Free Republic

Senator Charles Grassley, who launched the first Capitol Hill investigation of Operation Fast and Furious more than two years ago, today blasted the treatment of a chief whistleblower in the investigation by the former U.S. attorney in Arizona, and subsequent attempts to discredit him by the Justice Department. Grassley released a statement after the Office of Inspector General released a report Monday morning that shows former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke leaked “a sensitive document” to a Fox News reporter in an attempt to discredit John Dodson, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The IG’s...

Officials have agreed not to file criminal charges against a Washington D.C. man who used his handgun to kill a pit bull in order to stop it from mauling a child. Benjamin Srigley made an agreement with authorities last week which will require the 39-year-old to pay a $1,000 fine for the three unregistered firearms and ammunition that were found in his possession the day he saved Jayeon Smith from three unleashed pit bulls. During the attack, Srigley used his Ruger 9mm pistol to shoot at the animals that left Jayeon with scars on his elbow, torso and leg. “In...

When high tech gunsmith group Defense Distributed test-fired the world’s first fully 3D-printed firearm earlier this month, some critics dismissed the demonstration as expensive and impractical, arguing it could only be done with a high-end industrial 3D printer and that the plastic weapon wouldn’t last more than a single shot. Now a couple of hobbyists have proven them wrong on both counts.One evening late last week, a Wisconsin engineer who calls himself “Joe” test-fired a new version of that handgun printed on a $1,725 Lulzbot A0-101 consumer-grade 3D printer, far cheaper than the one used by Defense Distributed. Joe, who...

The Battle of Athens (sometimes called the McMinn County War) was a rebellion led by citizens in Athens and Etowah, Tennessee, United States, against the local government in August 1946. The citizens, including some World War II veterans, accused the local officials of political corruption and voter intimidation. Here is what happened: Following World War II in 1946, violence erupted when returning American soldiers discovered their Tennessee county had been taken over by political corruption. Their plan to take it back involved bullets—lots of bullets—and dynamite. Why Athens in McMinn County, Tennessee became a battleground was due to Paul Cantrell,...

The timeline for when senior White House officials knew about the IRS scandal seems to be shifting. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Monday that the president’s counsel was told on April 24 about the preliminary findings of an IRS audit that showed tax officials unfairly targeted Tea Party groups applying for tax-exempt status. Carney had previously said that White House counsel did not have any details about the IRS probe and was given a generic heads up that one was being conducted. Senior legal counsel Kathryn Ruemmler was told about the audit on April 24, Carney said Monday....

Inspector General report paves way for Burke disbarment gun rights May 20, 2013 By: David Codrea Subscribe Per the OIG report, "Burke's Law" could be a thing of the past if his "professional conduct" catches up with him at the bar. Per the OIG report, "Burke's Law" could be a thing of the past if his "professional conduct" catches up with him at the bar. Credits: United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona 0 Email Policy & Issues newsletter A report released today by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General pronounces a harsh assessment of former...

Now that one Pennsylvania university has decided to allow guns on its grounds -- in limited circumstances -- it's possible that other schools may follow suit. Penn State does not allow students to possess any type of weapons on campus. But supporters of the "concealed carry" concept think it's an idea whose time has come. Kutztown University, one of the 14 state-owned universities in Pennsylvania, recently decided that students may carry guns in some instances. According to Kutztown University President F. Javier Cevallos, attorneys advised the school that, "a blanket prohibition against the possession of weapons on campus is legally...

Fantastic Historic Civic Action May 21 If you deem this worthy – spread the words We are On the March for real. Look at all the stuff we are achieving – there are too many action items to mention here but we know there are many – such a rewarding feeling. We have rallied in more places and with more people on one issue than ever before. We now have bad governance in fear of “We the People”. We are making a DEMAND for a vote and have at least 300,000 signatures to back it up. We have put them...

It now seems clear that the Department of Homeland Security’s stockpiling of ammunition and other warfare supplies can no longer be dismissed as “conspiracy theory,” but is a very real development in the actions of an overreaching federal government. Many have suggested and assumed that the ammo and gun shortage experienced across the country is the result of private citizens’ unprecedented purchases, in recent years, in preparation for impending gun control measures. While this is true in part, it is only half of the logical explanation that can be assessed based upon available facts. This phenomenon has been described as...

