Alaska HB69 Update

Alaska HB69 now has 19 cosponsors in the Alaska House, which has 40 members.

HB69 updates our firearms freedom act to (1) protect items possessed in Alaska, (2) specifically protect magazines and semiautomatics, and (3) imposes criminal penalties for enforcement of new federal gun control laws.

The House Judiciary Chair, the House Majority Leader, and four of the seven Judiciary Committee members are now co-sponsors so I suspect this bill will be moving forward.

It would be nice to see more tangible legislation, like clarifying the preemption statute to ensure it applies on UAA property, allowing people with Alaska CWPs to carry in "sensitive areas" which are now off limits like schools, day cares, etc, and so on.  HB69 does send a message, though.

Its like Fast and Furious for America

Ah, the latest ATF operation.

1. Find a recovering urban neighborhood with declining crime to set up in.
2. Lie to landlord and set up cash rent with false name and address for a fake storefront.
3. Steal a logo from a major movie.
4. Advertise to drug dealers that you will buy their guns and drugs for cash.  Pay so much money for the guns that folks flip them from local legit retailers.  Maybe sell some drugs and guns too, why not flood the neighborhood, right?
5. Encourage drug dealers to move into and hang out in the recovering neighborhood.
6. Lose a full auto M4 and a few handguns with evil standard high capacity magazines clips.
7. Fail to set up security for your gun & drug buying fake storefront and get robbed.
8. Charge people who were in jail when alleged offenses occurred with crimes.
9. Trash your undercover storefront and threaten the landlord with criminal prosecution if he tries to get you to pay for damages or withhold your security deposit.
10. ...
11. Profit!

I am not too worried about these guys confiscating my firearms.  They're more likely to burn down my house or assassinate my family and they'll definitely kill my dog but I don't think the agency could successfully sell magazine subscriptions door to door, much less search houses door to door for shoulder things that go up.

Wild West Guns on TV

How did I miss this?

Apparently Wild West has their own TV show.  On Animal Planet.  Which is a little mind-boggling, but whatever.  Wild West has done some excellent work for both of us, particularly for Chris' lever guns.  Neat!

Appleseed - Rifleman's Quarter Mile

Can you master the Rifleman's Quarter Mile?  Can you hit a 4 MOA target out to 500 yards?

If you can't or you aren't sure... come to Appleseed.

Last March I attended my first Appleseed shoot.  Having had absolutely zero previous rifle training, I was hitting gongs out at 400 and 500 yards by the end of the second day.  This training works.

After that first Appleseed I've been stuck closer to home with ranges that don't go past 100 yards.  So, when I was offered the chance to go back to Ramseur this weekend to use the KD range, I jumped at the opportunity.  Even though I've been shooting long guns right handed for the past nine months or so, I brought my trust Savage 30-06 left-handed bolt.  Among other things, the right hand bolt gun we have is .308 and we are not as well stocked in that caliber as we are in others.  Also, I just love this gun so much and I like being ambidextrous for rifles.  It's a great rifle and was shooting MOA out to 500 when I was doing my job. Not bad for a $200 pawn shop find!

Even more than the shooting, though, I enjoyed getting to spend some time with the North Carolina cadre, all of whom are wonderful people.  I am continually amazed by the quality of people that the Appleseed Project attracts.  Every time I go to an Appleseed, no matter where, I feel so at home.  Hopefully I will get back to another North Carolina shoot soon, but a little bird told me that South Carolina is about to add a lot more shoots and ranges to the schedule.  The next South Carolina Appleseed weekend is February 22/23.  Come on out and join us!

Letter to AK Delegation: S33

This is the next letter in our series to legislators.  Feel free to steal.


I respectfully request that you oppose S33, "A bill to prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and for other purposes."

This bill effectively bans standard capacity magazines.  Despite a 10 year ban from 1994-2004, a study for the Department of Justice (Koper for DOJ, 2004) concluded that the arbitrary ban did not result in any significant declines in overall violent crime.

Civilians choose to use standard capacity magazines for many reasons.  Law enforcement, including the Alaska State Troopers and Anchorage PD, carry sidearms with magazine capacity greater than ten rounds because these sidearms are effective for self defensive.  Military and law enforcement trainers, including the Anchorage PD police officer that taught my Alaska Concealed Weapons Permit class, teach that a "minimum standard defensive response" requires two to five rounds per attacker.  It is obvious that standard capacity sidearm magazines are critical for civilians legitimate defensive scenarios, who are unlikely to carry extra ammunition with them whether responding to a threat at 0300 in the home or out and about on their daily business.

In contrast, criminal attackers will carry as much ammunition as is necessary to complete their planned crimes and reload as necessary, and they are likely to ignore a magazine ban law anyways.  With tens or hundreds of these magazines already in circulation, none with serial numbers, and given that they are simply a metal box with a spring (easily made or smuggled), the idea of cutting criminal cartels off from this equipment is simply fanciful.

Finally, the large majority of firearms deaths -- including those in Alaska -- are due to suicides.  The number of rounds in a magazine are irrelevant to someone contemplating killing themselves.

As we have seen in New York, an arbitrary ten round limit today can become an even more onerous and arbitrary seven round limit in the future.  There is no good scientific data supporting this policy proposal.  I urge you to strongly oppose S33.

I am a registered Alaska voter and I vote (absentee) in every primary and general election.

Very Respectfully,
Chris

Feel free to copy!

Write Sen Murkowski with this link.
Write Sen Begich with this link.

Gun Control Rally attendance...

...I wonder how many of the "thousands" of attendees were imaginary and how many more were gun-rights advocates?

Letter to the Alaska Delegation: S22

I respectfully request that you oppose S22, "A bill to establish background check procedures for gun shows."

As you may be aware, there are no special laws at gun shows.  The same federal laws which require all federal firearms licensees to conduct background checks on all sales apply at their stores and at shows.  It is a serious crime for an individual to sell a firearm to someone they have reasonable cause to be prohibited whether it is at a gun show or somewhere else.  Finally, engaging in the business of buying and selling firearms without a federal license is already a crime, regardless of whether it occurs at a gun show or anywhere else.

As a personal anecdote, I have purchased a firearms at gun shows in the Mat-Su.  The purchase was via an FFL, and the full Form 4473 and NICS check were conducted just like they would be in a store. 

This legislation is a knee jerk reaction to the terribly tragedy in Connecticut.  However, Connecticut closed the so called "gun show loophole."  Their legislation was entirely ineffective in addressing the root causes of the crime that occurred.  While nobody wants lunatics and felons to acquire weapons, federal legislation on this issue is unlikely to be effective.  The ATF already has plenty of laws on the books which could be better enforced.

I am a registered Alaska voter and I vote in every primary and general election.

Very Respectfully,
Chris

Feel free to copy!

Write Sen Murkowski with this link.
Write Sen Begich with this link.

