Free Republic

SPRINGFIELD— — Gov. Pat Quinn, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Senate President John Cullerton decried a bill to legalize concealed firearms that is backed by powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan, contending it would invalidate strict local gun laws like Chicago's ban on assault weapons. That opposition, however, didn't stop Madigan from advancing the bill Thursday, demonstrating that after months of negotiations, the time for talking was over. Predicting it would pass the House, Madigan has indicated that a vote on the measure could come as early as Friday. The odd tensions among the four top Chicago Democrats who run state and...

A man who fatally shot an armed intruder in his driveway early Thursday won't be charged because he was protecting his neighbor, police said. Sgt. Richard Fischer said the intruder, believed to be in his mid-20s, was “uniquely dressed” in a bulletproof vest and what was described as military-style attire when he showed up about 12:30 a.m. Thursday at the home in the 8900 block of Hambledon Drive on the West Side.

CONCORD — The Senate Thursday refused to act on a bill to repeal the state’s new stand-your-ground bill, effectively killing the effort. The Senate voted 19-5 to table House Bill 135, which would have repealed the provision that extends the Castle Doctrine allowing people to defend themselves with deadly force without retreating while in their home on their property to any place a person has a right to be. Sen. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, said since the bill passed in 2011, there have been no problems, no vigilante behavior and no inappropriate actions.

'This is a terrible situation for any armed officer to face. I have never ever seen or even heard of a scenario where two suspects attack a victim and then remain on the scene in full view waiting for the police to arrive. Training covers ‘precise’ situations which are contained and there is a good understanding of what is happening and ‘imprecise’ ones, which are much less controlled. This is at the extreme end of the imprecise spectrum. As soon as the armed response vehicle turns the corner and before it has even stopped they have sprung into action. The...

COLUMBIA COUNTY - The Columbia County District Attorney is making good on a promise not to prosecute a man arrested under the SAFE Act.

CLEARWATER — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri on Tuesday announced plans to strictly enforce a county law mandating background checks for all customers at gun shows, asserting local control in an area that has stubbornly resisted state and federal regulation. Gualtieri's initiative comes in response to a Tampa Bay Times story last month on the ineffectiveness of local laws closing the so-called gun show loophole. The Times reported that while seven of Florida's most populous counties — including Pinellas and Hillsborough — have ordinances requiring background checks for all sales at gun shows, the laws are largely ignored. According to...

Shares have increased by 95% in the last year and are up more than 70% already in 2013. That makes Cabela’s stock the best-performing in the firearms industry and one of the top-performing stocks in the U.S. in the last year. The company’s two biggest shareholders, founders Richard and James Cabela, have seen the value of their combined 25% stake jump to $1.2 billion from $750 million at the start of 2013. About one-third of Cabela’s $3.1 billion in sales last year came from firearms, ammunition and accessories, and a substantial amount of its all-important sales growth came from its...

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today dismissed a lawsuit brought by the radical anti-hunting Center for Biological Diversity and six other groups demanding the Environmental Protection Agency ban traditional ammunition containing lead components. Traditional ammunition represents 95 percent of the U.S. market and is the staple ammunition for target shooters, hunters and law enforcement, with more than 10 billion rounds sold annually. NSSF filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit last August. The court today agreed with NSSF that EPA does not have the authority to regulate traditional ammunition under the Toxic Substances...

News accounts that a high-end Italian shotgun company executive was taken into custody at a Denver gun show after a cab driver tipped off authorities that he was transporting a suspected terrorist have crumbled under scrutiny, 9NEWS KUSA-TV reported yesterday evening. Also called into question is the credibility of a key source for the story.

Second to None: An Evolution on our Right to Bear Arms I signed the waiver. My name in ink meant no turning back. I walked into foreign territory with my goggles and protective ear gear and, amid the loud blasts and shells flying at my feet, I was ready to get my hands on a trigger. Firing a gun for the first time (three guns actually) was memorable not just for the feel, but for the change of heart that led me to the shooting range. A powerful freedom. I’m from New York. I’ve spent hours in Broadway theaters, my...

