolder, stronger strategy to defending the Second Amendment.

Washington’s never-ending obsession with shredding our right to keep and bear arms has gone on long enough. This is why I recently introduced Senate Bill 1081 in the state Senate, a bill that represents the aggressive legislative approach America needs. The bill, titled the “Anti-Red Flag Act,” would nullify any new attempt from the federal government to bring red flag laws to the Sooner State.

Red flag laws represent a barefaced attempt to seize property from more law-abiding Americans than ever before. In summary, these laws allow an individual’s firearms to be confiscated following nothing more than an anonymous accusation from either a family member or a law enforcement officer, directly violating at least four amendments to the Constitution.

The unconstitutionality of this is absurd, and, unfortunately, they’ve already been passed in 17 states and Washington, D.C. Additionally, several governors (Republican and Democrat) have recently jumped on board.

We cannot keep playing defense while expecting our constitutional rights to survive for very long with politicians who regard them as an inconvenience or even an obstacle to their schemes. Simply standing our ground and waiting for the gun control lobby to strike again has not worked — and it never will. With the passage of SB 1081, it is my hope that lawmakers across the nation will become inspired to champion similar legislation in their own states (and Congress) that not only safeguards the rights of every American but pre-emptively takes a stand against future efforts to dismantle our constitutional rights.

In doing so, however, we must recognize the full extent of the threat posed by Washington. Just last month, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., began collaborating on a new federal grant program designed to incentivize states to adopt red flag gun control. This plan was met with swift support from high-ranking members in both chambers of Congress.

Despite politicians in both parties being so readily willing to infringe on the people’s rights, the Second Amendment is abundantly clear: “... being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

And that is exactly what Oklahoma is: a free state. We will not allow due process to be torn apart. We will not allow career politicians 1,000 miles away to dictate our lives for us. And we will not allow Washington, D.C., to bribe or lull us into an existence of servitude.

Here is the summation of SB1081 as introduced:

An Act relating to state preemption of extreme risk protection orders; creating the Anti-Red Flag Act; preempting field of legislation relating to extreme risk protection orders; nullifying any federal rule, statute or executive order relating to extreme risk protection orders; creating a felony for conviction of an individual attempting to enforce certain orders; providing definition; providing for codification; and declaring an emergency.

SB1081 passed the Oklahoma Senate on 12 March, with 34 Ayes and 9 Nays.

Those voting Nay in the Senate are listed below.  From stat.ok.gov: 

   NAYS:    9

    Boren             Floyd             Kirt             

    Brooks            Hicks             Matthews         

    Dugger            Ikley-Freeman     Young  

SB1081 passed the House on 15 May, 2020 with 77 Ayes and 14 Nays. The Nays in the House are listed below. From state.ok.gov:            

    NAYS:   14

Albright       Brewer      Provenzano   Virgin            

Bennett        Dunnington  Ranson       Waldron           

Blancett       Goodwin     Rosecrants   Walke             

Branham        Munson       

To those who take the Constitution and the Bill of Rights seriously, red flag laws are a threat to the Constitutional order.  Those who consider the Constitution a "living document" subject to continual reinterpretations with the times, red flag laws are a common-sense measure to reduce "gun violence", with no Constitutional problems.

SB1081 was sent to Governor Kevin Stitt on 15 May, 2020. Governor Stitt could easily have vetoed the bill, as the legislature had adjourned. Instead, he signed the bill into law on 19 May, 2020.

Because an emergency was declared in the bill, it took effect immediately on becoming law.


©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

TX: Domestic Defense? Woman Shoots, Kills, Common Law Husband on 24 May

HOUSTON — A man is dead after Houston police said he was shot and killed Sunday by his common-law wife.

This happened at about 12:35 p.m. in the 6300 block of Richmond Ave, which is near the Galleria area.
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CA: Julian Garcia Shot and Killed after Forced Entry to Home at 2:49 a.m.

HESPERIA, Calif. (KABC) -- A Hesperia man was shot and killed after he forced his way into a home in the middle of the night, authorities said.

Sheriff's deputies say Julian Robert Sanchez Garcia, 31, of Hesperia, forced his way into a home on Balsam Avenue around 2:49 a.m. Monday.

Two men who were home at the time say they heard yelling and pounding on the front door at the time. They said Garcia then forced his way inside the home.
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MO: Domestic Defense, Relative Shoots at Home, Homeowner Shoots Back, Kills Relative

Sheriff Darrin Brawley said the man killed and the shooter were relatives.

Brawley said a man showed up and began firing shots into a mobile home. The homeowner fired back, striking and killing the man.

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Preemption: LA Looks to Reduce "Gun Free Zones"; WV SB96 becomes Effective 31 May

Louisiana State Capitol

Preemption law reform is moving in Louisiana, and becomes effective in West Virginia at the end of May. 

As with nearly all states, Louisiana has a statute which preempts local governments from enacting ordinances or regulations which are in conflict with state laws regarding firearms. The idea is that firearms laws should be uniform statewide, so that people exercising their right to keep and bear arms will not be in violation of the law simply by crossing a street from one municipality to another, or one county to another. Some states have rigorous preemption laws, other states have minimal laws.

HB 140 is a bill in the Louisiana legislature which would extend the current preemption law to forbid local governments from banning firearms in certain commercial and public properties.