Sorry, Maryland

I hit up a site that let me blast an email to every legislator in Maryland.  I told them that I was not going to spend another penny in their state, ever, if they passed NY-style gun control.  Most of the anti-gun folks didn't bother to even send a form letter.  I did get a bunch of email replies from the pro-gun folks and what they're saying doesn't look good.  This was one of the more optimistic replies (emphasis added is mine):

Annapolis Update #1 - Second Amendment Rights It is no secret that our Second Amendment rights are presently under attack in Annapolis.  The Governor will be pushing for anti-gun bills which will further restrict law-abiding citizens while accomplishing nothing toward making the public safer. While I believe that gun control is the ability to hit where you're aiming, the Annapolis liberals define it as removing guns from law-abiding people.  Even though their proposed bills may not call for it this year, their strategy in incremental -- a little now, a little more next year, and so on. This is my 11th session as a member of the House of Delegates.  Nothing I have seen over these years leads me to believe that the majority party will listen to us when we voice our opposition to anti-gun legislation.  To date, I have received over 1500 -- that is, one thousand, five hundred -- emails from concerned citizens across the state.  You are one of them, and I thank you for starting to fight for our rights. But, based on my experience, I believe that this is only the beginning of our struggles.  I predict that anti-gun legislation will make it through the General Assembly this year, and of course the Governor will sign it.  You must be prepared to take any bad legislation to court, where we will face multi-year litigation to fight for our rights. I hope I do not sound cynical.  I think this is a realistic appraisal of our situation in Maryland in 2013. In case you haven't heard about these organizations, you can follow legislation with Associated Gun Clubs, www.AssociatedGunClubs.org and with Maryland Shall Issue, www.MarylandShallissue.org Again, thank you for being a concerned citizen.  If it weren't for the encouragement of knowing people like you are out there, my job would be impossible. Rick ImpallariaDelegate, District 7 (Baltimore & Harford Counties)410-841-3289

The political battle must be fought everywhere, but at some point, you just have to leave.  Stop feeding the beast with your wages, taxes, and productivity.  Move to a community that values freedom.  Cut the cord.  I'm sorry, Maryland.  Good luck.

Letter a Day Campaign

Now that legislation has been introduced I plan on writing one letter every day to my Senators in order to address gun control issues.  I may take a day or two off but the goal is five letters a week.  I will do this until I've asked them to oppose each and every anti-gun bill out there, then I'll tone down the frequency of contact.  Right now I should only be busy for a week but I suspect more bills and amendments will get thrown out there so we'll see.  If anything gets out of committee I will write again too.

I am not too worried about Rep Young.  He gets it and will fight hard.  I will send him a letter occasionally to give him ammo on the Hill and to help him make the case to Sen Murkowski & Sen Begich, but the real focus needs to be on Alaska's senate delegation.

Currently I am tracking these "bad bills" in the Senate:


S 22 - Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ)
A bill to establish background check procedures for gun shows.
Referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee

S 33 - Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ)
A bill to prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and for other purposes
Referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee

S 34 - Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ)
A bill to increase public safety by permitting the Attorney General to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to known or suspected dangerous terrorists.
Referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee

S 35 - Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ)
A bill to require face to face purchases of ammunition, to require licensing of ammunition dealers, and to require reporting regarding bulk purchases of ammunition.
Referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee

S 54 - Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ)
A bill to increase public safety by punishing and deterring firearms trafficking.
Referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee

And of course, Sen Feinstein's draconian bill -- I'm unsure of the number.

I'll share letters here -- feel free to copy paste them.

Sen Harry Reid's S2 Bill

The text of Sen Reid's gun bill, S2, has been published on Thomas.gov.

Altogether it looks fairly harmless.  It is a "sense of the senate" resolution which carries no legislative weight basically endorsing most of the President's executive orders.  It is co-sponsored by all the usual gun control suspects, but I don't see much in there that is offensive honestly.  The main risk is that a "section 3" or "section 4" with actual substantive stuff gets amended on.

Here's the text of the bill:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Sandy Hook Elementary School Violence Reduction Act'.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

It is the sense of the Senate that Congress should--

(1) support the efforts of the President of the United States to reduce violence in the United States;

(2) promote common-sense proposals for preventing gun violence;

(3) provide law enforcement officers with the tools necessary to combat violent crime and protect communities, and protect themselves;

(4) ensure children can attend school free from the threat of violence;

(5) support States and local districts to ensure schools have the safe and successful learning conditions in which all students can excel;

(6) provide tools for identifying individuals that pose a threat to themselves or others, so they can receive appropriate assistance;

(7) keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals and individuals who are not lawfully authorized to possess them;

(8) promote information-sharing that will facilitate the early identification of threats to public safety;

(9) mitigate the effects of violence by promoting preparedness;

(10) provide training for educational professionals, health providers, and others to recognize indicators of the potential for violent behavior;

(11) examine whether there is a connection between violent media and violent behavior;

(12) enable the collection, study, and publication of relevant research; and

(13) expand access to mental health services, with a focus on children and young adults.

If it Saves One Life...

NY Subway is a killer!

“Saving one life, to me, is important and it’s urgent,” New York City Council Transportation Committee Chairman James Vacca said.

You know what?  If it is that important and that urgent, shut the system down.  Seriously, if you turn off the subway, it will probably stop killing people (yes, I realize the subway is probably not a sentient creature, but I doubt these people do).  Six people were killed with rifles in New York all last year.  In just the last month, the NY subway has killed that many people.  Clearly there is a need to shut down the subway immediately, or at least impose some common sense control like requiring background checks of subway riders to ensure that they won't throw fellow passengers onto the tracks!  Likewise, if we got rid of our "high capacity" subway cars and limited the system to seven passengers per train, we could save a life!

Oh wait?  You mean, there are downsides or costs to such a policy that outweigh the benefit of saving a life?  You do understand that if you are opposed to halting or severly restricting all subway service, you are a cold, uncaring evil Nazi who hates the children, right?

More Antigun Derp from the ADN

This word salad is almost as bad as Joan Peterson's, but it got published in the ADN.

Weigh in on the comments or send ADN a letter to let you know what you think.  You could always write the author but I suspect she suffers from Peterson Syndrome.

Remember, McClatchy owns the ADN and they are NOT based in Alaska.  They are based in Kalifornia.

Quote of the Day: Huge Black

It is my belief that there are "absolutes" in our Bill of Rights, and that they were put there on purpose by men who knew what the words meant and meant their prohibitions to be "absolutes."

Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black


Wayne LaPierre quoted this during a recent speech.  I wish he'd given a speech like this back in December.

Guns and Schools

A local CWP instructor offered a discounted class for teachers in one particular school district.  60 people showed up.

In other news, during our last lock down drill I had several students ask me why I couldn't carry a gun to protect them.  I didn't have a good answer for them.

Communications -- Thinking about CB

I decided to take a break from panic buying gun stuff because frankly it is expensive, I'm well (enough) stocked for now, and it is getting old.

I've been thinking about ways to improve our other situations with fairly minimal cost and comms is an obvious answer. I found a bunch of enthusiasts on radio forums talk about how their radios were handy in Katrina and Sandy, and Even Forbes talks about how alternatives to the typical comms (cell phones) are useful.

First, I plan on reliably carrying my cell phone.  I'm pretty terrible about it but I do vow to get better about at least having it in the car.  Hands down a cheap phone is the easiest way to stay in touch 95% of the time and a Tracfone isn't that expensive.

We currently have 2xGMRS handhelds (decent quality), 2xFRS handhelds (cheap).  That's pretty good for vehicle-to-vehicle communications, comms when hunting or camping (where/when legal, of course -- more for safety and emergency use than anything else, like when one of us goes off on a side hike to get water alone or something) and so on.  They really max out at around a mile though, less in restrictive terrain or around buildings.  And of course you need a FCC license to use the GMRS channels and features which is a pain.

We also have 1xVHF Marine Band handheld for emergency use, boating, fly-in hunts, etc.  It was handy on Kodiak.

I am thinking about getting into CB.  GMRS UHF radios will lack longer ranges due to physics and because I don't feel like getting my ham license.

I basically mapped out two options.

Option A is the cheap route.  I could get a $30 basic CB for one of the cars (or the house), a $50 handheld unit, and a pair of the magnetic car antennas for $30 each.  For under $150 that should be a setup that allows talk from 1-5 miles.  That should cover the neighborhood and may actually reach to one of our common work sites from the house, which is handy.