Taofledermaus has done some experimentation with 3D printing of 12 gauge projectiles. They have had mixed results, but it is clear that there is promise in this approach. Combining the base wad with the projectile, while incorporting a hole in the nose for an embeded penetrator is one obvious possibility.Making the projectile solid, with a hollowed base, could also strengthen the projectile and improve performance. The slow motion video of the firing is fascinating to watch. Dean Weingarten

The U.S. Attorney in Arizona violated Justice Department policy by providing Fox News with information apparently aimed at undercutting the credibility of a federal agent who helped reveal the botched arms-trafficking probe called Operation Fast and Furious, the Justice Department's inspector general said Monday. There was substantial evidence in the 2011 incident that then-U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke's motive for disclosing a memo by federal agent John Dodson was retaliation, the inspector general's report said. In testimony to a House committee just two weeks earlier, Dodson had raised serious concerns about Operation Fast and Furious. In Dodson's memo, which was eventually...

Contact Governor Bentley TODAY and ask him to sign Senate Bill 286 into lawToday, the Alabama House of Representatives accepted the conference committee report for Senate Bill 286 by a 73-28 vote.  This measure now goes to Governor Robert Bentley (R) for his approval.  While not perfect, SB 286 is an important step in the right direction for the law-abiding gun owners in Alabama and residents of other states traveling to and through Alabama.  Therefore, it is critical you contact Governor Bentley TODAY and respectfully ask him to sign Senate Bill 286 into law.Governor Robert Bentley:(334) 242-7100Click here to send...

House Bill 972, an important NRA-backed self-defense bill that would repeal the criminal prohibition on the possession of firearms on college campuses by Texas Concealed Handgun Licensees (CHL), is still pending in the Texas Senate – where final action must be taken on the measure by this Wednesday. Make no mistake: anti-gun Senators and gun control advocates are trying to run out the clock on this important reform bill, and it will die without a vote unless your state Senator hears from you TODAY! While HB 972 gives individual higher education institutions the authority to adopt administrative rules and regulations...

Catherine Engelbrecht’s tale has all the markings of a classic conspiracy theory: She says she thinks that because of her peaceful political activity, she and her family was targeted for scrutiny by hostile federal agencies. Yet as news emerges that the Internal Revenue Service wielded its power to obstruct conservative groups, Catherine’s story becomes credible — and chilling. It also raises questions about whether other federal agencies have used their executive powers to target those deemed political enemies. Before the Engelbrecht family’s three-year ordeal began, Catherine says, “I had no real expectation or preparation for the blood sport that American...

With new reports today that the Obama Department of Justice leaked documents intended to smear a whistleblower in the Fast and Furious gunwalking scandal, it is now more obvious than ever that this administration has, in the words of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) created a “culture of intimidation” that stretches from the White House down to myriad agencies of the executive branch. *** Department of Justice: Today’s report from the Department of Justice Inspector General, showing that former US Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke leaked documents intended to smear a whistleblower in Fast and Furious, are only the...

This conveys the top 10 mall ninja guns of our time, in all their bonerific glory. What is a mall ninja you may ask? Pretty much anyone who is pissing themselves over the release of Modern Warfare 2 and masturbating to their $200+ Marui airsoft gun. Read more: http://www.cracked.com/funny-2939-top-10-mall-ninja-guns/#ixzz2TrM89Bx2

President Obama talked about “racism” at Morehouse College this weekend. The timing is interesting because the trial of George Zimmerman, the man who shot Trayvon Martin in February 2012, will begin in June. Zimmerman is Hispanic and Martin was black. President Obama stated at Morehouse, “We know that too many young men in our community continue to make bad choices. Growing up, I made quite a few myself. Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down. I had a tendency sometimes to make excuses for me not...

The Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General published a new report Monday that confirms former U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke leaked a document intended to smear Operation Fast and Furious scandal whistleblower John Dodson. The DOJ IG said it found “Burke’s conduct in disclosing the Dodson memorandum to be inappropriate for a Department employee and wholly unbefitting a U.S. Attorney.” “We are referring to OPR our finding that Burke violated Department policy in disclosing the Dodson memorandum to a member of the media for a determination of whether Burke’s conduct violated the Rules of Professional Conduct for the state...

Authorities last week made an agreement not to prosecute a Northwest D.C. man who used his unregistered handgun to kill a pit bull in order to stop it from mauling a child in his neighborhood. As part of the agreement, Benjamin Srigley, 39, was required to pay a $1,000 fine but will not have criminal charges filed against him for the three unregistered firearms and the ammunition that investigators found in his possession, said Ted Gest, a spokesman for the office of the attorney general.