The effect is to substantially reduce the number of "gun free zones" in Louisiana. From Abstract of  HB 140 legiscan.com:

 Present law limits a political subdivision's authority to enact certain ordinances or regulations involving firearms. In this regard, present law prohibits a governing authority of a political subdivision from enacting any ordinance or regulation that is more restrictive than state law concerning the sale, purchase, possession, ownership, transfer, transportation,license, or registration of firearms, ammunition, or components of firearms or ammunition.

However, present law further provides that this provision of present law does not apply to the authority of political subdivisions to prohibit the possession of a weapon or firearm in certain commercial establishments and public buildings.

Proposed law removes this exception from present law, prohibiting any governing authority of a political subdivision from enacting any ordinance or regulation that is more restrictive than state law concerning the possession of a weapon or firearm in certain commercial establishments and public buildings.

HB 140 has not been voted on yet, but it has made it through the Committee on Criminal Justice in the House. Floor debate on the bill is scheduled for Friday, 22 May, 2020.

Republicans have strong majorities in the Louisiana Senate 27-12, and in the House, 68-35. Louisiana Governor Edwards is a Democrat. The Republicans may pass the bill, only to see Governor Edwards veto it.

The history of preemption laws shows a trend to restrict local governments more and more from enacting ordinances and regulations impacting firearms and other weapons. A key strategy of those who want the population disarmed, is to enact numerous, contradictory and ever changing restrictions, so those exercising Second Amendment rights would constantly be uncertain if they are acting legally, or are in violation of an obscure ordinance.

In 2020, on April 14th, the West Virginia Government reformed its preemption law.  The West Virginia bill, SB96, now law, adds pepper spray and other deadly weapons, such as knives, to the weapons protected from local government regulation. 

Reading the wording carefully, the bill brings most arms under the protection of the preemption law, with the exception of explosive, chemical, biological, or radiological materials.

SB 96 has been signed into law, and becomes effective in West Virginia on 31 May, 2020.

The ultimate in preemption law would be strict enforcement of the Second Amendment.


©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

NY: Worker Arrested on Gun Charges in Self Defense Case

EAST NEW YORK, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A grocery store worker in Brooklyn is in custody after police say he shot and killed a man armed with a knife.
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DC: Armed DC Resident Shoots Suspect in Self Defense

“The Fourth District officers responded to a sounds of gun shot call in the 800 block of Randolph Street, NW (11:21am). A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect pulled a handgun out and threatened the complainant. The complainant, who has a Firearms Registration Certificate and Concealed Carry Permit, drew his weapon and fired two shots striking the suspect twice,


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NV: Highly Trained Competitive Shooter Survives Gunfight

Excellent article by The Firearms Blog, good detail.

In this situation, with a weapon pointed directly at him and his GF, BJ decided to take action and drew his handgun. The armed attacker started shooting right away, firing a total of 8 shots, and hitting a tire of BJ’s car. BJ fired back 10 shots and got all ten hits, 9 in the body and one in “the central nervous system.”

The distance between the attackers and BJ was very significant, which was even noted in a police report. According to BJ himself, who kindly answered my questions when I was working on the article: “Fight started at 14 yards, ended at 23.” Despite the relatively long distance to the attackers, low light conditions, and the fact that the threat was moving and shooting back, BJ “saw the sights at all times” and did not miss a single shot.
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FL: Elderly Homeowner Shoots Man who Broke in and Attacked Woman

The stranger then followed, beating on the door to the house. Later busting in the glass door and breaking in.

The stranger knocked the woman to the ground and began beating her on the head. The homeowner stated he felt he could not physically stop the intruder so he went upstairs to get his firearm.

He shot the firearm multiple times, ending the threat, deputies wrote.
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AK: Armed Resident Stops Attempt at Mass Shooting in Kwethluk

According to state troopers, a 19-year-old man, Brian Nicolai, broke into the village public safety building dressed for combat. He staged rifles inside, and activated the fire alert system. When village police officers responded, the officers say that Nicolai shot at them. But no one was hurt, largely thanks to an armed resident who got Nicolai to give up his weapon and lie on the ground.
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Lawsuit in Missouri against Academy Sports for Selling Ammunition

On 1 May, 2020, Attorney Craig Heidemann filed a lawsuit against Academy Sports, contending they contributed to the unlawful death of Aaron "Josh" Hampton, who was one of the roommates of Luis Perez. Perez is an illegal immigrant accused of murdering Hampton, another "roommate" and a woman, Sabrina Starr. Starr is said to have supplied Perez with the gun, while another woman, Nyadia Burden, is accused of purchasing the ammunition for Perez. From AP via kmbc.com:

The lawsuit alleges a worker at Academy Sports in Springfield should have realized the woman who bought the bullets, Nyadia Burden, intended to give them to Luiz Perez. The 24-year-old Perez couldn't buy ammunition because he was in the country illegally, had no driver's license and was facing felony charges, according to police. The lawsuit also names Burden.

Perez is facing the death penalty in the Oct. 31, 2018, deaths of his ex-roommates, 38-year-old Steven Marler and 23-year-old Aaron “Josh” Hampton, and the wounding of two others. Prosecutors allege he fatally shot Sabrina Starr, 21, the next day. She had provided him with the gun he used, police said.

