If you are anti-guns, or afraid of guns, or just don't like them and don't want them in your house, then this blog is for you.
(It might just change your mind)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Bill Allows IRS To Revoke Second Amendment Rights By Stealth


By Daisy Luther

It looks like the power of the IRS to revoke passports is merely a drop in the tyrannical bucket.
The Senate has voted to approve Bill 1813, which is now on its way to the House.  The insidious bill has so many attacks on freedom that the most serious one has been largely overlooked.

There are two attacks on gun ownership in this bill.  The text of the bill, all 1676 pages of it, can be found HERE.

The first attack on the right to bear arms is found on page 1323.
The Secretary may modify, suspend, or terminate a special permit or approval if the Secretary determines that—(1) the person who was granted the special permit or approval has violated the special permit or approval or the regulations issued under this chapter in a manner that demonstrates that the person is not fit to conduct the activity authorized by the special permit or approval; or (2) the special permit or approval is unsafe.
In the ambiguous language that the Congress so loves to employ in all things unconstitutional, we can translate that to the parental favorite, “Because I said so.”

The second attack on gun ownership is more subtle.

There is a stream of logic that you have to follow.

First, if this bill passes, the IRS will have the authority to take away the passports of those whom they say owe more than $50,000 in taxes.  (The tax debt doesn’t have to be proven, mind you, the IRS simply has to accuse you of owing the money.)  You can find this section on page 1447 of the Bill.

When your passport is revoked by the government, you are suddenly on the “no-fly list”.

Membership in the no-fly club puts you on yet another list, as a potential domestic terrorist.

"Domestic terrorists" are not allowed to have guns.


http://www.infowars.com/2nd-amendment-sneak-attack/

I’m just a girl with a gun.

Dear Ms. Cynthia Kounaris, Executive Director, Women Ecommerce Execs:

I’m Sarah Connor, Director of Nothing, with no favoritism towards either sex.

Today I read your anti-gun piece: Guns Help People Kill People. I disagree. Guns help people keep the peace.

I’ve carried my piece countless times, and have used it to prevent things from going bad to worse. I’ve never shot my pistol at a perpetrator. I only used a gun to reinforce my words.

“Leave. Her. Alone.”

Words I said to a male stranger, who kept touching a woman at the laundry mat, against her will. She was visibly nervous, shaking, terrified.

Other customers in the laundry mat didn’t know what to do. All I had to do was give the verbal command for him to leave her alone. Most folks won’t intervene in a situation like that, even if it’s the simple act of saying, “Stop.” Too risky. Too unsafe. I wouldn’t have ordered the man to leave, unless I had the backup of a gun in my pocket.

See? Crime prevented. No gun violence. Just peace. And I didn’t even show my piece.

Conceal-carrying is an excellent safety device. Pack heat, and you’re part of the insta-police. You call 911 because the cop has a gun. Taking matters into your own hands is so much swifter and easier than calling the police. You can be right there, and the right time, to stop crime.

“Leave. Her. Alone.”

I only had to say it once. The crook backed away, leaving the laundry mat. Afraid the dirtbag might be waiting outside, the woman asked if I could help her get home safely. I did.

The incident happened 10+ years ago in Chicago. Since then, I’ve challenged perpetrators on other occasions, thanks to my gun.

I don’t know what happened in the Trayvon Martin shooting. I wasn’t there.

I do know, Ms. Kounaris, if your safety or life were endangered, I would help you. So would any of my friends who pack heat. And there are many. Thousands. Millions.

I’m not a member of the NRA. I’m just a girl with a gun.

Sincerely,
Sarah Connor
BraingBang.info
April 18, 2012

Little Noticed Provision Kills ATF Shotgun Ban


By Evan F. Nappen, Attorney at Law

Saiga 12’s, Benelli M4’s and virtually any other tactical/military shotgun can no longer be banned from import by the ATF.

A little noticed provision tucked into a large appropriations bill obviously flew under the radar of the “Brady Bunch” and the “Illegal Mayors.”