The Hill has a story today that leaves one wondering if, when it comes to gun control, there is any line too ridiculous for progressives to cross: A House Democrat inspired by the last James Bond movie has offered legislation to produce handguns with “personalization technology.” The idea is to produce guns that can only be used by the gun’s owners. Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) cited the latest James Bond movie, “Skyfall,” as inspiration for the bill. “In the most recent James Bond film, Bond escapes death when his handgun, which is equipped with technology that recognizes him as its...

DD ITAR Update 1 A few have criticized how quickly I responded to the DDTC and began participating in their regulatory process. It is said I should have stood and fought if I believed in keeping the files free, instead of complying. This compliance has been viewed as some kind of ultimate one, as if I don’t intend to do anything else. “No takedowns, ever.” Was a motto I had built into my vision of DEFCAD.com, not DEFCAD.org, and it referred to a strategy for dealing with intellectual property claims and social pressure- this is NOT the strategy DD/DEFCAD.org can...

The Gun Feed is a new Drudge Report style news website that has just been launched. The Gun Feed is a 24/7 news website that is proudly devoted to the online firearms community, and that showcases the latest firearms news headlines from around the web. The website will be updated many times throughout the day, everyday and it will feature news links to articles on the second amendment, firearms related politics, guns and gear reviews, new product releases, blogger opinions and commentary, and anything else which comes along that might be of interest to Gunnies.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg used a commencement speech to push his gun-control agenda, telling graduates of Kenyon College in Ohio that gun control is “something you really should think about.” Bloomberg, who co-chairs Mayors Against Illegal Guns, spent at least $14 million in support of legislation that would have required universal background checks for all gun-buyers. Although the bill died in the Senate on April 17, Bloomberg said the battle isn't over. (VIDEO-AT-LINK) “I believe we will win, sooner or later, because I believe that all of you, your generation more than any other at least since the 1960s,...

Major gun legislation More than 30 firearms bills have been introduced this year in Sacramento. Here are some of the big ones:

Sharon at the Phoenix Gun Turn In Sharon came to the gun turn in at the Sunnyslope Mennonite Church in Phoenix, looking for a pistol for self defense. She shoots at Shooters World, and intends to take the pistol there to have it checked out. She has children in the Army, and she expects that they will go to the desert for some family fun with their firearms. Sharon said "We should have weapons to protect our families and homes." Sharon's Makarov The pistol that she obtained, a Russian made Makarov in .380 ACP, was in excellent condition with...

Rocker Ted Nugent has continued to make his views on firearms and the Second Amendment known. On Friday, his brother, former president and chief executive of Revlon, Jeffrey Nugent, also came forward to share his opinions on gun rights in a recent Washington Post op-ed. The problem? The two adamantly disagree — at least when it comes to universal background checks.

- FrontPage Magazine - http://frontpagemag.com - Obama Uses Terror-Finance Group to Push Gun ControlPosted By Ryan Mauro On May 17, 2013 @ 12:40 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | 13 Comments The Obama Administration’s relationship with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), a U.S. Muslim Brotherhood entity, has grown beyond strictly Muslim-related issues. On May 6, Vice President Biden met with about 20 interfaith leaders including ISNA President Mohamed Magid for two hours to rally religious support for gun control.A FBI source identified ISNA as a Muslim Brotherhood front as early as 1987. A 1991 U.S. Muslim Brotherhood memo identified...

Phoenix police are in a race against time in processing guns that the city purchased at recent gun buyback events. A new Arizona law that hasn't yet taken effect bars cities and counties from destroying guns turned over to police at buyback events and instead requires that the guns be resold. The Arizona Republic reports (http://bit.ly/19QbpVe) that Phoenix's program brought in 979 weapons in two sessions earlier this month and an additional 937 guns on Saturday. The law will go into effect 90 days after the legislative session ends, which could be any day. Police are already struggling to process...

Ted Nugent's Perspective: Freedom of expression is so beautifully American. Making that our very First Amendment is surely all the proof one needs to know our founding fathers were revolutionary visionaries. In this day and age of terminal apathy and soulless discontent, I adore anyone who is an activist and stands up for what he or she believes. That is exactly how our founders designed this experiment in self government. My loving brother Jeffery is becoming one of those activists, and I salute the great man. Never one to shy away from controversy, my brother wades into it. We were...