Perez is reported as having been kicked out by the other roommates. Revenge may have been a motive.

Perez should have been deported in 2018, but was released by New Jersey. It is reported there were multiple warrants for Perez arrest:

Greene County prosecutors said Perez had an arrest warrant from Middlesex County for third-degree terroristic threat.

Neudauer said Perez had previously been a recipient of the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program, or DACA, in 2012 and 2014. It's not clear whether he did not apply in 2016 or was no longer eligible.

 From ice.gov:

“Yet again, an ICE detainer was ignored and a dangerous criminal alien was released to the streets and is now charged with killing three people,” said ICE Acting Executive Associate Director Corey Price. “Had ICE’s detainer request in December 2017 been honored by Middlesex County Jail, Luis Rodrigo Perez would have been placed in deportation proceedings and likely sent home to his country – and three innocent people might be alive today. It is past time that localities realize the perils of dangerous sanctuary policies and resume their primary goal of protecting their residents.”

 The shooting was reported as occurring on 31 October, 2018.  From Judiciary.senate.gov: 

In November 2018 Aaron Hampton was shot more than 25 times by a repeat offender,criminal illegal alien in Springfield, Missouri. ICE had a detainer on Luis Perez and had requested Middlesex County,New Jersey hold him for deportation proceedings following his arrests for felony crimes including assault, aggravated assault and child abuse. Had the ICE Detainer been honored, as every detainer should be, Aaron Hampton would be alive today.

Missouri state laws, as listed by the BATFE, do not require a store to check people to see if they may legally purchase ammunition.  It is likely unconstitutional to do so, as indicated by a recent ruling in the Ninth Circuit.

Perez was prohibited from legally purchasing ammunition because he is an illegal immigrant, and was facing felony charges.

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) prohibits people from suing ammunition sellers if the ammunition seller did not break laws while selling the ammunition. There are a couple of exceptions. This lawsuit appears to be using  negligent entrustment. From fas.org: 

Although the PLCAA defines “negligent entrustment” as “the supplying of a qualified product by a seller for use by another person when the seller knows, or reasonably should know, the person to whom the product is supplied is likely to, and does, use the product in a manner involving unreasonable risk of physical injury to the person or others,”14 a plaintiff’s claim of negligent entrustment will be asserted under state law. For example, Washington state courts have held that a common law tort claim of negligent entrustment can be brought against both retail firearms dealers and manufacturers.15

The heart of the lawsuit seems to be an assertion the store clerk should have been able to read the mind of Burden and Perez, and refused to sell to them.

Both Perez and and Burden have dark complexions. A clerk who refused to sell to them might well be accused of racism, sexism, and discrimination, and be fired.  A male handing money to a woman to buy ammunition might simply be someone who does not speak English well, having an acquaintance help them.

It is clear the Missouri legislature took steps to protect arms and ammunition dealers.  From Missouri Statutes:

2. No county, city, town, village, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state shall adopt any order, ordinance or regulation concerning in any way the sale, purchase, purchase delay, transfer, ownership, use, keeping, possession, bearing, transportation, licensing, permit, registration, taxation other than sales and compensating use taxes or other controls on firearms, components, ammunition, and supplies except as provided in subsection 3 of this section.

Section 5 shows the legislature commands political subdivisions  to refrain from filing lawsuits against arms and ammunition makers.

5. No county, city, town, village or any other political subdivision nor the state shall bring suit or have any right to recover against any firearms or ammunition manufacturer, trade association or dealer for damages, abatement or injunctive relief resulting from or relating to the lawful design, manufacture, marketing, distribution, or sale of firearms or ammunition to the public. This subsection shall apply to any suit pending as of October 12, 2003, as well as any suit which may be brought in the future. Provided, however, that nothing in this section shall restrict the rights of individual citizens to recover for injury or death caused by the negligent or defective design or manufacture of firearms or ammunition.

Academy Sports sells ammunition through the mail. It is perfectly legal. No I.D. is required.

The lawsuit hinges on whether a jury can be convinced a store clerk would have reasonably known that Perez was not legally allowed to purchase ammunition, because he picked out the ammunition in a store, and handed money and the ammunition to his woman companion to pay for it.
 

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

CA: Pepper Spray Fails, Handgun Effective in Humbolt County Self Defense Case

The resident attempted to use pepper spray to deter the subjects, with no success, as he entered back into his home, police said. At least one subject entered the residence and attempted to assault the resident, according to the EPD. Officials said during the altercation inside the home, the resident fired multiple shots from a handgun, which he had retrieved from inside the residence, striking the subject who was assaulting him.


This subject was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the captain. A second subject, who was on the porch, was struck in the leg by gunfire, the EPD said. This subject was transported to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment. This injury is believed to be non-life-threatening," Stephens said in a press release. "Officers were able to locate and detain everyone who was involved at the scene, including the shooter."
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PA: Man who Shot Attacking Dog was Justified

New Castle police were called about the incident, and an officer who questioned people at the scene reported that the pit bull, which had been was tied to a leash at a nearby house, broke free and attacked the walking couple’s dog.