The new law effectively kills ATF’s plan to stop tactical/military shotgun imports by way of abusing the “sporting purpose” requirement and their agency rulemaking powers.

The “Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/Science (CJS) and Transportation/Housing/Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bills”, also known as the “Mini-Bus”, was passed by Congress, and signed into law by President Obama on November 18, 2011.

The new law reads as follows:
SEC. 541. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to pay the salaries or expenses of personnel to deny, or fail to act on, an application for the importation of any model of shotgun if–
(1) all other requirements of law with respect to the proposed importation are met; and
(2) no application for the importation of such model of shotgun, in the same configuration, had been denied by the Attorney General prior to January 1, 2011, on the basis that the shotgun was not particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.
This new law became necessary due to the ATF releasing on January 27, 2011, a “Study on the Importability of Certain Shotguns.” The “Study” argued “military shotguns, or shotguns with common military features that are unsuitable for traditional shotgun sports” should be banned from import into the U.S.

The ban would have applied to all shotguns including semi-autos, pump-actions, double barrels, etc.



http://www.ammoland.com/2011/11/19/little-noticed-provision-kills-atf-shotgun-ban-plans/#ixzz1stNWI8Bb

Mass. court grants new trial in antique gun case

by MyFox Boston

On Wednesday the Supreme Judicial Court reversed the 2009 convictions of Liquarry Jefferson and another man and sent the case back to Boston Municipal Court for a new trial. The court found that the judge should have allowed the men to use a defense that the gun was made before 1900 and therefore could be lawfully possessed without a license to carry.

Read more:

Boycot Bank of America!

Every red blooded second amendment believer should be boycotting Bank of America after this:



 The "Giant Bank of the Northern Hemisphere" has stuck again.  This time they have shown their true colors.
By DailyCaller:
McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, McMillan Firearms Manufacturing and McMillan Group International have been collectively banking with Bank of America for 12 years. But no more: In a recent meeting, the mega-bank told the firearms company that its business is no longer welcome.

McMillan described a meeting at his office with Ray Fox, a business banking Senior Vice President with Bank of America.

The Bank of America emissary, he said, “spent 5 minutes talking about how McMillan has changed in the last 5 years and have become more of a firearms manufacturer than a supplier of accessories.”

“At this point I interrupted him,” McMillan said, and asked, ‘Can I possibly save you some time so that you don’t waste your breath? What you are going to tell me is that because we are in the firearms manufacturing business you no longer what my business.’”

Fox’s reply, according to McMillan? “That is correct.”

He recalls telling the bank executive that he planned to tell the National Rifle Association, Safari Club International, and his other gun-loving friends “that Bank of America is not firearms-industry-friendly.”

“You have to do what you must” was Fox’s reply.


http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/20/anti-gun-bank-of-america-tells-gun-company-to-find-another-bank/

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano perjured herself to Congress on Fast & Furious

by Neil W. McCabe

In her explosive new book Fast and Furious, Katie Pavlich makes the case that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano not only failed to stop an operation that led to the death of one of her own, Border Agent Brian A. Terry, but she also lied to Congress in sworn testimony at a hearing held to find out what really happened.

Most of the focus in the Fast and Furious scandal has been on attorney Gen. Eric Holder, because his Department of Justice ran the program through its Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, still referenced to as ATF, its old initials from before it was tasked with explosives.

But while Holder's people waved the questionable gun purchasers through the checkout line, Napolitano was in charge of the Mexican border those guns crossed.

Pavlich's book is particularly revealing, especially considering the lengths the Obama administration has gone to keep anyone from knowing anything about Fast & Furious and other gun-running operations.

“Let me tell you something about Janet,” another source said to the author. “Janet will be lucky not to go to prison.”