The grieving mother of a 6-year-old killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School joined Illinois Democrats on Sunday in calling for a statewide ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines. Nicole Hockley choked up when discussing the December massacre in Newtown, Conn., that claimed her son Dylan. "In Newtown, we learned the brutal truth about the devastation that high-capacity magazines can cause," said Hockley inside the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. Hockley, who was joined by fellow Newtown parents Mark Barden and Francine Wheeler, said the proposed law — Senate Bill 1002 — could save innocent lives

Daniele Perazzi, president of the Italian Perazzi Shotguns firm, was taken into custody yesterday by Adams County Deputies [see update, below] along with several prototype shotguns. The executive was picked up in the parking lot of the Denver Merchandise Mart, hosting the high-end Colorado Gun Collectors show this weekend, after a taxi driver, likely reacting to a suspicious activity reporting outreach program conducted by law enforcement, told authorities he thought he could be transporting an armed “foreign speaking” terror suspect. “He loaded prototype shotguns into the cab on the way to the Merchandise Mart,” gun rights activist and newly-elected National...

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Enlarge Image Primed for numbers. Random pulses of electrical current can accelerate math learning. Credit: Albert Snowball If you are one of the 20% of healthy adults who struggle with basic arithmetic, simple tasks like splitting the dinner bill can be excruciating. Now, a new study suggests that a gentle, painless electrical current applied to the brain can boost math performance for up to 6 months. Researchers don't fully understand how it works, however, and there could be side effects. The idea of using electrical current to alter brain activity is nothing new—electroshock therapy, which induces seizures for therapeutic...

SAN DIEGO — It is the subject of nightly television news reports, daily newspaper stories and prime time dramas. Gun violence is seemingly everywhere you turn. Ask Americans how bad they think gun crime is, and 82 percent will say it is either worse than it was 20 years ago, or mostly the same, according to a Pew Research Center survey released this month. But the numbers on gun crime show otherwise. Firearm homicide and other gun crimes — including robbery and assault — are strikingly lower than they were two decades ago, a trend that has mirrored the decline...

Swiss Vetterli Carbine Circa 1870 This Vetterli carbine was turned in very early on May 18, 2013, at the Phoenix gun turn in event. I photographed it on the turn in table at about 8:09 am. I cannot Identify it further, and this is the only picture that I have. Does anyone know if this is an original carbine, or is it a later conversion? The rifle was manufactured about 1870. Dean Weingarten

The Independence Institute held a press conference on May 17, 2013 announcing the lawsuit against the new anti-gun bills passed by the Colorado legislature and signed by Governor John Hickenlooper. The lead attorney is Dave Kopel.

DENVER — An executive with a prominent gun manufacturer is on his way back to his native Italy after a taxi driver mistook him for a terrorist on Saturday. Daniele Perazzi had just arrived at a gun show at the Denver Merchandise Mart when his cabbie called police to tell them he’d dropped off a terrorist. Perazzi, who was carrying seven shotguns at the time, was taken in for questioning by the Adams County Sheriffs Department. He was released a short time later. Perazzi’s U.S. attorney told Fox 31 Denver that her client was scared during the incident because he’s...

On Friday, May 17, fifty-four Colorado Sheriffs filed a civil rights lawsuit in Federal District Court in Denver, against two anti-gun bills passed by the Colorado legislature in March. Joining the Sheriffs as Plaintiffs are the Colorado Farm Bureau, disabled persons, Outdoor Buddies (an organization that helps disabled persons participate in outdoor sports), the Colorado Outfitters Association (the trade association for hunting guides), the National Shooting Sports Foundation (the trade association for the firearms industry), magazine manufacturer Magpul, federally-licensed firearms dealers, the state’s largest shooting range, the Colorado State Shooting Association (governing body for the shooting sports in Colorado), and...

So let’s review our recent national paroxysm about guns, shall we? Gun control was a complete non-issue during the 2012 presidential campaign, and for good reason: the rate of gun violence — like the rate of violent crime — had fallen by about half since the late 1980s. During those two decades, gun laws got looser almost everywhere, so whatever was driving down the crime rate, it wasn’t gun control. But then came the shootings at the Aurora movie theater and Sandy Hook Elementary, and suddenly nobody could think about anything else. Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, and New York passed restrictive laws concerning...