The owners of the shepherd screamed for help and tried unsuccessfully to physically get the pit bull off their dog, police reported. Ward, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, fired a .380 pistol at the pit bull’s hind end, trying to wound it, the police reported said.

During the investigation, the police interviewed both animal owners along with independent witnesses who all told similar version of the events, they reported.

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CA: Executors of Estate Shoot Intruder in Neck

Two executors of an estate on the 400 block of 10th Street in the Noma neighborhood entered the home to prepare it for a sale when they encountered a man inside and shot him in the neck, said SMPD Lt. Joseph Cortez.
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Suicides not impacted by gun control laws

Top 2 lines, blue, total suicides and suicides with guns. Bottom 2 lines, purple, total homicides and homicides with guns

It is only the last decade or two when those who want a disarmed population in the West have started to stress "suicide" as a reason for disarming the population.  The early pushes for population disarmament were predicated on the excuse of reducing violent crime, particularly homicides. The actual motivation had nothing to do with crime. The original motivation was to reduce armed rivals. In New York, to reduce armed resistance to organized crime, particularly the Tammany Gang. In England, to reduce armed support for a potential revolution. Originally, the push was to eliminate handguns from almost all the population. There was some talk of accidents, but suicides were almost never mentioned.

As gun control policies were implemented in various countries, it became clear violent crime and homicides were not reduced by gun control.  The push to ban handguns in the United States had failed, and those pushing for citizen disarmament moved on to semi-automatic rifles. The famous quote by Josh Sugarman of the Violence Policy Center was near the start of this phase. This push did not depend on homicide or violent crime for its existence. Semi-automatic rifles are seldom used in violent crime. Rather it is the similarity in appearance to military firearms which is used, under the pretext that military firearms are not useful to the ordinary citizen, and most citizens are not familiar with them. From the Violence Policy Center, 1988:

..handgun restriction is simply not viewed as a priority. Assault weapons—just like armor-piercing bullets, machine guns, and plastic firearms—are a new topic. The weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons—anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun—can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons. In addition, few people can envision a practical use for these weapons.

The homicide rate topped out in 1993. As more and more handguns and semi-automatic firearms were sold in the United States, and more and more people obtained carry permits and used them, the homicide rate dropped in half. During the same period, fatal firearm accident rates fell to record lows.

What to do? The idea that "more guns = more homicide" had been demolished. Those pushing for population disarmament created a new pretext. As the homicide rate had dropped, the suicide rate had risen. An Orwellian term was created. "Gun violence".  "Gun violence" was defined as all deaths associated with guns; homicides, whether justified or not; legal intervention, or not; suicides, and accidents. Most people think of "gun violence" as homicides. Over two thirds are suicides. Only a tiny amount of fatalities with guns are accidental.  While the suicide rate had risen, the percentage of suicides with guns had fallen.

Intuitively, people do not think restrictive legislation on guns will reduce suicide. There are many alternatives out there. George Orwell, in 1984, in the last page of PART ONE, foresaw the distopian vision in which control over guns would be claimed to reduce suicide.

It was at night that they came for you, always at night. The proper thing was to kill yourself before they got you. Undoubtedly some people did so. Many of the disappearances were actually suicides. But it needed desperate courage to kill yourself in a world where firearms, or any quick and certain poison, were completely unprocurable.

George Orwell, (Eric Blair), was a socialist. For all his brilliant understanding of the totalitarian mindset, Orwell did not consider how easy it is to commit suicide. 

Most of the theory predicting a reduction of suicides is based on the concept that suicide ideation is temporary, and access to firearms provides a unique ability to commit suicide quickly and decisively.  If a person can survive the temporary desire for suicide, the theory is, they will not commit suicide.

There are several problems with the theory. The first is alternate quick and decisive methods of suicide are easily available. Hanging is almost as quick, easy, and decisive. In a word with electrical appliances, wire, clothesline and rope, hanging has been the substitution method of choice in Australia. Quick access to suicide does not depend on firearms.

However, it should be noted that different studies produce different results of the fatality of different methods. For instance, JJ Card2 estimated the lethality of suicide by guns as only 91.6% effective, and Farberow and Shneidman3 had it as low as 84.7%. The Hawaii Department of Health (1990) had it even lower at 73%. The same studies showed the effectiveness of hanging to vary between 77% and 88%.

The second is the time-scale of suicide ideation varies considerably. Survivors of suicide attempts will naturally be biased toward those who are less motivated and determined to commit suicide.

A third is suicide rates around the world have no correlation with access to firearms.  The highest suicide rates are in countries with very few firearms.

How can the theory that suicide rates will be reduced, if access to firearms is highly restricted, be tested?

It has been tested in the real world. When more restrictions were put on access to guns, overall suicide rates were not affected.

The suicide rate did not go down in Australia, with some of the most severe and restrictive gun laws, drastically and dramatically implemented in 1996-1997.

As more restrictive laws on access to guns have been implemented in California, there has been a clear substitution effect. From the large study comparing gun show regulation in California v. Texas:

The results of our study generally indicate that gun shows do not have substantial impacts on either gun homicides or suicides. While there is some evidence of statistically significant effects in both California and Texas, these effects are relatively modest in size. For example, our findings indicate that in the average year from 1994 to 2004, there are four additional gun suicides in the entire state of California resulting from the 102 gun shows occurring in the average year. Moreover, this increase is offset entirely by an almost identical decline in the number of non-gun suicides, suggesting that gun shows influence the method but not the number of suicides. We find no evidence to suggest that gun shows increased the number of homicides in California during our study period.