READ MORE
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=50807

Colleges should permit concealed carry

Gun-free campuses are safety-free zones: Colleges should permit concealed carry

By THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Five years ago Monday, 32 students and teachers lost their lives in a shooting at Virginia Tech. Earlier this month, seven students were killed and three wounded at a small California Christian university. These tragedies exemplify the failure of “gun-free” school zones and are evidence for the need to overturn concealed carry bans on campuses so law-abiding citizens can defend themselves against maniacs.

In the April 4 incident, One Goh allegedly lined up nursing students against a classroom wall at Oakland’s Oikos University, from which he had been expelled, and opened fire. It would be difficult to imagine the fear those students must have felt as the gunman aimed his pistol at them and pulled the trigger. The shooter had no reason to fear for his own safety because firearms are banned at most postsecondary schools across the nation. While some attackers abandon the instinct for self-preservation and shoot themselves, police report Mr. Goh fled the scene and was arrested nearby. Had a responsibly armed person been present to threaten him, lives likely would have been spared.

READ MORE:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/12/gun-free-campuses-are-safety-free-zones/

Ariz. Senate OKs bill on guns in public buildings


 Arizona gun owners will legally be able to carry their firearms in public buildings under a bill headed to Gov. Jan Brewer for signature.

The state Senate gave final approval on Thursday to legislation allowing guns in government buildings unless security measures — including armed guards, metal detectors and gun lockers — are in place.
Supporters say the measure is necessary for public safety.

"Either we protect ourselves or the government disarms everyone at the doors," said Charles Heller, a lobbying force behind the legislation.

"Those are the two choices. A stupid sign will not protect us — either the right to carry or a metal detector will."

"We specifically fixed in this bill the things that the governor didn't like," said Heller, a spokesman for the Arizona Citizens Defense League. "There is no reason if it gets to her desk — if she keeps to her word from last year — there's no reason she shouldn't sign it."


http://www.thenorthwestern.com/usatoday/article/39024489

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Handguns & High Heels



http://lipstickandlead.com/handguns-and-high-heels-video/

Lipstick and Lead - Best Handgun For Women

Best Handgun For Women

In the past, a small caliber handgun like a .22 revolver or a .25  or .32 caliber automatic has generally been recommended as a choice of handgun for women.  However,  in the real world a small caliber handgun isn’t guaranteed to stop a large attacker who may also be high on amphetamines or some other drugs. This could result in angering the attacker more which could put the woman in greater danger.  That said, a larger caliber of handgun for women is recommended.

One of the problems with larger caliber handguns for women is that they are generally larger and not convenient to carry around. The larger caliber handgun for women can be heavy or bulky and then discourages keeping it on you.
Another  question that comes up; Is revolver or automatic a better choice for a handgun for women? From a woman’s perspective, automatics can jam and they have complicated safety catches, more technical to shoot, more difficult to load, and basically more difficult to operate. 

This is why the best handgun for women is a small revolver with a larger caliber that has some power behind it.

READ MORE:
http://lipstickandlead.com/best-handgun-for-women/


Ladies, Mama Jeanie has 35 years of experience, runs a top notch program at a top notch facility.  Please check out her website at lipstickandlead.com


MAMA JEANIE:  LIPSTICK AND LEAD



Dont buy a Remmington

By: Scott Cohn

Millions of Americans hunt, but it is fair to say none of them expect what happened to Justen Yerger of Monroe, Louisiana. 

“My life changed forever that day,” he recalls in an interview broadcast on April 11 on Rock Center with Brian Williams.

Yerger was 19 years old, fresh out of high school; the star kicker on his football team, with dreams of playing in college. But all that was about to change. 

Yerger had returned to his truck after dove hunting alone near his home. He says he leaned his shotgun — a Remington Sportsman 12 — against the wheel well, with the safety on. As he tossed his gear into the back, the gun fell over and went off. 

He insists his hands were “nowhere near the trigger,” yet the gun fired anyway. His understanding had always been that a gun is not supposed to fire without the trigger being pulled. 

“That’s what I’ve always known,” he says. “Especially when the safety is on.” 