Option B is the pricey route.  Here's I'd go for single side band (SSB) units which put three times the power onto one sideband.  I'd get at least one full-length base station antenna and a magnetic car-style antenna.  I've heard ranges of 15-50 miles being possible with a SSB unit and a quality antenna, which would potentially reach from home to both of our places of work, which could be handy.  This setup would cost around $400.

Right now I am looking at messing around with Option A.  It is a lot cheaper, and later on if the SSB capability looks useful we can always add on that capability.  All the radios should be compatible (except the cheap ones can't use SSB, obviously).

Obviously electricity is an issue.  For vehicle use, not a big deal -- just plug in.  The handhelds can be run off of 9xAA batteries.  I see some major manufacturers advertising 20 hour battery lifes which realistically means more like a typical 8-10 hour day tops, but that is still pretty good given that I have a bunch of AA's on hand already.  For non-AA radio, we do have a battery jump pack which could run a radio for some time if used carefully.  Long term a small generator or solar setup should be enough to recharge a handheld type unit.

NEA's Call to Action

I'm sure we're all very familiar with NEA's general stances.  Unsurprisingly, they came out in support of President Obama's gun control.  Then I got an email in my inbox, asking for educators to share their stories and opinions in order to justify gun control.

I shared my opinion alright, even if it wasn't what they were looking for.  We'll see if I get a response.

I have also completely outed myself at work.  The group I work most with already knew that I'm a firearms enthusiast and NRA instructor, but now the administration knows as well.  I mentioned it to establish credentials when bringing up my concerns about our lock down procedures.  Unfortunately, the procedures are made at the district level, not the school level, so my administration can't do anything about it.  In better news, I was not the only one to voice concerns and the policy is under review with the district and local law enforcement.

Terrorism in the Middle West

Apparently Ohio is the new Algeria or Qatar.

This was the scenario for a national guard CBRNE drill:

The make-believe scenario is timely. Two school employees who are disgruntled over the government's interpretation of the Second Amendment, plot to use chemical, biological and radiological agents against members of the local community.

Clearly reasonable based on all the dangerous insurrectionists shooting up all 50 capitals this weekend.  Oh wait?  You say they peacefully protested?  And they had speeches and waved signs and not everyone was white?  Hrm.

QOTD

There is this old couple that comes to the range every Saturday morning.  He has gotten back into shooting after years of nothing, and I believe she recently took it up.  He runs a revolver while she runs a semi-auto, and they wear matching college sweatshirts.  He's deaf as a door nail, but they are the nicest people you will ever meet.

Today they both asked me at different times about ammunition and how to get more.  I told them we were in the same spot that they were, but we had a fair bit stocked up in the garage.  She then told me this:

"Oh, honey, we do too.  But you know how it is, when you open a can of beans, you want to buy a new can of beans."

Do you have enough beans, folks?  Given the shortage of people at the range, I think the answer tends to be "No."  I have faith that eventually things will settle down again, and when that happens, you owe it to yourselves to be prepared.  We've seen how one incident can essentially clear the shelves for who knows how long.  Don't forget that.

Range Day

It was a slow day at the range, at least on the pistol side.  The weather was good, though significantly colder than last weekend.  Usually the pistol side starts to pick up about halfway through my shift, but it really didn't today.  Most people didn't stay very long either.  After chatting with a bunch of them, the reason was concern about ammunition.  Several people asked me how and where to get ammo; I didn't have any good advice for them.

In other news, I'm heading up to Ramseur next weekend to use the KD range.  Looking forward to getting out to 400 and 500, but I need to look over my come-ups.

Bank Robbery

A robber held up a bank in Alaska with...  a hammer.

We must ban these dangerous weapons of war, for the children.

Lighting Money on Fire

Some honorable US congressperson had a genius idea:  offer a $2000 tax CREDIT for anyone who turns in an "assault weapon!"

They have a list of naughty features and a bunch of evil guns too.  You get the credit for turning it in to any local, state, or federal authorities.

The HiPoint Carbine which runs around $300 is on there.  So are ARs.  So I imagine I could start turning in HiPoints and stripped AR lowers and claiming the deduction.  I could split the tax refund 50/50 with NRA-ILA and still be out way ahead.  If I found a cooperative local law enforcement agency willing to accept a cut for their charity ball, I could have them sell the item back to me for $0.01, and then we'd have a perpetual motion machine funded by the Federal Government.

You know, I could actually get behind this idea.

Tyranny of the Majority

A "progressive" (is that code for socialist in polite company, these days?) wrote an op-ed basically stating that you're evil if you don't believe in direct democracy.

 But there are thousands, maybe millions, of gun owners out there whose sentiments are only a notch or two more restrained. These people talk a lot about liberty and freedom and love to call themselves patriots, but they seem to have a real problem with democracy. In a democracy, if people are proposing a law you don't like, you criticize it, you argue against it, you campaign against it, you vote against the politicians who support it. But if you believe in democracy, you don't threaten to start killing people if it passes. You don't say that if you don't like a new law, you'll start an insurrection to overthrow the government.

He prattles on about how guns are no good in rebellions, it will never be 1776 again, etc etc.  He thinks you're basically evil if you don't conform to the will of the majority.


Thankfully, we don't have a democracy in the United States. We have a republic, and we have specifically enumerated constitutional rights to ensure that 51% of the population cannot outlaw Mormonism, order house-to-house warrantless searches for terrorists, torture suspected criminals to force confessions, put ethnic groups back into slavery, or seize private firearms which are especially appropriate for militia service or self defense.

I personally find Mr. Waldman's vision of a "tyranny of the majority" to be pretty terrifying. 51% of the people -- or their elected representatives -- could be persuaded to support some pretty vile things, don't you think? The founders did, too, and they wrote about such concerns in Federalist #10. But those dead slave-owning white guys were "extremists with paranoid fantasies" who thought they could start an insurrection to overthrow the government in response to laws they didn't like, I guess.

PS:  Protip from Hillary Clinton.

Seven is the New Ten

New York told the M1 Garand to "get off our lawn" by defining any ammo feeding device -- like an M1 clip -- greater than seven rounds as "high capacity."  Massachusetts is now set to do the same:

SECTION 6. Said section 121 of chapter 140 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 57-62, the words “a large capacity ammunition feeding device as defined in the federal Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. section 921(a)(31) as appearing in such section on September 13, 1994.” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- containing more than seven rounds of ammunition; or (iii) obtained after the effective date of this act and capable of accepting, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than seven rounds of ammunition.

Guess what?  That'll eventually be five.  Then three.  Then one.  Then zero.  Because none of these laws will do crap to address crime -- they're not about reducing crime or suicide in any way.

The next time a gun grabber tells me I'm a paranoid fool for thinking there's a slippery slope I'm going to laugh at them and publish their home address and send another $10 to a pro 2A organization.

In Mayor Bloomberg's Paradise

I figured I'd meme it up.  "Citizens for Common Sense Gun Laws" is a made up group but you can substitute in Brady or MAIG if you like.

On one hand, the victim shouldn't have gotten into a argument in the hood with drunk guys outside a bar.  On the other hand, I think there's a reasonable expectation that you can not be beaten to death in the street in front of multiple witnesses.

When will Mayor Mike ban tire irons and baseball bats?

Good News from the Frozen North

There are two bills up for consideration in the Alaska legislature.

First is HB69.  This expands Alaska's firearms freedom act in three significant ways.