Hofstra student shot in head by cop while being used as human shield during home invasion By KIERAN CROWLEY, KENNETH GARGER and KATHIANNE BONIELLO Last Updated: 11:13 PM, May 18, 2013 Andrea Rebello (r.), here with her twin Jessica in an Instagram photo, was killed by the friendly fire of a police officer during a shootout with home invader Dalton Smith. The Hofstra University student killed during a home invasion robbery was the victim of friendly fire from a veteran cop who unleashed a barrage of bullets when the armed intruder pointed a gun at him, Nassau County police announced...

WASHINGTON - Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) hasn't given up on his bill to expand background checks for gun purchases, he said Thursday, signaling more willingness to return to the plan than he had publicly shown before. "If we could find a way to bring some more folks on board, then of course it would be worth bringing it up again," Toomey said in an interview. While he has largely returned his focus to the fiscal issues he has long been associated with, he said he still occasionally talked privately with fellow senators about the background-check bill that was defeated...

DETROIT (WWJ) – At least 200 guns are off the streets of Detroit Saturday afternoon following a gun buy back program at a church on the city’s west side. There were two efforts underway at the New St. Paul Tabernacle Church.Wayne County and Goodman Acker both offered $50 Meijer Gift Cards for each unloaded gun, while gun-advocates like Rick Ector offered more in cash.“I refer to them as LEFTs (Law Enforcement Firearms Transfers) they are misleading to the general public because they send a message that they are actually going to do something that’s going to affect the crime rate,”...

A thief grabbed the purse of an off-duty Polk County deputy Saturday evening, but also got the officer’s weapon. The deputy was entering the Publix, 884 Cypress Gardens Blvd., in Winter Haven, about 6:55 p.m. when a black man took the purse, according to the sheriff’s office. The suspect fled in a bright silver small size SUV, possibly a Mazda or Toyota hatchback-style vehicle, and headed south on 8th Street S.E. The thief also got the deputy's department badge and credentials, along with a .38-caliber Ruger that was in its holster, according to the sheriff’s office.

As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association with an “A+” rating for her voting record in the Tennessee House of Representatives, Debra Maggart never imagined that her political career would end this way. Maggart, who chaired the Republican caucus, killed an NRA-backed bill that would have permitted Tennesseans to keep firearms in their parked vehicles wherever they went — work, school or the neighborhood bar. Months later, Maggart was stunned to see NRA-sponsored ads on billboards in her district. Her face was next to a picture of President Obama. The ads proclaimed: “Sure, Rep. Debra Maggart Says She...

New York — Nearly 10 years ago, my mother was robbed in front of our home after getting off her second-shift job. The hooded mugger stole my mother's purse by knocking her down and wrestling her purse from her shoulder. She injured her wrist and suffered a few scrapes and bruises. The attack shook her up. I was inside watching television with my father when the incident occurred. We didn't hear or see a thing, but that didn't stop us from driving around the neighborhood looking for anyone suspicious. A week after the incident, I legally purchased my first gun....

Bill Maher on Friday once again exposed himself as a total hypocrite. Minutes after telling his HBO Real Time panel "the Second Amendment is bulls--t," he admitted having two firearms in his house - "one upstairs and one down" - claiming, "As long as we live in the gun country, I ain’t giving up my gun"

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An attempted robbery just outside of downtown Houston erupted into a gunfight that left one suspect dead and the victim injured, police say. The shooting happened around 6:30am in the 2900 block of Pease. Police say a man coming home from a club was confronted by as many as five suspects. When the suspects tried to rob him, a shootout erupted.

About 4 p.m., the resident of the 3900 block of Rockaway Creek Road reported a burglary in progress at his home. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said he arrived home to find two intruders inside of the residence. The homeowner held the suspects at gunpoint while he called the Sheriff’s Office. As he was speaking with dispatchers, one of the suspects, identified at 33-year old Ricky Dewayne Taylor, lunged toward him. The homeowner fired a .38 caliber revolver, striking Taylor in the leg. Taylor was alert and conscious when he was transferred to LifeFlight to be airlifted to Baptist Hospital...

DETROIT — As many as 40 protestors held signs and wads of cash outside New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Detroit Saturday protesting a Wayne County gun buyback event. Jerry Acker, a partner in Goodman Acker, P.C law firm, fronted $50 Meijer gift cards for each of the 200 guns collected, a cost of $10,000. Meanwhile, gun advocates waited outside offering cash for guns the government hoped to take off the streets and out of homes. "In many cases, they'll end up circulating back in the communities we're trying to take them out of," said Wayne...