TALLADEGA COUNTY — A man in Talladega received a rude awakening after breaking into his neighbor’s home in the 100 block of Dusty Trail Lane early Thursday morning between 4-4:30 a.m. Jimmy Lee Garrett, a 48-year-old male residing at 116 Dusty Trail Lane, was arrested and charged for second-degree burglary, but not before a catching a bullet in the foot for his troubles. According to Talladega County Sheriff Jimmy Kilgore, a female resident told investigators she woke up and saw Garrett in her kitchen. At that point, she yelled for her husband, who began chasing Garrett throughout their home while...

ACTUAL TITLE: 911 Dispatcher Tells Woman About To Be Sexually Assaulted There Are No Cops To Help Her Due To Budget Cuts JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. (CBS Seattle) — An Oregon woman was told by a 911 dispatcher that authorities wouldn’t be able be able to help her as her ex-boyfriend broke into her place because of budget cuts. Oregon Public Radio reports that an unidentified woman called 911 during a weekend in August 2012 while Michael Bellah was breaking into her place. Her call was forwarded to Oregon State Police because of lay-offs at the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office only...

BOISE, Idaho — A lawmaker who had his firearms bill killed in the 2013 Legislature has complained to the secretary of state that it was torpedoed by lobbyists who weren't properly registered.

I have a pest control issue concerning rats that live in trees. What sorta air rifle is recommended for this sorta thing? I want something cheap but powerful enough to be able to take down a varmint in one shot... Any suggestions, and no I don't want a convention gunpowder rifle as I already have one of them.

<p>Former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo has become the latest Republican to announce plans to challenge Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.</p> <p>Tancredo said Thursday on radio station KHOW the last straw was a decision by Hickenlooper to delay the execution of convicted murderer of Nathan Dunlap, who killed four people in 1993. Tancredo said he is also upset with Hickenlooper's approval of sweeping gun legislation this year, including a law limiting the size of ammunition magazines.</p>

In the wake of a pair of terrorists slaying a British soldier in the streets of London, talk show host Michael Savage pointed out Wednesday one key difference between the United States and the United Kingdom: Second Amendment rights. “Now what stands between us and what happened in London?” Savage asked. “Guns, guns, guns — only guns, only guns. And this very same gang that wants to flood this country with 50 million, 30 million, 20 million, 11 million — you pick the number, pick it out of a hat — illegal aliens, it’s all amnesty for every one of...

It’s not a stretch to suggest that Americans are over medicated. In 2011 doctors across the nation wrote an astounding four billion medical prescriptions, amounting to an average of 13 prescriptions for every man, woman and child in the United States. In the next few weeks the American Psychiatric Associations is releasing their updated fifth version their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5); the so-called ‘bible’ of psychiatric diagnoses. The new manual promises to take mental illness and the use of prescription drugs to a whole new level. You may not be considered “crazy” or “mentally ill” today,...

After 2 months of snow delays I recently completed the vehicle combat training class I posted inquiries about last November.http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/sh...-fire-training The class was a solo student course lead by Firearms Iinstructor and assisted (ammo bitched) by an experienced IDPA\Highpower competitor. The course curriculum was very in depth and complete. Ranging from at your door assaults, engagement ranges and choices, vehicles as cover, vehicles as weapons, point shooting, moving targets, moving shooter, moving vehicles, window shooting, cross passenger compartment engagement, vehicle egress, vehicle hard points, glass deflection, under vehicle shooting, equipment tricks, and hand to hand with pistol attacks. We covered...

In chapter 1 of the book "Public Opinion", Walter Lippmann writes the following: (page 40) The wireless constantly used the statistics of the intelligence bureau at Verdun, whose chief, Major Cointet, had invented a method of calculating German losses which obviously produced marvelous results. Every fortnight the figures increased a hundred thousand or so. These 300,000, 400,000, 500,000 casualties put out, divided into daily, weekly, monthly losses, repeated in all sorts of ways, produced a striking effect. Our formulae varied little: 'according to prisoners the German losses in the course of the attack have been considerable' ... 'it is proved...