1. Extends protection to any firearms or accessories which are simply POSSESSED inside Alaska.  Currently, our Firearms Freedom Act applies only to items made within the state and sold/used within the state.
2. Extends the Firearms Freedom Act to specifically nullify any federal restrictions on semiautomatic firearms, magazine capacity, or reigistration.
3. Makes any attempt to enforce said federal firearms laws a crime (Class B Misdemeanor).

HB69 is currently cosponsored by 11 out of 40 representatives, including the House Speaker and the Chair of the Judiciary Committee (where it is currently assigned).

Next is HB55.  HB55 is an attempt to permit school districts to allow employees to carry firearms on campus.  The problem is it is poorly written.  Currently, to carry a firearm at school you need:  (1) Written permission from an administrator or the school board.

HB55 would require the school board to vote and establish an arming policy, then require individual employees to get permission from the Chief Administrator (presumably district superintendent), then require employees to get a CWP, then require the Department of Public Safety to devise a training class for said employees and certify them.

The intent is wise but the execution is poor.  Viable alternatives include:

• Revising Misconduct Involving Weapons IV, which prohibits "defensive weapons" like Tasers or Pepper Spray on campus.  Instead, allow anyone with a CWP (and the use of force training that goes with it) to carry "defensive weapons" on campus.
• The Utah Model:  Allow anyone with a CWP to carry sidearms on school property.  Alaska's CWPs are optional so this would provide a reasonable incentive for folks to get one for access to "sensitive locations."
• "Enhanced Permits:"  Offer a "CWP-Plus" qualification with additional training requirements above the standard CWP.  Require use of a certain type of retention holster (for example, any holster in use by any law enforcement or national guard agency in Alaska).  Under those conditions allow school carry.

Now is a good time for Alaska residents to correspond with their representatives.  I have talked to mine and he has been very receptive and communicative.  Both of these bills are worthy of consideration.

ADN Militia Reporting

ADN has been running a series of interesting articles about a militia that got taken down up in Fairbanks a year or two ago.

Most folks remember Joe Miller; he challenged Sen Murkowski from the right, and surprisingly, won the primary.  His campaign then imploded.  One major misstep occurred when his security guy arrested an Alaska Dispatch journalist at a campaign event which led to a bunch of negative media attention.  Turns out the security guy was working for the FBI.  Huh.  Go figure.

This article from ADN details the whole FBI sting and takedown.  One lesson learned of the story:  Do not buy, accept transfer of, or otherwise touch any sort of NFA item without getting your tax stamp.  Protip:  If there's a guy at the range or gun show offering people illegal NFA stuff and egging people on to go commit crimes, there's a good chance they're an undercovor officer or informant trying to entrap someone or they're one of the most retarded criminals ever.  Call the local police or the ATF on the person advocating illegal activity and leave the scene.

Embargo

I am done supporting companies based on New York.

If the bullshit "SAFE 2013" act stands in the courts then I am closing my financial services accounts with New York businesses, changing my telecommunications (internet/cable) company, and refusing to buy any more Remington products that are made at their Ilion, New York factory.  I've shot Core-Lokt for years in my bolt guns, and the Remington 700 is a fine rifle, but there are other brands out there which are manufactured in free states.  Likewise, I put a ton of money through New York-based financial institutions but there are other providers.

I wrote key New York state legislators and warned them that I would not spend a penny more in their state if the voted for this crap, so now time to execute that plan.

I will be contacting all of these companies and informing them of the exact reason why I am cutting off my money:  I refuse to support the governments of totalitarian shitholes with my dollars.  I'm not giving a penny to Remington or a bank or a telecommunications company that will then provide jobs and taxes to New York State.  Screw 'em.

My personal embargo begins 1 January 2014 or when a federal appeals court upholds SAFE 2013, whichever is sooner.  Unlike the state of New York, which is turning thousands or tens of thousands of gun owners into felons in a matter of days, I'm giving some notice and allowing the courts to do their thing.  Notification, however, occurs in the next week or two to let the companies start understanding financial impacts will occur from the choices of the states they choose to base themselves in.

It sucks for Remington; they're a 200 year+ old company with a lot of history.  Maybe it is time for them to cut the cord and move their facility and jobs back to America, though.

Edited to add:  I may consider an exemption if the local government in Ilion defies the New York State legislature and refuses to enforce any of the new provisions of the law.  In that case Remington may get some of my money.  Otherwise -- sorry.

What did you do to prepare this week?

I've kind of fallen off the wagon but figured I'd start back up again.

SKILLS/PERSONAL GOALS

• I had two solid workouts and two light workouts.  Not the best week, but some weather rolled in and I just felt miserable for about two days with sinus headaches and all that nastiness.  Heather and pup have been running 10Ks regularly.  PT underway!
• I dry fired two days this week.  Not up to par but geting there.  Heather took her Christmas present out to the range and was showing sub-MOA groups.  Sweet.
• I am still working on my advanced academic degree.  Almost done.  Knocked out the research paper for my last class and it was actually on an interesting and relevant topic.  I kind of enjoyed writing it.

GEAR

• I managed the last few panic orders on the firearms front.  I think what we've got is what we're getting for the time being.  This is all "sprinting to the finish" over the past few weeks.  Between crazy supply/demand dynamics and the looming threat of a ban of some sort things have been a little wonky in the marketplace.
• Parts Kits:  I was able to order parts to finish rifles that were in the works.  I had to get higher end kits than originally intended but I got fair MSRP prices on them, so I guess we win with sweet top-tier triggers and such.  Most of the parts were in stock and a few lower priority ones are on back order.  Everyone is out of stock of everything now so I'm glad I beat the rush by a few days.
• Lower:  We were able to find a lower for Heather's carbine at MSRP.  Amazing.  It is enroute to the FFL now.  This was just pure luck and a retailer (GWACS Armory) honoring an earlier discussed price despite a crazy market.
• Standard Capacity Mags:  I ordered a bunch from a few retailers at pre-panic MSRP.  The first two batches have arrived, and the rest are working their way through the system.  We should be well stocked with some for charity or barter soon.
• Ammo:  I was able to pick up around a few spam cans of 7.62x54R, a few boxes of cheap 5.56, a few hundred rounds of match 5.56, some bulk packs of rimfire and match .22, and a few cases of pistol ammo for fair prices.  I would have preferred 308, 7.62x39, or bulk 5.56 to the 7.62x54R but that was simply not an option at any reasonable price I was willing to pay so we're stuck with what we've got on that front.  So centerfire rifle plinking will have to be with the Nagants or pistol caliber carbines for now.  I wish they made a modern bolt action or a a Saiga in 7.62x54R, I think they'd sell like hotcakes.
  
  All told when the ammo storm hit we were "ok" due to my policy of keeping an unopened case or bulk pack of each major caliber tucked away unopened.  However, when I started looking at the situation and thinking that it might be a year or more before prices stabilize I decided to stock up so that we can continue regular shooting for awhile ithout cracking into the "last cases."  Luckily having handguns in .40 SW and .38 special worked out for us; all the 9mm and 45 ACP was gone but the 40 and .38 lasted a bit longer.  We will have to be disciplined with the 5.56/308 and I think I'll switch to lever guns for hunting but we should be ok on this front.
• Misc Gear:  Obviously there was a lot of gun stuff in the few weeks due to the political craziness going on.  We're honestly pretty good on support gear but I did pick up some additional items which I'll talk about more in a few months once I get everything rigged up.  It is kind of a surprise for DW so I don't want to spoil it here.