The study found a statistically significant effect that relatively unregulated gun shows in Texas decreased gun homicides by 16 per year.

When the Brady law was implemented in 1994, scholars in favor of restricting guns did a rigorous study of homicide and suicide rates, comparing states which already had background checks to those where they were recently required by the new law. From the abstract by Cook and Ludwig:

Based on the assumption that the greatest reductions in fatal violence would be within states that were required to institute waiting periods and background checks, implementation of the Brady Act appears to have been associated with reductions in the firearm suicide rate for persons aged 55 years or older but not with reductions in homicide rates or overall suicide rates.

When Canada instituted strict new gun control laws, there was no significant effect on suicide rates. From Mauser, 2007, p. 38:

While some public-health researchers claim that the unique deadliness of firearms means that substitution effects are not important in suicide [e.g. Gabor,1994], this is belied by the empirical evidence. Unfortunately, the public-health literature generally ignores the relevant criminological research. As shown above, the evidence is consistent with strong substitution effects. As seen in figure 1, as firearm suicides declined over the past decade, hanging suicides increased in Canada

In a large study from 2018 on the changes in firearms laws in California, found no effect on homicide rates or suicide rates.  The study looked at changes in comprehensive background checks (CBC) and the addition to the prohibited person list of those with violent misdemeanors (MVP).

CBC and MVP policies were not associated with changes in firearm suicide or homicide. Incomplete and missing records for background checks, incomplete compliance and enforcement, and narrowly constructed prohibitions may be among the reasons for these null findings.

An Rand corporation update in 2020 on gun control policies, surveying studies of gun control policies, downgraded the effects of both background checks on suicides and violent crime.  From NSSF:

There are a couple of notable changes from the first edition of the report. For example, the authors concluded in 2018 that there was “limited evidence” that background checks decreased total suicides and “moderate evidence” they decreased firearm suicides. Upon re-evaluating the earlier reports and considering additional studies, the new, downgraded conclusion is that there is “inconclusive evidence” for either. The same downgrade was found for the impact of background checks on violent crime.

The restrictive laws being pushed hardest by those who desire a disarmed population, would have no effect on suicide.

Reducing magazine capacity? Only one shot is needed.

Banning semi-automatic guns? Only one shot is needed.

Restricting the carry of guns? Suicides are generally conducted in private.

Suicide is being used as an ideological "hook" to support the policy choices of those who want a disarmed population. Facts matter little to those with an agenda.

In nations where violence of any kind is very low, such as in Switzerland, those who desire a disarmed population hang their desire on the very rare events of a few suicides or homicides in a year. The fact that these are very rare never bothers them.

When you actively dislike the idea of firearms in any hands outside of government, and see no positive function for firearms in private hands, you do not see any cost from disarming the population by force.  With zero perceived costs to ban guns, the cost/benefit ratio is infinite with a tiny perceived benefit.

This is an insane way to view the world. People would not own firearms if they did not perceive benefits.  Hundreds of years of history would not show those with firearms ruling those without.

In America, suicides with guns are common because guns are common. Guns are common, because people find guns to be useful for numerous purposes. Large numbers of people actively value guns, as seen by the sales figures.

There is no persuasive evidence the overall suicide rate would decrease with more restrictions on gun ownership.

Focusing on suicide with guns is simply another way to define a social problem as a gun problem. It is a way to define a solution to fit a desired policy.

It is not an honest way to deal with social problems and policy decisions.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

OH: Resident Jailed after Shooting Fleeing Burglary Suspect

Claude M. Hill III, 19, was charged with one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony. He remains in Holmes County Jail without bond until he can be seen by the Holmes County Municipal Court.

According to the release, the gunshot victim and another man entered Hill’s residence without permission. When the two men attempted to flee the residence, Hill obtained a handgun and began firing rounds at both men.

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GA: Homeowner Wounds 1 of 3 who Attempted Break-in

AIKEN COUNTY (WFXG) - Aiken County authorities say one man was arrested and two are still wanted after a morning burglary on Cobblestone Rd.

According to authorities, on Thursday, May 21, at 8:30 a.m. deputies responded to 407 Cobblestone Rd. after a homeowner reported he fired shots at three men attempting to break into his home.

Authorities say after they arrived at the scene, the homeowner said while walking his dog, he saw at least two men and two vehicles on his property. The owner said as he approached the suspects, he yelled and fired his weapon at them. The suspects then fled to their vehicles, one of which stalled on Cobblestone Road.
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10 Second Amendment Cases Scheduled for Conference Again, No Orders Yet

Dean Weingarten in Front of Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court has re-listed the ten Second Amendment cases it has previously distributed for conference.  From scotusblog.com:

This morning the Supreme Court issued orders from the justices’ private conference last week. The justices did not add any new cases to their argument calendar for next term. Perhaps most significantly, they did not act at all on the 10 gun rights cases that they had considered for a second time at last week’s conference.