The wooden and steel parts I need to build my untraceable AK-47 �t within a slender, 15-by-12-inch cardboard box. I �rst lay eyes on them one Saturday morning in the garage of an eggshell-white industrial complex near Los Angeles. Foldout tables ring the edges of the room, surrounding two orange shop presses. The walls, dusty and stained, are lined with shelves of tools. I'm with a dozen other guys, some sipping coffee, others making introductions over the buzz of an air compressor. Most of us are strangers, but we share a common bond: We are just eight hours away from...

Today I want to talk about The Troubles. I previously talked about Operation Banner An Analysis of British Operations in North Ireland.That is worth reading though it is a bit dry. So here we go. For a brief recap the problems between England and Ireland probably go back 900 years or so. We will focus a bit more on current history. The Anglo- Irish war from roughly (start and stop points are hard for guerrilla wars) 1919 to 1922 ended up partitioning Ireland into 2 entities. The 26 counties that make up the majority of Ireland were granted Dominion...

Re: Veto Recommendations regarding "gun" legislation. Dear Governor Brown: As I have said previously, a government that does not protect us and will not let us protect ourselves does not deserve our respect or loyalty. The U-T San Diego newspaper reports a series of "gun" bills is headed to you for consideration. Sadly the State of California is presently violating its primary constitutional duty which is to protect the public from domestic threats such as criminal activity. In the 1980s, the legislature responded to the enormously high crime rate by "right sizing" the state prison system and making some overdue...

A secretly drafted bill to block release of photos, tapes of 911 calls and death certificates related to the Dec. 14 Newtown elementary school massacre could be acted on in the General Assembly as early as the end of the week, officials said Wednesday. Family members of victims would have discretion over release of some of the records. A draft of the bill was released Wednesday afternoon by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office, which has been working behind the scenes in recent weeks on drafting the language with legislative leaders and the office of the state's top prosecutor, Chief State's...

HARTFORD— A coalition of gun owners, gun dealers and firearms rights organizations have sued the governor and members of the state's attorney's office, contending that the gun law passed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings violates the Constitution. State officials have been expecting a challenge to the legislation, which Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed into law April 4. The law, opposed by many gun owners and others who say it is an infringement of Second Amendment rights, drew support from Republicans and Democrats. "The act was rushed through the legislature without thorough debate or meaningful public...

SPRINGFIELD— — An Illinois House version of legislation to allow people to carry concealed weapons that emerged Wednesday would not let Chicago have its own set of rules and could make it easier to get a permit. The latest proposal is an attempt to address concerns of gun rights advocates who balked last week at a more restrictive Senate concealed carry bill favored by gun control supporters. Backers, including Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan, hope the House version finds enough common ground between the two sides to clear the General Assembly and meet the standards of a federal appeals court ruling...

An East Palo Alto man turned the tables on two suspects during a home invasion robbery Wednesday afternoon. Two men entered a residence in the 2200 block of Capitol Avenue at about 2:39 p.m. and tried to rob the resident inside, East Palo Alto police Acting Detective Sgt. Angel Sanchez said. "They assaulted the victim with a handgun, pistol whipping him and asking for money and guns," Sanchez said. "At one point the victim was able to retrieve a gun, and they saw that and fled." As the would-be robbers ran away, the victim, who was in his 30s, fired...

Technology deemed by some to be too dangerous to sell to public A new firearm featuring high-end precision technology went on sale this past Wednesday, and some in the shooting community are calling it too dangerous to be sold to the general public.  New rifle features smart technology advancements that allow it to focus on target and only fire when shot is most precise. The gun — a rifle — is called “TrackingPoint” and it is, more or less, a “smart” firearm. The user looks through the rifle’s scope, which features an advanced color graphics display, and when locked in...