I am fairly happy with where we are.  I would like to have an AR lower in the safe that had the "pistol" box checked when it began its life with me on its 4473.  I would like to swap our 40 SW M&Ps for 9mm (although it worked out for us this time, and Heather will call me a wimp).  If money were no object a pair of M1As in the safe would be awesome and so would a 7.62x54R semiauto rifle like a Dragunov.  I wish I had picked up that case of SS109 a few months back when it was on sale at Sportsman's Warehouse or a few hundred rounds of 308, but we'll manage.

I am really glad that we had some spare cash on hand.  I dropped a grand or two in the last month stocking up, largely on bulk ammo which I was able to order before prices triple.  Having that cushion made it easy to accelerate some purchases.

At this point, I think "sprinting to the finish" is over.  What you have is what you have unless you are willing to wait for prices to recover (months to a year, minimum, even if no legislation passes) or are willing to pay through the nose.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

• Heather and I have written our state elected officials (governor, state senator, state representative, US congressional delegation).  I've written to the New York and Illinois State Senate key leaders.  I've written to organizations we support like Ducks Unlimited and stores that are having their arms twisted.  I've provided form letters that people can use to write to their organizations and stores too.
• Between the two of us we have signed up around six people for the NRA in the last week.  While I was very tempted to sign up my dog or the editor of the an anti-gun rag for Associate NRA Memberships, I refrained, because we are better than this.
• We advertised for Appleseed and recruited at least one person to sign up.
• I joined Second Amendment Foundation and Gun Owners of America and donated money to NRA-ILA.

What have you been up to?

And it begins...

Does this surprise anyone?

We told you this would happen.  Then again, maybe it's what Journal News wanted to happen.

Speaking of Giving NRA Memberships as Gifts...

I am really tempted to give the gift of NRA membership to a few folks who I know are opinionated on the issue.

Free NRA Memberships

NRA is running a promo where you pay $25 to join, and get a $25 Bass Pro Gift card in return.  That works out to zero dollars plunked down on the barrelhead if I am counting correctly.

If you don't know anyone that shops at Bass Pro (Hint:  I've been known to shop there from time to time, I have family that live near one :-P), then you can get an associate membership to NRA for $10.

Keene said the NRA will take its lobbying might and growing membership list to Congress to fight every item on Biden's agenda, from a reinstated assault weapons ban to a universal criminal and mental health background check and bans on high capacity ammunition magazines. Since the Newtown shooting Dec. 17, the NRA has attracted 100,000 new members, bringing its total membership count to 4.2 million.
- NRA President


If you are not an NRA member, please sign up now. It costs ten bucks for an associate membership (no magazine -- click the "other memberships" middle option tab). If they sell us out, quit in disgust. If you cannot afford ten bucks right now, PM me with your mailing address. I'll spot you the $10 fee if you can't afford it right no (first ten folks that take me up). You can repay me by donating $10 later to a worthy charity or to NRA-ILA (assuming they don't sell us out).  JUst leave me a note in the comments or an email with your email address and I'll contact you to get more info.

If you are already a member, sign up your spouse, kids, parents, etc. Sign up your shooting or hunting buddy. Sign up your coworkers. You can take action to sign them up if you don't mind covering the ten bucks and they don't mind being signed up. We just gave a gift membership to a family member today. Military and LEO sign up for free under the "Life of Duty" program.

I am also a member of some other 2A organizations (just joined a few!   ). SAF is key for the courts and does great work, but they're the "defense game" to try and save us at the 11th hour from a draconian bill that's been passed. We want to stop anything sooner than that. GOA talks a big game and is uncompromising but has little influence on the congress. NRA is what we've got, and NRA has stated that they are going to resist everything.

I know some folks complain and moan about how that are collaborators or whatever but they are the best we've got and thus far they are showing backbone in this fight. If you were sitting on the fence waiting for clear messaging from NRA, we now have it. The more we back them, the more resources they have to hammer Congress and take the case to the American people, and the less likely an unpleasant compromise will be required. Moreover, the $10 membership fee goes to the EDUCATION arm of NRA, not the lobbying arm (that is NRA-ILA). So your money is really going to go to help train and educate some of the many, many new shooters who have recently purchased firearms. That is worthy in and of itself, beyond the political benefits of joining.

Only 100K new members have signed up in the last few weeks. That's NOTHING. NOTHING. Mayors Against Illegal Guns claim 400K new members in the same time frame. We need to make a big statement, QUICKLY, to firm up wavering support in the Congress. A big statement would be moving from around four million members to five, and then zooming to ten million. If every member signed up someone else now, we'd do it in a week.

Senate Legislation starts getting pushed on 22 January, including Dianne Feinstein's assault weapons ban bill. The State of the Union Address will occur on 12 February, and I would bet money that Pres Obama will give front row seats to a bunch of murdered kid's parents in the audience and demand more gun control that WILL impact you in some way, even if it takes a bit more chipping away before they get to your shotgun (destructive device), lever action 30-30 (armor piercing rifle), or scoped bolt action deer rifle (military style sniper rifle). This is an existential push to break the back of the pro-2A movement. Short of writing your legislators, joining NRA is probably the easiest thing you can do for the cause in this dire time.

TEN BUCKS -- and if you truly need help, I will cover you for it. It is that important.

It Doesn't Get Easier

Have you contacted your representatives yet?

If not, check this out.  Input your information and Ruger will send out a form letter to your representatives for you.

You need to contact your representatives.  It's critical.  Alaskans - our senate delegation is wavering.  We have a democrat who can be swayed because he is up for re-election in two years.  We have a RINO who is, by her own reply to my letter, considering caving.  They need to hear from us.

Quote of the Day: Lies and the Liars that Tell Them

Brady Campaign Board Member Joan Peterson, the gift that keeps on giving:

Where did you see that anyone on the gun control side want to confiscate guns and get rid of the second amendment. That is a lie and you seem to believe. 

• “Confiscation could be an option.” - Gov of NY State.  The original bill from NY Democrats had no grandfathering for "assault weapons" -- turn 'em all in by 2014.
• Illinois pushes extreme gun ban with no grandfathering, i.e. turn them in or you're a felon, i.e. confiscation - Illinois Legislature
• Possession of any weapon with greater than single shot capacity a felony -- Bill in CT legislature
• Let's repeal the Second Amendment, says Vanity Fair and Minneapolis Post and Salon and Twitter Users (who also call for murdering NRA members, classy) and DailyKos and 294 people on Facebook and Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and David Kaul (Des Moines Register).  There's more, I got several pages of google results.

The masks have come off, and Joan is either a useful idiot or a complete and utter liar.

Letter to Sportsman's Warehouse

Sportsman's Warehouse & Cabelas also met with the administration, along with several other big chain stores.

Academy Sports + Outdoors

Bass Pro Shops

Big 5 Sporting Goods

Cabela's

Dick's Sporting Goods

Dunham's Sports

Gander Mountain

Sportsman's Warehouse

Wal-Mart

Write.

I recently learned that representatives from Sportsman's Warehouse recently met with representatives from VP Biden's gun control panel.

I urge Sportsman's to strongly oppose any gun control efforts. 

I have purchased thousands of dollars of equipment at Sportsman's, primarily at the Anchorage, Alaska store but also at other stores across the country.  Major purchases over the last four years I've made at your stores include a hunting rifle and scope which cost over a thousand dollars, a rimfire target rifle, two additional optics for rifles, two handguns with cost over $1K, over $1K in ammunition, two pairs of expensive hiking boots, and thousands of dollars in tents, sleeping bags, and camping supplies. 

I am shocked and appalled at the tragedy in Connecticut and want to keep firearms out of the hands of felons and the insane, but have always been happy with the professionalism shown by Sportsman's when adhering to current federal law, background checks, etc. 

