Gun Truth tries to get a local park to rethink their local gun restrictions in parks. It’s not a bad idea. In a lot of cases, the townships and boroughs are actually unaware that they are violating state law.
Category: Guns
I Know the Feeling
Robb has a concern I have been all too familiar with. One reason I switched from Hoppes No. 9 to using Gunzilla as my gun cleaner of choice, is that I don’t have to worry about some burly gun owner coming up to me, giving a sniff, and saying “My my, is that amazing fragerance Hoppes No. 9? Enchanting!” and giving me a wink. Gunzilla, if it has an odor, I think sorta smells like olive oil. It’s that mild. In fact, I’m pretty sure the stuff is basically biodiesel, or maybe biokereosene.
One Gun a Month in New Jersey
Point. Counterpoint. For those of you unfamiliar with the process of purchasing a firearm in New Jersey.
- First you need to get a license, called a Firearm Owners ID (or FID for short) card. To apply for an FID, you have to call your local police department, who may only staff firearm permitting division part time, so they might not be open every day, or at convenient hours. The cost is five dollars.
- In addition to a FID card, you will need a permit to purchase a handgun. Applications are also filed with the local police department. Pistol purchase permits are only valid for ninty days after they issue. The cost is two dollars.
- You will need to be fingerprinted. This costs 25 to 50 dollars. You only have to do this for a first application, but many police departments insist this is not the case.
- The law states that the police have thirty days to conduct a 13 point background check, and issue or deny an FID application or permits to purchase handguns, but the fact is that it often takes months, and the courts in New Jersey are uninterested in holding issuing authorities to the law.
- You are required to submit to the police a list of two references, who are not related to you. They will inquire with these references as to your disposition, drinking habits, mental health, and whether the reference would have any issue with their buying a firearm. I have been listed as a reference for New Jersey people on FID applications, and I was appalled at the personal questioned asked. Even in Pennsylvania, for a license to carry a loaded firearm concealed on one’s person, the sheriffs that do check references are far more discrete and respectful.
If requiring this for each and every handgun purchase has not been sufficient to stop criminal trafficking of firearms, it’s beyond insane to believe that adding one more requirement, one that rations the number of purchase permits police may issue, is going to be what does the trick. Criminals don’t obey laws about robbery, murder, and aggrevated assault. They definitely aren’t going to obey regulatory laws, no matter how “more illegal” you make them. We sound like a broken record with this, but many just don’t seem to want to accept it.
Anti-Gun Bills in California Headed to Senate
They passed the assembly earlier in the week, and are now slated to head to the Senate:
Assembly Bill 2062 was passed by the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, June 17. The bill now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for its consideration.
Sponsored by State Assembly Member Kevin De Leon (D-45), AB2062 would make it a crime to privately transfer more than 50 rounds of ammunition per month, even between family and friends, unless you are registered as a “handgun ammunition vendor†in the Department of Justice’s database.
Internet bulk ordering? Forget about it. It’ll be illegal. And as if that weren’t bad enough:
Assembly Bill 2235 has been assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee and is scheduled to be heard next Tuesday, June 24.
This legislation would prohibit the sale of handguns other than “owner-authorized (or “smartâ€) handguns”– that is, handguns with a permanent, programmable biometric feature that renders the firearm useless unless activated by the authorized user.
And, of course, law enforcement is exempt. I guess either their kids don’t matter, or this isn’t about kids at all, but about making sure people can’t buy guns that actually work.
First National Bank Hates Gun Owners?
Looks as if that car dealer who was giving away a gift certificate for a gun with the purchase of a car is getting jerked around by their bank. I’m reserving judgement until more information comes out, but this doesn’t look good for FNB.
UPDATE: Cam Edwards says it’s the First National Bank of Kansas that Max Motors is talking about. He’s going to call and get their side of the story on Monday.
Learn More About Ammo Than You Ever Wanted to Know
Last night I was looking for reloading data on how to closely match NATO spec M193, since my package of 500 Lake City 5.56×45 brass arrived last night. I found some interesting information in my search.  The first is on the history of the powers that were used in the production of M193 round. The second is some background and comparison of the Chinese 5.8x42mm round against other commonly used rounds. Neither of these are new, but I found them interesting, and thought maybe readers would too.
PGC Looking to Reopen Ranges
According to the Times-Leader, the public range at State Game Lands 91 will be rebuilt and reopened in October. My county’s range was closed in 2005 as well, and I do hope it can reopen at some point. The closure of that range was my primary impitus for joining a club. Even if they reopen the range, I probably won’t shoot there much, but public ranges are important for hunters, casual shooters, and new shooters.
Looks like PGC is going all out on this one, with a covered firing line, baffles, an improved back stop, and a management program to prevent lead contamination.
Guns Magazine AOW
SayUncle discovered Guns Magazine were mistakenly making an AOW:
On page 58, is a similar pic with a note that says something like equipped with a surefire flashlight and forward grip, it makes a fine home defense weapon. Trouble is that ATF holds that attaching a vertical forward grip to a pistol makes the pistol an Any Other Weapon (AOW). The manufacture of an AOW (which you would do simply by putting a foreward grip on a pistol) requires payment for a $200 tax stamp and an extensive background check.
It goes to show how easy it is to violate federal firearms law. We’re often told that gun control doesn’t affect ordinary gun owners, only criminals and nutjobs. Well, sorry, that’s bullshit. It’s easy to become a felon in this hobby if you don’t know what you’re doing. And when I say don’t know what you’re doing, I mean that you have a better knowledge of the laws in this area than the average lawyer. That’s a tall order for any hobby, and I can’t think of too many others that are the legal minefield ours is.
Paterson Goes on Anti-Gun Offensive
New York Govenror David Paterson is negotiating with Democrats in the New York House of Representatives to get his gun control package passed. His package includes requiring the taking of a training course before gun licenses are issued, no matter how long you’ve been shooting, and no matter how familiar you are with guns. Apparently this has some Democrats in New York upset, because it allows for training to be done by the National Rifle Assocation.
I actually agree with the anti-gunners that training is important, and that people need to be educated on the safe use of firearms. Where I depart from them, is that I don’t believe it should be a condition on exercising a constitutional right. Every person who graduates from high school should have had a course in safely using a firearm. There was a time when most high schools had shooting teams, and back then, we didn’t seem to have a problem with kids shooting up their schools. We teach kids safe sex because that knowledge could end up saving their lives. Safe handling of firearms is in the same ballpark, not to mention useful for our military readiness.
Think Paterson and the anti-gun folks would get on board with that? Hell no. Because their goal is to make it harder to buy a gun, not in looking for ways to deal with the problem of uneducated people with firearms.
Australia Relaxing Strict Gun Laws?
Looks like there have been some changes in the New South Wales government, which have allowed them to pass some easements to the insanity they passed after the Port Arthur massacre. As Dave Hardy said:
Looks as if, as is common in parliamentary systems, the largest party is still slightly less than a majority. And pro-gun Members formed their own party, the Shooters’ Party, which is just enough to give the dominant party a majority if it votes with them.
When I was in Louisville, I talked to a gentleman from Australia, who was forced to turn over a lifetime of collecting, worth approximately 100,000 dollars, including guns his father had given him, to the Australian authorities. They banned every semi-automatic and pump action firearm in the country after Port Arthur. If Australian shooters can start taking back what’s theirs, there’s hope for us all. This is a very welcome development.