The next thing Yerger remembers was lying flat on his back on the ground. He'd been hit in his left leg and was bleeding badly.

“Seemed like every time my heart would beat, it looked like a water sprinkler.” 

A couple driving by saw Yerger and stopped to help. They rushed him to the emergency room at a nearby hospital. 

“I was hit in my left leg - probably about three inches above my knee.” Yerger’s ordeal was just beginning. 


He spent three months in the hospital. Ultimately, it would take 13 surgeries, 128 units of blood and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills for him to walk again.

He does not believe anything he did that day was wrong. 

“I leaned my gun up. Gun's on safety,” he recalls. “There's not a doubt in my mind that I did not do anything wrong that day.” 

Yerger sued Remington and the case eventually settled out of court. The terms of the agreement are confidential. 

Now 34 years old with a family of his own and still suffering the effects of his injury, Yerger says his story is a cautionary tale for other gun users. 

“They need to know that it can happen to anybody, anywhere, any time. I'm proof of it.” 

No government agency can order a manufacturer to recall a defective gun. In fact, Congress specifically barred the Consumer Product Safety Commission from regulating firearms and ammunition, in keeping with the Second Amendment guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms. That means gun manufacturers police themselves. 

But critics say Remington is shirking its responsibility when it comes to the firing mechanism used in some of the most popular long guns in America, including the shotgun owned by Justen Yerger. 

Tom Butters, an engineer, marksman and a trained authority on firearms, has been paid as an expert in more than 100 claims involving reported malfunctions of Remington guns. He alleges Remington has been hiding a dangerous secret about the firing mechanism, which is known as the Common Fire Control or CFC. He says guns equipped with the CFC can go off without pulling the trigger, even with the safety on. And he claims the company has known about it for years. 

“I would say it's been known to Remington ever since that first batch of guns went onto the market,” he told Rock Center. 

That was in 1948, and since then, Remington has installed the CFC in some 20 million of its guns, and at least 20 different models. They include the 870 shotgun, which is widely used by law enforcement, the 742 semi-automatic rifle, and the Sportsman 12 that Justen Yerger owned. 


http://www.cnbc.com/id/47027695

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Support H.R. 4269 - Legal Transportation of Firearms

By NRA-ILA

When Congress passed the Firearms Owners' Protection Act (FOPA) in 1986, one of the key provisions of the bill was intended to protect the rights of gun owners to legally transport their firearms between locations where they are legally allowed to possess them.

Unfortunately, some local jurisdictions have chosen to ignore federal law and the courts have upheld these infringements on Second Amendment rights.

H.R. 4269, introduced by U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Bill Owens (D-N.Y.) would amend this provision to ensure it has the effect Congress intended.

Most states have never had a problem with this law.  However, both before and after enactment of FOPA, gun owners have had serious problems lawfully travelling with their firearms in two states in particular: New York (especially New York City) and New Jersey.  Rather than recognize the intention of Congress to protect the rights of Americans travelling with legally owned firearms, these jurisdictions have used overly restrictive state licensing laws to harass and prosecute travelers.

Many gun owners, for example, have been arrested when trying to check in with firearms for flights out of New York and New Jersey airports. But in NRA-supported civil rights lawsuits contesting those arrests, federal courts have interpreted the law in a way that allows local law enforcement officials to detain or arrest travelers who make every effort to comply with federal law, and that deprive the travelers of any effective remedy after the fact. Many other cases have resulted in guilty pleas to reduced charges, civil penalties, and delayed travel. Due to these improper actions, NRA has been forced to repeatedly warn gun owners that they should avoid using New York or New Jersey airports when traveling.

The refusal of the authorities in some jurisdictions to recognize federal law and the failure of the courts to enforce the provisions of FOPA, makes this legislation necessary.

H.R. 4269 would:
  • Expand the protections afforded travelers to include "staying in temporary lodging overnight, stopping for food, fuel, vehicle maintenance, an emergency, medical treatment, and any other activity incidental" to the trip.
  • Put the burden of proof clearly on the state to show that a traveler did not meet the requirements of the law, rather than allow travelers to be arrested and forced to raise the law as an affirmative defense.
     