Sportsman's is one of my favorite stores.  I appreciate your customer service, military discount, and great selection.  Your store is usually my first stop when I need camping or shooting equipment.  However, if Sportsman's Warehouse cooperates in any manner with gun control efforts which infringe on the rights of law abiding gun owners I will take 100% of my business elsewhere. 

My wife and I are also range safety officers and firearms safety instructors and we will be sure to remind our friends and students about Sportsman's position.  We currently endorse Sportsman's as a great place to shop, but that can change. 

Thank you for your consideration.  I regret that the current debate takes you away from your core corporate mission -- providing high quality gear at reasonable prices -- but this is an important issue to many Americans. 

Very Respectfully,
Chris

Letter to Duck's Unlimited

They just met with the gun control panel.

Contact them here, and if you're a member of any of the other groups, ping them.  Make it clear that it is unacceptable for them to give political cover to the administration's efforts and that this detracts from their core mission.

Hello, 

I saw that DU recently met with VP Biden's gun control commission.  I am writing to request that DU oppose gun control efforts.  My wife and I are hunters but we understand that the core of the second amendment is not about duck hunting.  The current gun control debate distracts Ducks Unlimited from its core mission.

We are members of DU and were thinking about renewing.  We proudly display a DU logo decal on our cars, speak well of the organization, and wear DU branded clothing. 

If Ducks Unlimited supports any gun control efforts that restrict the rights of law abiding Americans, we will not reup our membership, we will remove all of our DU logos, and we will discuss DU's actions with all of our friends at the skeet and rifle range.  My wife is an NRA certified instructor and we are both range safety officers so we routinely meet with and influence many shooters.  If DU turns its back on the shooting sports then we will be happy to let new shooters know that there are many other organizations they should devote their time and money to which do respect their rights.

Thank you for your consideration.  We will be waiting to make a decision on whether our membership should be renewed until we see how DU decides to handle the current attack on our Second Amendment rights. 

Very Respectfully,
Chris [Name]

Also attending:

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

BlueWater Strategies

Bull Moose Sportsmen's Alliance Action Fund

Ducks Unlimited

Outdoor Industry Association

Pheasants Forever

Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Wildlife Management Institute

Meanwhile, in the Constitution State

Connecticut considers legislation to ban any firearm that isn't a single-shot, with no grandfathering.

Quote of the Day

"Almost any idea that anybody in this country has, as to further regulate and limit access to weapons or ammunition, is probably going to get passed in California," said Democratic strategist and USC law professor Susan Estrich. 


But remember, you're a paranoid bitter clinger if you think they're going to try to ban all guns.

Panic Buy: AR Lower

I was planning on surprising Heather with a lightweight AR-15 carbine.  I was going to order one of the GWACS Armory lower receivers to pair with a pencil profile Palmetto State Armory upper.   GWACS bought out the old CavArms design, and one of the cool things about the product is that it comes in neat colors like purple.  I'd contacted GWACS and they were planning a run in purple in the spring.

Well, the panic is upon us and while Heather's birthday is a ways out, I contacted GWACS again to see what the status was.  They were pretty cleaned out and were pushing back the odd color runs to focus on the staples of the tacticool rainbow (black, OD, FDE, etc).  They did have an OD green lower in stock though squirreled away in the store room, which was an acceptable alternate color.

GWACS held the lower for me and then enabled a one time sale on their website so I could check out.  They didn't change their price despite the panic, and even offered a small discount that basically equated to free shipping.

Amazing customer service, assuming that everything shows up on time.

Sen Murkowski Waffling on RKBA

This is the canned response from Sen Murkowski (R-AK):

Thank you for contacting me regarding the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. I appreciate hearing from you and having the opportunity to respond.

I cannot express how deeply saddened I am by the events of that day, and I join all Alaskans as we continue to pray and mourn for the victims, families, and all those who have lost their loved ones to this tragedy.  Alaskans and Americans remainunited in thought, prayer and support for the entire Sandy Hook community.

This tragedy has prompted many Alaskans to contact me about gun control measures. Americans must remain vigilant in the protection of our constitutional rights, as I have done and will continue to do.  As we continue to struggle to grasp the needless deaths of 20 young children, all viewpoints must be included when considering how to appropriately respond to this tragedy. Some would argue that there is an urgency in having Congress act unilaterally to restrict the possession of firearms and ammunition, but that argument is all too frequently made by people unsympathetic or unfamiliar with the recreational shooter or hunter's lifestyle – and creates division between urban and rural America when we need to come together most.

Now is not the time to demonize those who possess and use firearms lawfully. It is time to build a national consensus, with firearms owners, about how to prevent incidents like those we have recently seen. And we must look at the issue from all perspectives – our broken mental health system; violence on television, in video games, and in movies; the safety of public places; and the safe storage of firearms in the home. Demanding the vast majority of us who responsibly use firearms to give up our individual freedoms in the interest of community safety simply may not make our communities safer. But as part of a national consensus, firearms owners may well be willing to live with greater regulation if they play an active role in the formulation of that regulation.

If Congress considers issues related to the Newtown shootings, I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind. Again, thank you for contacting me. 

Emphasis added is mine.

If you can't get a GOP Senator from a pretty red state which has some of the highest per capita numbers of gun owners in the country to commit then there is big trouble in River City.  Remember, our other Senator is Sen Mark Begich, who used to be a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.  Keep writing.

Executive Order Fun Times

VP Biden announced that the White House is prepared to use Executive Orders to achieve a gun control agenda.  I've seen a lot of speculation about what that means so I decided to look into what is possible.

EASILY ACCOMPLISHED

The first step is to look at Mayor Bloomberg's blueprint.  There is all sorts of goodness here from a gun control point of view, little of which requires congressional action.  A lot of these items involve relatively obscure things which would hose over gun owners without raising as many hackles.  For example, how many folks would be up in arms over maintaining a registry of default proceed sales?  How many people even know what that means?

This blueprint includes other obvious low hanging fruit, banning the importation of foreign "non-sporting firearms."  MAIG specifically highlights the AK-47, which is a no brainer, but I'd imagine that just about ANY foreign gun which is not a high priced shotgun (more on that later) is at risk.

Foreign ammo also looks like it could be at risk.  THis is a big deal.  Obviously the Russian and foreign calibers like 7.62x54R, Mauser 7mm, etc are at risk.  Large amount of western calibers are now imported, too.  PMC Bronze?  That's made in Korea.  Prvi Partizan?  Eastern Europe.  I've been shooting Prvi 40 SW for awhile because it functions fine and is cheaper.  Cutting off this supply of foreign ammo is going to raise prices across the market, significantly.  I could see ammo doubling or trebling.

This is ironic as Britain tried to do exactly the same thing, banning imports of arms, ammunition, and powder.

Finally, every 12 and 20 gauge shotgun is by default a destructive device because the bore is over 50 caliber unless it is suited for sporting purposes.  Guess who defines "sporting purposes?"  Hint:  His organization gave thousands of firearms to Mexican Drug Cartels.  Obviously Saiga-12s are gone, especially as the CT shooer may have had one in the trunk.  However, who is willing to bet that an "AWB Lite" on shotguns is under consideration?  Any shotgun with an evil feature like an adjustable stock, pistol grip, etc could be declared a DD tomorrow as it is unsuitable for sporting purposes.  Likewise any semiauto shotgun could be declared a DD -- who needs semiauto for skeet or duck hunting?