The gun rights cases have all been on hold, some for over a year, presumably until the court issued its decision in the challenge to New York City’s ban on the transport of handguns outside the city. The justices dismissed that case as moot at the end of April, and a few hours later the court had distributed the 10 petitions for consideration at the justices’ May 1 conference. The justices normally only grant review after they have considered a petition at two consecutive conferences, so it was no surprise that they did not act on the petitions when they issued orders on May 4. There’s no way to know whether the justices are still trying to choose among the petitions, have not yet decided what to do or have some other reason for waiting to act on the petitions.

Ten Second Amendment cases have been re-listed for the Supreme Court conference to be held Friday, 15 May, 2020.  As noted in the SCOTUSBLOG post above, a writ of certiorari is usually not granted until a case has been heard at conference at least twice. The ten Second Amendment cases have now been to conference at least three times each. Perhaps, because of the number of cases, the Supreme Court Justices are taking more time on this issue.

No orders for any of the Second Amendment cases were issued as of Monday, 18 May.

It is noted in each case whether the Department of Justice has submitted a brief in the case. 

The cases are shown in the list below. The link on the name of the case is to the Supreme Court case history and assignment to the conference. The second link is to documents showing the particulars of the case. The ten cases are:

Mance v. Barr

 The DOJ has filed a brief claiming the law is Constitutional.

A challange to the ban on out of state handgun purchases in the 5th Circuit (Texas).

Rogers v. Grewal

A challenge to the NJ may issue carry permit scheme in the 3rd Circuit.

The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case. 

Pena v. Horan

A challenge to the microstamping and restrictive “approved” handgun roster in California in the 9th Circuit.

 The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case.

Gould v. Lipson

A challenge to the restrictive Massachusetts may issue ownership and carry permit scheme in the 1st circuit.

 The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case.

Cheeseman v. Polillo

A challenge to the NJ may issue carry permit scheme in the 3rd Circuit.

 The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case.

Ciolek v. New Jersey

A challenge to the NJ may issue carry permit scheme in the 3rd Circuit.

 The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case.

Worman v. Healy

A challenge to a ban on common firearms described as “assault weapons” and magazines with capacity of more than 10 rounds in the 1st Circuit.

 The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case.

An amicus brief was filed by 94 members of Congress, asking the Court to uphold the Second Amendment and to strike down the law as unconstitutional.

Malpasso v. Pallozzi

A challenge to the Maryland extreme may issue carry permit scheme in the 4th Circuit.

 The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case.

Culp v. Raoul

A challenge to the Illinois refusal to issue carry permits to residents of  some states, in the 7th Circuit.

The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case.

Wilson v. Cook County

A challenge to an on ban on common firearms described as “assault weapons” and magazines with capacity of more than 10 rds in Cook County, Illinois, in the 7th Circuit.

 The DOJ has not filed a brief in this case.

The ten cases above were appealed to the Supreme Court from November of 2018 through November of 2019.  Some of them have been held for conference, waiting on the resolution of the New York Rifle and Pistol case, which has now been ruled moot by the Supreme Court.

Six of the ten cases are about permits to carry. Two are about bans on widely owned and popular firearms, variously defined as “assault weapons”. One is about federal restrictions on the purchase of handguns across state lines, the other about numerous and prohibitive restrictions on what handguns may be purchased in California.

In addition to the ten cases above, the Supreme Court has asked the City of San Jose to submit a brief in Rodriquez v. City of San  Jose. The is not due until June 22, 2020.

No one knows how many of the ten cases will be granted a writ of certiorari, if any. Several of the cases could be lumped together.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a conference each week until the end of June. There is an opportunity for the Court to issue orders after each conference. There is a reasonable possibility the Court will decide to take one, several, or all of the Second Amendment cases before the end of the term.

However, oral arguments would not be heard until next fall, possibly after the election.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

TX: Homeowner Shoolts 1 of 3 Men Attempting Break-in

A homeowner shot one of three men police say were trying to break into a house in north Fort Worth on Sunday morning.

At 6:22 a.m., a homeowner called police and said men dressed in black kicked in the front door and tried to come into the house in the 2700 block of Northwest 34th Street, police officer Jimmy Pollozani said.

Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article242802181.html#storylink=cpy

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WY: Man, Gathering Antlers, Shoots, Kills, Attacking Grizzly Bear

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department are investigating a grizzly bear attack on a man who was hunting shed antlers.

According to a release, the man was attacked on Saturday, May 16, east of Dubois and taken to a hospital. The release didn’t specify injuries, but said they were not life threatening.

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MD: Security Guard Shoots Suspect During Struggle

The armed security guard confronted the man and noticed he had what appeared to be a gun, police said. The security guard shot the man in the ankle during a brief struggle, police said.

The suspect suffered non-life threatening injuries, Fennoy added.

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LA: Gunfight, Homeowner and Burglary Suspects Trade Shots

When a homeowner in the neighborhood confronted the burglars in the early morning, the burglars allegedly fired shots and ran away on foot. The sheriff's office said the homeowner returned fire but no one was hit.

The three then got into a vehicle with the keys inside and used that to speed away from the area.
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Extend the Range of .22 Shotshells with Reverse Paradox Tubes for a Garden Gun

In a previous article, I commented on the usefulness of .22 LR shotshells and their limited range. Their use is severely hampered by the poor patterns produced by these shotshells out of rifled barrels.