  • Make clear that transportation of both firearms and ammunition is federally protected.
  • Make clear that the right to transport firearms is judicially enforceable as a federal civil right, with attorney's fees available to victorious plaintiffs in civil suits, as well as to defendants who prevail in criminal cases.
Finally, it's important to note that while the NRA is working to enact a national Right-to-Carry Reciprocity bill this bill does not achieve that.  This legislation is intended only to provide real legal protection for people transporting cased and unloaded guns while travelling.

Please be sure to contact your U.S. Representative and urge him or her to cosponsor and support H.R. 4269.


READ MORE:

DHS buys 405 million rounds of .40 JHP - Domestic prices of .40 JHP increase

By Tiffany Gabbay

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has awarded defense contractor ATK with an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement for .40 caliber hollow point ammunition. According to an official ATK press release, U.S. agents will receive a maximum of 450 million rounds over a five-year period.

The order may seem unusually high, but gun experts I talked to said it is not necessarily unusual and simply reflects a long-running practice by DHS and law enforcement agencies to use any remaining budget surplus on items routinely used and that would not be called into question. The idea being that if an agency does not use its entire budget in expenditures, the government will lower its budget the following year.

On the other hand, the decreased retail availability for hollow points does drive up demand, and hence price for such ammunition. Whether the consequence is an intended one, remains to be seen.


http://www.theblaze.com/stories/why-is-homeland-security-buying-450-million-rounds-of-hollow-point-bullets/

Monday, April 9, 2012

Brazos County Sheriff''s Office Investigating Gun Store Burglary


The Brazos County Sheriff's Office is on alert after 84 guns are stolen from a gun store in Brazos County.
It was an unusual way thieves broke their way in early Saturday morning.

"Just taking the building apart is a little, little different," said Jason Seymour of Kurten, a frequent customer.
Burglars got creative in Brazos County after they made off with 84 weapons including, handguns, rifles, and shotguns from the Great Texas Gun Company on Highway 21 East outside of Bryan.

And it was a very bold theft. Investigators say the burglars came in around 3:30 Saturday morning and peeled the tin back on the side of the building went inside and made off with weapons even after the alarm went off.

READ MORE:
http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Brazos_County_Sheriffs_Office_Investigating_Gun_Store_Burglary_135790498.html

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Country Rises Up in Support for New Hampshire Man and 2nd Ammendment Rights

Dennis Fleming from New Hampshire fired one shot into the ground in the woods from his Smith & Wesson .357 which resulted in the capture of a serial burglar who had been terrorizing neighborhoods in his small New England town to satisfy his drug habit. Over ten crimes were solved due to his capture and the whole town hailed Fleming as a hero. The whole town that is except for the county prosecutor, who had the police arrest Fleming for reckless conduct, a felony, confiscate all his guns and prepared to bring him to trial and lock him up.

Only one thing stood in the prosecutor’s way; the entire country. As Fleming explained it in this interview (16:11), “People were up in arms. I got calls from Utah, many letters from California, New Mexico, Arizona. ‘Hey, if you need help with money for your defense, here’s my phone number, call me.’ It was just unbelievable.”

After listening to the interview, take a look at the article that was written on this topic below.

READ MORE:

 http://www.infowars.com/country-rises-up-in-support-for-new-hampshire/

Brian Aitken NJ gun charges finally overturned by the state Supreme Court

A man who bought guns legally in Colorado - but was arrested and slapped with a seven-year prison sentence for not having a permit to carry them in New Jersey - had two of the three charges filed against him overturned by the state Supreme Court on Friday.

The court overturned Aitken's convictions of illegally carrying a firearm and carrying a large capacity ammunition magazine, and concluded that the search of Aitken's car stemmed from an officer responding to a call concerning his mental well-being - not because of a suspicion of criminal activity.