A LITTLE BIT HARDER:  GUN CONTROL BY BUREAUCRACY

Crony capitalism and restrictive contracts could be used very effectively.  For example, look at tear gas grenades.  They are legal to possess for civilian use in most states.  Most companies will not sell them to civilians, though, because of restrictive DoD contracts.  There are only a handful of companies making things like "Lake City Brass" and "AR-15 lower receivers."  They could be pressured to restrict sales to non .mil/.leo at risk of losing their lucrative government contracts.

Likewise, UPS and FEDEX are currently the only easy to use options to mail handguns.  They could be pressured to stop accepting them for shipment.  Sure, its legal -- but nothing says that they have to accommodate you.

All sorts of other agencies could screw over gun owners too.  For example, rumor on the interwebs is that Dep't of Transportation has already made it a big pain in the neck to ship ammo or loading components to Alaska.  Imagine every regulatory screw in every agency being twisted against the firearms industry.  DoT nitpicking on every shipment, OSHA inspections in every factory, EPA regulations for every manufacturing process.  Regulate the industry into death or compliance.  At a minimum, prices will be increased substantially through such meddling.

REACHING FOR THE STARS

The administration could step things up with vindictive and aggressive law enforcement tactics.  Google "Richmond Tactics ATF" for an idea of some of the options here.  ATF agents stalked gun show attendees, went to their homes, and talked to their families and neighbors about their guns.  Intimidating much?

Holders of Curios and Relics licenses can be harassed too.  The C&R allows ATF to conduct one check each year in your home or in their office (your choice).  Many fools will actually allow ATF agents into their homes.  Good luck surviving the inspection.  Something can always be found out of order.  I am letting my C&R lapse when it expires in the near future to avoid such harassment.

There are many federal firearms laws on the books where enforcement can be stepped up.  For example, the Gun Free School Zones Act makes it impossible to navigate any town or city without violating the school zone.  You can't drive on the main highway out of Anchorage to the Birchwood range without going by Chugiak High School, for example, and there's no exemption for being on a major road with no intent to step onto school property.  You're in the school zone; its a felony unless your firearm is in a locked case or you have a CWP (not required in Alaska, by the way).  Imagine a VIPR team with BATFE tag-along setting up checkpoints inside school zones.

And that's just one example!  Remember, many of the "little fish" who get nailed for these laws can then be allowed to plead out in exchange for informing on their "co conspirators."  For example, nail someone for a school zone violation, then offer them a deal if they can convince their shooting buddy to, say, mess around with a short barreled shotgun or a malfunctioning AR-15.

Getting into tin foil hat territory, I see no reason why the apparatus of the war on terror cannot be unleashed on gun owning "domestic terrorists."  There are MANY tools available to law enforcement.  Authorizing the president to detain people "that are engaged in hostilities against the United States" indefinitely without due process could bite us in the ass.

Finally, there is nothing to stop the president from issuing orders which are simply not legal.  The ATF has been requiring gun registration in several states since the summer of 2011.  Their demand letter is not authorized by the Gun Control of 1968.  No court has intervened to suspend the ATF demands, however, and in fact, a court just dismissed the NRA's suit.  We may eventually win but the demand letter will have been in place for over two years by the time we do.  How much damage could be done to the shooting industry and shooters with an illegal EO in place for even a few months?

So really, there are a huge number of ways that the President could choose to harass, incarcerate, and destroy law abiding gun owners via executive orders or executive actions.  Elections have consequences, indeed.

Letter to Rep Young

Now that specific bills have been introduced in the house, I figured it was time to write again.  Feel free to steal:

Rep Young,

I recently wrote immediately following the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook asking you to oppose gun control efforts.  I am heartened by your consistent and strong response.
Now that specific bills have been introduced I urge you to please oppose the following:

HR 138 (bans standard capacity magazines)
HR 141 (bans private sales)
HR 137 (bans private sales)
HR 142 (unduly burdens ammunition purchasers, especially in remote places like Alaska)
HR 117 (firearms registration)
HR 34 (licenses gun owners)
HR 65 (removes rights from adults who are old enough to volunteer for the military)
HR 21 (step towards firearms registration)

Thank you for your consistent position on this important issue.  I also hope that you can take a leadership role in this issue within your party and help ensure that these bills do not even make it out of committee in the House.  Finally, I hope you can take a leadership role among the Alaska congressional delegation and help educate/persuade Sen Begich and Sen Murkowski of the need to oppose these and similar measures which burden law abiding gun owners while doing nothing to stop crime.

Thank you for your consideration.

I am a registered voter and vote in every primary and general election.
VR,
[Chris from Alaska]

Honestly I am not too concerned about Rep Young.  As a GOP house member with a lot of seniority I am hoping for him to influence Speaker Boehner.  As the senior member of Alaka's delegation I am hoping for him to sit down with Sen Begich and Sen Murkowski and help them make wise choices. I am not too worried about how he will vote, though with his A+ NRA rating and consistent messaging in recent days.

Still, it does not hurt to write.  It gives Rep Young leverage to approach GOP leadership and Alaska's senators and say, "look, my constituents are off the hook on this one, this issue is a big deal for Alaskans.  We can't cut a deal with Carolyn McCarthy or Dianne Feinstein."

Panic Buy and Executive Orders

Looks like VP Biden dropped the "EO" bomb.  The most likely thing to be affected by executive order is ammo.

The ship has sailed on 7.62x39 and 5.56 so I'll have to make due with what I have there.

However, AIM Surplus does have a ton of .40 SW Prvi Partizan (Eastern Europe), .38 special PMC (Korea), and tins of 7.62x54R including match-grade and non-corrosive (Mother Russia) for reasonable prices.  All of that ammo would be vulnerable to an EO cutting off imports.

I just stocked up with at least a year's supply.  That way we can take a class, keep shooting our normal routine, etc without dipping into the reserve stashes.  We're comfortable right now but the idea of 2-3 years or more until resupply is available at reasonable prices is sobering.  Ammo doesn't go bad and it is easily resold so why not stock up at a fair price?

I really would have preferred to get 308 or 30-06 instead of 7.62x54R but I think that ship has sailed too.

I also threw a few bucks at NRA-ILA.  If I can afford to buy a few cases of ammo I can afford to give some money to NRA-ILA.

Generals and Gun Control

A military leader stated that civilians shouldn't own military-style weapons.

Sounds familiar.

I have no idea why people think the military is pro-RKBA.  Certain subsets of the military tend to be, but servicemembers who are REMFs and/or above the grade of O-3 are often pretty anti-gun, especially when it comes to non-Only Ones.

Keep Up the Good Work

I got the email today: A local CWP trainer is offering discounted classes for educators.

Good for them.  If I were certified to teach CWP classes (technical details are pending there), I'd be offering it for free. 

Guess who is lecturing me about my gun rights?

In 2008 Joseph Nee was convicted of plotting to attack his old high school with some friends.  He was going to use a bomb and his dad's gun.  He was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.  He was 21 years old and got a lighter sentence because he ratted his co-conspirator out, although it appears to have later emerged that Nee might have been the mastermind after all.  His conviction was upheld in 2010 by the MA State Supreme Court.

He served nine months of a 21.5 year sentence, and is now back out on the streets.

Guess who's on Joe Biden's blue ribbon gun confiscation task force?

Dear old dad, Thomas Nee, president of the Boston Police Patrolman's Union.

Maybe Officer Nee can contribute something to the discussion about securing your duty sidearm in a state that has some of the most severe firearms laws in the country for its subjects, or about parenting techniques for raising a violent felon.