The effective range of these shells can be doubled or tripled with the use of a reverse paradox tube.

The Ball and Shot gun, more commonly known as the Paradox gun, was invented by Col. George Fosbery, VC, and patented in England in 1885. The patent was sold to Holland and Holland who marketed the guns under the Paradox name.  The idea was simple: put shallow rifling in the choke of a shotgun to spin bullets, and give decent accuracy to bullets from a shotgun bore.

The reverse paradox tube solves the opposite problem. I believe this is the first publication of the concept. Normally, smooth bore tubes work very well for shot charges, and rifled tubes very well for bullets. There are rare circumstances where a firearm is called to use both effectively.

There are dedicated Garden Guns that have smooth bores and give decent patterns with the .22 shotshells. Addition of a second smooth bore, after the .22 bore, twice the diameter of a .22, is claimed to give tighter patterns.

In 1937, Frederick.J. Routledge filed a patent, which was granted in 1940, #2,185,523. He claimed doubling the bore diameter of a .22 smoothbore for about 18 inches, greatly increased the pattern density of the shot at 10 yards and further.

Several thousand of the Routledge bore guns were produced, and are said to work well. Such dedicated .22 shotguns/Garden Guns work. They are expensive, compared to a box of .22 shot. They do not work well with single bullets.

There are likely less than a hundred thousand smoothbore .22 rimfire firearms in the United States, of which perhaps 10,000 have the Routledge bores.  There are about a hundred million rifled .22 rimfire firearms in the United States. Many of those firearms are produced with a threaded barrel for muzzle attachments.

Reverse paradox tubes work well and shoot close to point of aim with rifled bullets and shot charges. If properly aligned, the bullets never touch the tube.

Adding anything to the muzzle of a rifle may change the point of impact. Firing a few shots to test the point of aim is simple.

Aluminum, steel, and pvc (polyvinyl chloride) tubes were tested. Aluminum and steel were either threaded or had an adapter machined, so as to be easily attached to the end of the barrel. Tubes of up to 1 inch inside diameter worked well. Both sch 40 and sch 20 pvc were tested.

30 inches of 3/4" sch 20 PVC and a threaded/slip coupling weigh 5.6 ounces. PVC  reverse paradox tubes work surprisingly well. The pressures out of the muzzle of a .22 LR are much lower than chamber pressures. Pressures are lowered dramatically when the gases leave  the muzzle, into the larger diameter reverse paradox tube.

The tubes double to triple the effective range of the .22 LR shotshell, compared to most rifled barrels.

The test patterns shown were shot 10 yards from the muzzle of the tube or the muzzle of the gun.  The pattern on the left has 20 pellets; the one done with the reverse paradox tube has 71 pellets. They are typical patterns. Testing showed the maximum effective range with the tube to be about 45 feet (15 yards) from the muzzle of the tube. The tube and rifle extend about five feet from the shooter's shoulder.

Sch 20 pvc is considerably lighter than sch 40 pvc. Because of the geometries involved, a thin tube is stiffer than a thick tube of the same weight. Stiffness is a desirable quality in reverse paradox tubes.

Testing for the 3/4 inch pvc showed the optimum length to be between 25 and 31 inches.  CCI 31 grain shot shells were used in the test.  Five shot averages of pellet counts inside an 8 inch circle at 45 feet (15 yards) from the muzzle of the tube were as follows:

Tube length  Pellets inside 8" circle

33 inches      39.6 pellets
30 inches      45.6 pellets
28 inches      42.6 pellets
26 inches      43.6 pellets
24 inches      38.2 pellets
22 inches      35.8 pellets
20 inches      31.8 pellets

Early comparisons of the CCI and Federal loads show patterns to be very close. 

At 45 feet, the tiny #12 pellets are near their maximum range for fatal penetration on small pests. They should be traveling a little over 600 feet per second at that range. One commentator at the shotgun world forum stated, in his experience, they were adequate for pigeons at 15 yards.

By 120 feet (40 yards) the energy of the #12 pellet has dropped to 2.3% of the energy of a common BB gun at the muzzle.  The purpose of such small shot is to prevent damage to property and persons while dispatching small pests at relatively short ranges. Pigeons or rats are about the largest pest that can be easily dispatched with the shot shells at more than 10 feet. Some shooters have reported good results for larger insect pests. They work very well inside of structures and areas where energetic shot would be inadvisable beyond 40 yards. 

Anything less than 40 pellets in an 8 inch circle leaves considerable holes for small pests. The combination of pellet count and pellet energy means 45 feet is about the maximum range for this load, with the reverse paradox tube.

The energy of the .22 LR shot cartridge is a little less than a standard velocity .22 short. The report is similarly low. This is positive for a load meant for use inside structures or with nearby neighbors.

The report of Aquila Super Colibri cartridges out of a rifle is similar to that of a BB gun.  They could be used for pests if backstops are available at short ranges. It does not take much of a backstop to stop  the Super Colibri. However, the 20 grain projectile of the Super Colibri renders it dangerous at further distances than #12 shot. A Super Colibri is unlikely to put a hole in a barn's roof, but it could break a window. A standard velocity .22 would almost always put a hole in the roof.