Kris Koenig is the mastermind behind the upcoming documentary titled Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire. The project started as a look into the gun control debate raging in California, but as the debate heated up nationwide this past winter they broadened their scope to include the national debate as well. The project has been funded entirely through the website Kickstarter (initial funding – second push), where individuals pledge their own money to support a cause they believe in, and the finished product is nearing release. Kris has set a date of May 23rd (tomorrow) as the date for the initial...

Detroit, Michigan – -(Ammoland.com)- This past Saturday, May 18th, 2013, approximately 50 gun rights activists attended a “Guns for Groceries” event to stage a demonstration of their own against the Wayne County (MI) government. The Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and the Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon teamed up with a local church (The New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ), the Meijer’s grocery store chain, and the Goodman-Acker law firm to entice citizens to turn in their guns on a “no questions asked” basis.All month long commercials were being ran over the airwaves seeking to convince Detroit...

Rep. Mike McLachlan will live to fight another day. Opponents of the Durango Democrat failed Tuesday to round up enough signatures to force him into a recall election. Tuesday was the deadline for the campaign to submit at least 10,587 signatures on recall petitions from voters in McLachlan’s district. But the campaign got a little more than 8,500, said Dave Saleh, an organizer of the recall campaign. Far from being disappointed, Saleh said people in his “disorganized” and “amateur” campaign are energized by the result, and they will either initiate another recall campaign or engage McLachlan on the campaign trail...

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Gov. Robert Bentley said today he has signed into law sweeping gun legislation.Following a luncheon speech today, Bentley reiterated that he backs the Second Amendment that provides the right to bear arms but his enthusiasm for the bill seemed to be tempered."The gun bill, I believe it was OK," he said. "I went ahead and signed it. It was a bill that took a lot of work - the sheriffs and the district attorneys working together. Everybody signed off on it and I signed it."Asked about his seemingly lukewarm thoughts on the bill, Bentley answered, "I think...

Yesterday, Texas HB 48 passed the senate. It is now on its way to the governor for a signature. This means that there is no longer a requirement for renewal courses every five years to maintain a CHL. HB 48 would eliminate the requirement for a CHL holder to demonstrate handgun proficiency by taking a continuing education course to renew the license. The bill would repeal Government Code sections 411.188 (c) and 411.188 (j), which require a continuing education course for CHL renewal and would specify how DPS should adopt rules for this course. DPS would mail a notice of...

Guns are Tightly Controlled, but The U.S. Virgin Islands has one of the Highest Homicide Rates in the WorldNot counted as a state or a city, the U.S. Virgin Islands is often missed in statistics about gun control in the United States. Gun ownership is tightly regulated, with permission to own a gun only granted by the Police Commissioner upon application, and subject to the Commissioner's discretion. Even antique firearms, which are not regulated under U.S. Federal law, are not allowed unless they are inspected and "rendered useless". 476. Collections of antique firearms; certificates of uselessness. No provision hereof...

NORTH BEND, Wash. (AP) — As her husband fought with an intruder in their home early Monday, a woman grabbed a knife and stabbed the stranger to death, investigators said.

A man reported to be a serving soldier is dead and two people have been shot in Woolwich, south east London, after what Sky sources understand is being treated as a terrorist attack. Downing Street has called a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergency committee after the incident in John Wilson Street, which David Cameron described as "truly shocking". Sky sources understand that senior police officers believe the killing was likely to be a politically-motivated Islamist terrorist attack. Dozens of weapons - including a number of knives - and pools of blood could be seen on the ground, where a...

British soldier beheaded in London street by 2 assailants shouting "Allah Akbar".

MONTGOMERY, AL (WAFF) - Alabama lawmakers stayed up late into the night to consider last-minute bills before the last day of the 2013 legislative session on Monday. Both chambers in the state house voted to override Gov.. Robert Bentley's veto on a local bill that would allow armed teachers in Franklin County schools. The bill will now become law without the governor's signature. It will allow teachers and other school employees to carry a gun at school – so long as they are properly trained as police officers or sheriff's deputies. Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow (D-Colbert, Franklin) has been a...