I can't make this shit up.  If Joseph Nee had been anyone else, he would be in jail for longer than 1/25th of his sentence, and his dad would have been facing firearms violations in Massachusetts.  But he's the child of a wealthy well connected law enforcement officer so he's out on the streets and his dad is advising Joe Biden on how to infringe on the rights of people who are not homicidal lunatics.

Astounding.

Seatbelts Save Lives

Just got the sad word that John Noveske, founder of one of the finest AR-15 manufacturers in the country, died in a car wreck in Oregon after he was ejected from his vehicle.  I have a Noveske QD endplate on my carbine.  He is survived by his wife and young children.

A terrible tragedy.

Doubling Down on the Stupid

Donald Kaul wrote a column advocating violence against citizens exercising their first amendment rights recently.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a thoughtful, well-reasoned column suggesting ways to cut down on gun violence in our ever more violent society. It proposed, among other things:

• Repealing the Second Amendment and with it the right to buy assault weapons at will.

• Declaring the National Rifle Association a terrorist organization and making membership illegal.

• Confiscating all assault, semi-automatic, and other military-style weapons designed to kill large numbers of people very quickly.

As I said, thoughtful, well reasoned.
I also proposed, satirically and more in sorrow than in anger, tying House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to the back of a pickup truck and dragging them around until they agreed to exert some control over guns.

Now he's all butthurt that people are calling and emailing him to say that they're offended.

Guess what, let's play the word replacement game and see how these common sense proposals look in another light.

What would you say to a proposal to:  "Repeal the thirteenth amendment and with it the right to be a free man or woman.  Declare the NCAAP to be a terrorist organization and make membership illegal.  Confiscate all free minorities and return them to their owners.  Drag [insert name of prominent minority leader here] behind a pickup truck until they agree to exert some control over their people."

Holy cow would that be offensive!  I, and almost every other American, would be rightfully outraged. Someone making such a proposal should be a subject of ridicule and public shaming.

Let's try again, shall we?

What would you say to a proposal to:  "Repeal the first amendment and with it the right to be a Jew.  Declare evil Zionist synagogues to be terrorist organizations and make membership illegal.  Confiscate all Jewish-owned businesses and properties.  Drag [insert name of prominent Jews here] behind a pickup truck until they agree to exert some control over greedy bankers and Zionist fascists."

Again, holy cow, that would be offensive and unacceptable to the vast majority of Americans.

But for some reason, Donald Kaul feels it is appropriate to single out law abiding citizens who exercise their first and second amendment rights and then claims to be upset when called on it.

I can't believe that an actual "journalist" would be willing to damn the First Amendment in order to shred the Second.  Does he not realize that the ACLU defended the right of the Nazis to march in Skogie because the first amendment is important?  Does he not realize that the police haven't rounded up Westboro Baptist Church because freedom of religion and association is an important principle in our society?

I get satire.  Kaul tried to pass off his pickup truck line as a joke but he doubled down on "reasonable" measures like branding his political opponents terrorists.  For someone whose life work has been dependent on the freedom recognized by our first amendment he's awful quick to use it for toilet paper.

On the plus side, at least he realizes that the 2A must be repealed to contemplate the types of infringements he's planning.

Range Report

Got a chance to take Baby (my 10/22) out to the range today.  I spent about a hundred and fifty rounds breaking in the barrel, cleaning it out after every twenty five as instructed by the manufacturer, and re-zeroing it.  After that, I didn't have much time left to play, but I cleared a red coat target and shot this group of five as  photo evidence.  One flier, and it maybe could use a click or so adjustment upwards.  All shooting was from the bench today, since I have not yet installed sling swivels and was too tired to pull a bench back to do position shooting.  Pretty sweet overall, and it makes me want to do some more dry fire (I've really been slacking then).  Honestly, I wished I could have stayed longer at the range, and it's been a long time since I've felt that way.  Usually I am very businesslike at the range - I come to do something, do it, and then leave.  The stock just feels so good in my hands!  If this inspiration keeps up I might yet find the energy to clean up the gun room today.

Also chatted with a bunch of folks, all of whom knew who I was, while I knew no names.  Ooops.  Anyway, I was mentioning how we were pretty good on ammo, except for .308, and someone offered to load me some .308 in exchange for baked goods.  I may take him up on it, since I love to bake and love it even more when other people eat what I bake!  If these ammo prices keep up, we may have to get into reloading.

Triple Threat: Common Sense measures

Obviously everyone is all worked up about Dianne Feinstein's modern weapons ban, and about impending magazine capacity bans.

There's another threat out there too:  "reasonable, common sense gun control."  Rep Jim Moran (D-VA) is putting forward legislation to attack many issues.  From The Hill:

• 74 percent of NRA members support criminal background checks on all potential gun buyers — as opposed to current law, which requires background checks only on those who buy from licensed gun dealers;

So this closes the "private sale loophole."  There are many issues here.  First is the inconvenience:  why should I have to go to an FFL and pay money to transfer a firearm to a family member or friend?  The other issue is generating a 4473 for every transaction.  This could be used as a back door registry in the future.  I would be ok with something that let me do a more robust background check in a private sale, like hitting NICS, but the paper trail is unacceptable.

• 79 percent of NRA members back requiring gun retailers to perform background checks on all employees;

Basically a way to make life yet more difficult for FFLs.  It is already a felony for a prohibited person to touch guns or ammo, even if its their job.  Why do we need to make it triple plus illegal?  The devil is in the details, and what do you think the odds of the new "background check" involving a time consuming, expensive, invasive process are going to be?  What happens when ATF takes six month to process the "annual employee check" paperwork and a store lacks staff to keep the store open?

• 71 percent of NRA members would bar those on the FBI's terrorist watch-list from buying and owning guns;

I bet if you asked NRA members the question differently they'd respond differently.  Let's poll this:  "Do you support allowing attorney general Eric Holder, who oversaw a program arming the Mexican Drug Cartels with thousands of weapons and strongly opposes private firearms ownership, to place any American citizen on a secret list with no due process or appeals options that would make them a prohibited person?"

The ban on possession with no due process is VERY troubling.  What happens if the government puts you on the secret terrorist watchlist accidentally -- as has happened to numerous people, including the late Sens Ted Stevens & Ted Kennedy -- and you already own guns.  How do you find out that you are now a prohibited person in possession?  Will your first warning be when a SWAT team shoots your dog and crashes through your door to execute a no-knock warrant?  I don't know how they could notify you that you're now on a secret watchlist any other way (are we going to mail postcards to terrorists letting them know to start running?).

• 64 percent of NRA members support requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms.

Again, links to closing the private sales loophole.  They can't have future registration and confiscation if people can claim to have sold or lost their firearms without a paper trail.  The fact that this could well criminalize conduct of actual victims who have their property stolen is just a bonus feature.

Moran's package would institute all those changes, while also establishing tougher standards for gun owners wishing to get concealed carry permits, including new age and safety-training mandates.

National CWP standards?  Really?  That's a shitty idea.  What about the almost 10% of states that have Constitutional Carry?

Unless this idea is in the context of disciplining the militia with broad training standards that apply to all military aged males (and maybe women too, it is the 21st century and all) this idea is intended to create barriers to entry before exercising a specifically enumerated Constitutional right.  Does Rep Moran intend to require me to get mandatory training before I can blog or pray as well?

It is necessary to educate even folks on our side of the issue why it is a bad idea to allow Eric Holder to declare you a felon overnight or why it is a bad idea to force everyone to record every firearms transaction on a 4473 (*cough* Red Dawn-style backdoor registry).

Sadly these sorts of things are pretty likely to pass, much more so than the outright bans.  They are esoteric, technical, and sound eminently reasonable.