It is not necessary to have a threaded barrel to experiment with reverse paradox tubes. The tubes can be attached by friction, or taped onto a barrel, or non-threaded adapters can be made. Alignment of the tube with the barrel is important. A 1/8th inch misalignment at the muzzle of a 30" tube can move the center of the pattern a couple of inches at 10 yards.

Threaded barrels make the addition of reverse paradox tubes easy. Tubes can be taken off and replaced in a minute. There are cheap adapters for pvc tubes available, for nearly all threaded .22 muzzles. The adapters are sold as automotive accessories. They adapt 1/2-28 female threads to male 3/4" National Pipe Threads (NPT)  (and others). NPT threads are commonly used to attach pvc couplings.

The cost of the thread adapter and the PVC material is less than a box of shot shell ammunition.  A thread adapter can be had for about $3.50, a threaded/slip 3/4"  pvc coupling for less than a dollar, and sch 20 pvc pipe is less than $2 for ten feet, enough for four tubes! $3.50+$1+$.50=$5.00. Many people already have pvc and couplings from previous projects.  For $15, a hobbyist can purchase three thread adapters and the materiel for several reverse paradox tubes.

Thread adaptor with .22 shot cartridges for scale

The ends of reverse paradox tubes should be cut square, then deburred. A band saw worked well for cutting the ends of pvc pipe square. The end was deburring by rubbing with finger and thumb. Sandpaper can be used for those so inclined.

Sources for thread adapters:

1/2-28 x 3/4" NPT thread adapters, steel, made in the USA, for $12.99.

From Sears.com:  the adapter is out of stock.

They are available on Ebay from $3 to $10 in numerous ads.

From Ebay: Free shipping from Taiwan/Hong Kong.

Here is a 5/8-24 version for $3.29 for barrels in that thread pattern. It also offers free shipping.

If ordering from Hong-Kong/Taiwan, out of Ebay, it might be wise to order two or three adapters, because shipping may take a few weeks.  The adapters work well as thread protectors, yet cost only a third of what common thread protectors cost.

A straight tube is important. Some pvc tubes come with gentle bends acquired from transport or storage.  A friction fit to the pvc coupling works adequately, but glue could preserve proper alignment. It might be possible to adjust the alignment in the short period while pvc glue is setting up. A reference mark on the tube could help to maintain the proper alignment.  Testing showed that patterns from individual firearms can vary considerably.

It is best to shoot a test pattern or five to see how an individual rifle does with a reverse paradox tube.  Because the patterns are small, users need to know if the tube is patterning to point of aim.

The light weight of the reverse paradox tube makes the rifle easy to handle. The length of the rifle, with tube mounted, takes a little practice. Striking the muzzle of the tube on door frames or bushes is likely to affect the alignment. It is not as awkward as it might appear. Many muzzle loaders were of similar lengths, overall.

Experimental set up with pvc tube marked for cutting.

While performing these tests, there were tantalizing indicators better performance might be possible. The pvc tube delivers cylinder bore performance. Improved cylinder performance would add enough pellets at 15 yards to fill holes in the existing patterns.

Investigation of those possibilities awaits future articles.

The cost to thread the barrel of a .22 at the factory is minimal, probably less than a dollar.  The usefulness of muzzle accessories means more manufacturers will be offering models with threaded barrels in the future. 

All safety measures must be observed. Ammoland and the author publish the information for academic interest, and cannot assume any responsibility for actions taken by readers.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

AR: Domestic Defense Gunfight in Fayetteville, Intruder Wounded

Officers were told Navarro went into the house because his girlfriend refused to come outside. Once inside, Navarro pulled a handgun from his waistband and he and the caller exchanged shots, according to the release.

Navarro was shot on the right side of his body and fled the area, according to the release. He arrived about 45 minutes later at Washington Regional Medical Center where he was arrested.
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MO: Escaped Dog Attacks Goats, is Shot, Killed

One owner discovered one of the six escaped dogs on their property, though. “One of them ended up attacking some goats in the area and was killed by the property owner,” explained Major Erik Holland with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office.
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TX: Armed Homeowner Subdues Man Attempting Break-in

When officers arrived they found the homeowner holding down the would-be burglar. Police said the occupants of the house were sound asleep when they heard someone breaking into their front door. The homeowner said he grabbed his gun and confronted the person breaking into his home. The gun went off during their scuffle, but nobody was shot.
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MI: Warning Shot Scares off Tresspasser/Stalker

According to a sheriff’s report, the man was highly intoxicated and taken into custody on charges of stalking, trespassing and resisting and obstructing police officers when the woman’s husband called 911 to complain that the man was trespassing on their property and harassing his wife about 8 a.m. in the 4000 block of W. Temperance Rd.

While her husband was trying to convince the man to leave, the woman fired a 9mm handgun into the air to scare him off. The couple told deputies that the man had been trespassing on their property since he moved next door seven months ago.
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AZ: More on Shooting Death of Naked Intruder in Scottsdale

The homeowner was reportedly doing work on the property when the family dog alerted him to some type of disturbance. When the father of the family entered a room to investigate, he found that one of his children had been confronted by a naked man, identified Friday as Cameron Yoe.

Police say Yoe was holding a large piece of wood in a threatening manner and charged at the resident. The resident then pulled out a gun and shot Yoe twice, killing him.
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