However, the court upheld Aitken's conviction for illegally carrying hollow-nosed bullets.

State law allows for hollow-nosed bullets to be stored in people's homes, but they can only be transported by someone traveling directly to an authorized location for hunting, target practice or shooting exhibitions, according to the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety.


http://articles.philly.com/2012-03-30/news/31261416_1_large-capacity-hollow-nosed-bullets-capacity-ammunition-magazine

7 killed in CA university shooting

 A 43-year-old former student of a small Christian university in California opened fire at the school Monday, killing at least seven people and setting off an intense, chaotic manhunt that ended with his capture at a nearby shopping center, authorities said.

Police Chief Howard Jordan said One L. Goh surrendered about an hour after the shooting at Oikos University. Jordan initially reported that authorities recovered the weapon used during the rampage, but later clarified that police only recovered enough ballistics evidence to determine that a handgun was used in the rampage.

"It's going to take us a few days to put the pieces together," Jordan said. "We do not have a motive."


READ MORE
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/02/1-reportedly-dead-several-wounded-in-shooting-at-california-medical-school/

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Gun sales explode as election looms


By


Sales of handguns and ammunition are booming across the country, and retailers say it’s all about the November election.

Gun shop owners around the nation told FoxNews.com that sales, brisk ever since President Obama was elected, have spiked upward in recent months. And manufacturers are having so much trouble keeping up with the demand that one, Sturm, Ruger & Co., can’t keep up with demand. The Southport, Conn.-based company has had to suspend new orders after taking orders for more than 1 million guns in the first three months of the year. Smith & Wesson sales are way up, as well.


“Sales usually increase this time of year with tax returns, but this year has been higher than most,” Mike Weeks, owner of Georgia Gun Store in Gainesville told FoxNews.com. “People are scared their gun rights are going to be curtailed after the election."

Weeks said his sales are up around 30 percent, and that he now sells ammo by the case.

“Usually people come in to buy three or four boxes for target practice. Now they are coming in asking what kind of deals they could get on a case,” he said.

Industry experts and gun shop owners alike say the factor driving gun sales is the Nov. 6 election. There was a similar spike before President Obama was elected to his first term, and many gun buyers are saying they fear Obama’s re-election could mean more regulations on firearms.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/22/gun-sales-off-to-bang-for-election-year/

State Rep Garnet F. Coleman calls for repeal of Texas Castle Doctrine.

State Rep Garnet F. Coleman calls for repeal of Texas Castle Doctrine.  Yall remember to happily vote his ass out of office.

http://blog.garnetcoleman.com/

Oklahoma may allow open carry without permit

OK City - A senate panel on Thursday approved a bill that would allow firearms to be carried openly without a concealed-carry permit.

READ MORE:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=336&articleid=20120330_16_A15_CUTLIN447330

Where the Feminine and Firearms meet


I've been directed to this website as a valuable resource. Enjoy.


http://www.thewellarmedwoman.com/


One of their articles:


Only you can answer this question, and it's not an easy one. As women, this is a tough question for us to ask ourselves because it means facing our vulnerabilities. For our own peace of mind we tend to assure ourselves that; "people are good" or "my neighborhood is safe" or "I am always aware, I can prevent something from happening." Of course we know that none of these things are completely true, and if we are single women our risks go up exponentially.

READ MORE AT :  http://www.thewellarmedwoman.com/pages.asp?pageid=109852


District Court Holds Second Amendment Applies Outside the Home, Strikes Down Ban on Gun Transportation During State of Emergency


By Eugene Volokh

Bateman v. Perdue (E.D.N.C. Mar. 29, 2012) involves a North Carolina law that bans “transport[ing] or possess[ing] off [one's] own premises any dangerous weapon” when a state of emergency has been declared. “Due to natural disasters and severe weather, states of emergency are declared with some frequency in North Carolina. In 2010, for example, the Governor … issued four statewide emergency declarations and one declaration covering a fifteen-county area ….” There were also at least six local states of emergency declared. All five of these 2010 states of emergency were in response to weather conditions, and the frequency of such declarations may stem from the fact that “[a] state of emergency must be declared in order to qualify for federal disaster assistance.”
The court concluded that:


1. The right to keep and bear arms extends to carrying outside one’s property, for self-defense and for other reasons. The law interferes with the exercise of this right.