We wanted to find out if chocolate bullets would make the country a happier place. You be the judge. The shooter is Matt from JackIsMyCopilot channel. Thank you for your assistance!

Bridgeport, CT – Today, a widely-anticipated lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, challenging the constitutionality of the new firearms law that was passed hastily by the Connecticut legislature in response to the tragic shooting in Newtown by a disturbed individual. The lawsuit seeks immediate injunctive relief and a ruling declaring the new law unconstitutional under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It alleges that Connecticut’s new firearms law is not only unconstitutional but dangerous, since it makes both citizens and law enforcement less safe by depriving citizens of firearms that are in common use throughout the...

The classic History Channel documentary series. This episode: German small arms of WWII.

First, some background about me: I am a Ph.D.-holder and tenured professor whose immersion in the insular politics of academia had led me to harbor many negative perceptions about firearms. Though I was never staunchly "anti-gun," I was not a gun owner, did not understand the appeal of firearms, and generally believed that gun control legislation was only common sense. That changed four years ago when I (finally) decided to look into the data on guns, crime, and public safety for myself. I am a trained researcher, but I conducted my research for personal not professional reasons. My wife was...

ARMED DHS GUARDS greeted St. Louis Tea Party protesters at the Town and Country IRS office on Tuesday. Around 300 protesters turned out anyway. DHS parked their vehicles right outside the IRS office just in case the Tea Party protesters got crazy and violent. But the DHS intimidation was not isolated to St. Louis. In Los Angeles DHS put a chopper in the air and told Tea Party protesters they could not be on federal property. They had to move away from the building. This report came from a Tea Party protester in California. Many of our 300 tea party...

Gun bashes have been a fixture in western Pennsylvania for decades as a way to raise money for many different types of groups, but now some are raising concerns about whether the events are sending the wrong message, especially when held by public safety agencies.

The classic History Channel documentary series. This episode: Japanese Guns of WWII.

Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz said ATF Agent John Dodson had provided significant information and public testimony on the agency’s handling of the Fast and Furious probe and “was retaliated against by” U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke with the unauthorized disclosure in late June 2011 of an ATF memo the agent had drafted. In the report, the inspector general said Mr. Burke, who resigned after Fast and Furious had become media fodder, provided the memo to Fox News in violation of Justice Department policies — a disclosure that “was likely motivated by a desire to undermine” Mr. Dodson’s public criticisms. The...

The Classical Fast Draw Society is home to a select number of expert marksmen. But their most remarkable member is not technically their most accurate. Jim Miekka only hits about 80 percent of his targets, firing shots at just half a second apart. But the truly incredible thing about Miekka is that he’s totally blind.

"Some people dislike gays. Others dislike guns. We should not base our laws on personal dislikes," reads one adA new campaign cropping up around Washington state is intended to strike a chord with gay and lesbian gun owners by comparing gun control to anti-LGBT discrimination.The illustrated posters feature slogans like, “We won our right to marry, now it’s time to defend our right! And we sure as hell aren’t going to take shit from homophobes in the process!� and, “Some people dislike gays. Others dislike guns. We should not base our laws on personal dislikes.�A QR code on the ads...

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...

James Kaleda explains that the proposed NJ Gun Bills will not save any lives but will endanger them. He is ejected by Committee Chair Senator Norcross. This took place at the NJ Senate gun control hearings in Trenton on April 30, 2013.

Four Armed Colorado River Tea Party Members Exercise Their Rights About 50 people showed up at high noon in Yuma to exercise their First and Second Amendment rights. A common theme among the Tea Party members was that using the machinery of government to suppress dissent and political opposition is the very essence of tyranny. Signs varied from "Shut Down the IRS" to "We will not be Intimidated" to "Obama IRS Tyrant!" to "Congress disregards the Constitution it's up to us to do something" About 50 Protesters Showed up. I counted nearly 40, and several joined the group over...