2. The law also interferes with the exercise of people’s right to defend themselves in their homes, because it bars people from buying weapons and them transporting them to their homes.

3. The law must therefore be considered under strict scrutiny, because it isn’t just limited to high-risk gun possessors, to particular kinds of guns, or particular manners or times of carrying guns, and because it interferes with getting guns even for home defense (though, as I noted, the court also concluded that carrying guns for defense outside the home is also generally constitutionally protected).

4. The law fails strict scrutiny, because they “excessively intrude upon plaintiffs’ Second Amendment rights by effectively banning them … from engaging in conduct that is at thev ery core of the Second Amendment at a time when the need for self-defense may be at its very greatest” and therefore aren’t narrowly tailored to serve the government’s compelling interest in public safety.

Note that, as is often the case, the application of “strict scrutiny” can be quite rights-protective or not depending on what one understands “narrow tailoring” to mean. If narrow tailoring requires some plausible reason to believe that the law will on balance help prevent crime and injury, then that requirement will very often be satisfied. If it requires social science proof that the law will on balance help prevent crime and injury, then that requirement will rarely be satisfied, especially in situations such as this: There will rarely be solid studies of the effects of this particular kind of law.

And if, as here, “narrow tailoring” requires that the law not “excessively intrude” on rights, then that might be something like a rule of per se invalidation (at least as to very heavy burdens on the right): The premise of such an approach is that, regardless of whether the restrictions will reduce crime and injury, it is still unconstitutional if it interferes with the core of the right, since the constitutional recognition of the right expresses a judgment that the right must be protected despite the threat it may pose to compelling government interests. For more on all this, check out my Implementing the Right to Keep and Bear Arms for Self-Defense: An Analytical Framework and a Research Agenda, 56 UCLA L. Rev. 1443 (2009).

Congratulations to Alan Gura, the lawyer who won Heller and McDonald, on his victory in this case, and to the Second Amendment Foundation, which helped file the case.


http://volokh.com/2012/03/29/district-holds-second-amendment-applies-outside-the-home-strikes-down-ban-on-gun-transportation-during/

Use of Lawfully-Owned Suppressors While Hunting Legalized in the Lone Star State


FROM NRA-ILA ALERTS  

 
Thank You to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and NRA Members!

Today, after hearing your support for this NRA-backed common sense hunting reform, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to legalize suppressor use while hunting.  The benefits associated with suppressor use include increased accuracy due to reduced recoil and muzzle blast, protection from hearing damage and reduced noise pollution. 

Prior to the adoption of this rule, lawfully-possessed suppressors were permitted for all other shooting activities besides hunting game animals, including the taking of nuisance species.  The adoption of this common sense proposal by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department helps in other states where the NRA is involved with similar pro-hunting measures.  Legislatures in Oklahoma and Georgia are currently considering similar measures and Arizona has recently passed one which would enhance hunting opportunities because of the many benefits that suppressors provide.  

The NRA strongly supported this regulation change to allow for the use of lawfully-owned suppressors for hunting in Texas.  There is an incredible amount of misinformation on what suppressors do and how they may be acquired.  Suppressors are not "silencers," as depicted in typical Hollywood action films.  While suppressors do not eliminate the sound of a firearm, they do reduce the muzzle report in a manner similar to the way that a muffler reduces exhaust noise from a vehicle.  

Noise complaints are being used more frequently as an excuse to close shooting ranges, informal shooting areas, and hunting lands throughout the country.  Increased use of suppressors will help to eliminate many of these complaints and protect hunting and shooting areas well into the future.
For more information on firearm suppressors, please click here.