Free Republic

We've already seen the sadly inevitable rush to capitalize on the tragedy in Colorado as an excuse to start passing strict gun laws, ranging from Bloomberg to Rendell and more. But as we sort through the aftermath of the disaster and the victims begin to pick up the pieces, is this opportunism going to result in any new legislation along those lines? One study linked by the AP seems to indicate that the gun grabbing crowd may wind up being disappointed. Once, every highly publicized outbreak of gun violence produced strong calls from Democrats and a few Republicans for tougher...

(CBS News) Vice President Joe Biden said Florida's "Stand Your Ground" gun laws will be a topic of debate in light of the controversy surrounding the shooting of Trayvon Martin. "It's important that people be put in a position where their Second Amendment rights are protected, but that they also don't, as a consequence of the laws, unintendedly put themselves in harm's way," Biden told anchor Bob Schieffer in an interview to air on "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

Most Thais do not own a gun. Those who do, usually buy "for personal protection, and secondly for their collection. A lot of Thai people like guns," says Polpatr Tanomsup of the Firearms Association of Thailand. If you have an itchy trigger finger while visiting Thailand it may be difficult to purchase a gun, but wealthy foreigners and Thais who live here can now enjoy their weapon of choice thanks to the recent lifting of a ban imposed in Bangkok last year. Tourists can, however, buy custom-made leather holsters and other accessories at the estimated 80 weapons stores along Burapha...

A 30-year-old Bethlehem man was arraigned today for possessing 10 .40-caliber hollow point rounds in Phillipsburg, court records show. According to Phillipsburg police: Roddley W. Watson Jr., of the 1000 block of East Fourth Street, was stopped about 1 a.m. Nov. 23 after police responded to Morris and Raymond streets for a report of a hit and run. When police spoke with Watson, they saw in plain view a "Glock pistol magazine loaded with hollow point ammunition in the driver's side-door compartment." Watson was not in possession of a weapon. Watson told police he owned the magazine but forgot to...

The state of Florida is going after a gang of gun outlaws by threatening them with $5,000 fines, firings and lawsuits. So who's in the gang? St. Petersburg, Brooksville, Tampa, Hillsborough County —and other scattered scofflaws. As a result, city councils and county commissions are now scrambling to rewrite local laws, because they're staring down the barrel at those fines, firings and lawsuits. St. Petersburg is getting ready to repeal its ordinance against discharging firearms in the city limits. Tarpon Springs made a similar decision in August. Brooksville killed a ban on guns in parks and also deleted a law...

The British people have been completely disarmed according to UN resolution, and here are personal accounts of british citizens of why Americans need to fight for their constitutional rights. (Video)

While this has been a landmark year for gun rights across the country with Wisconsin passing a carry bill and Wyoming moving to constitutional carry, Virginia continues to lead the way by passing pro-gun bills at an astonishing rate. Lead by the tireless efforts of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Virginia gun owners have much to look forward to on July 1st.

(WIREUPDATE.com) — A list of nearly 5,200 names of gun permit owners in Des Moines, Iowa was published on Thursday in the Des Moines CityView paper, sparking privacy concerns among the residents. In the article titled “Who’s Packing” the names of those who filed for a gun permit under the new Iowa gun law are listed in alphabetical order. “With nearly 5,200 applications to carry already this year, it’s safe to say that plenty of people, including your neighbors and friends, are now “packing heat.” Cityview author Jared Crutis wrote before naming all the residents. The article was published in...

"It's time to close the national personal self-defense loophole," gun rights expert John M. Snyder said here today. "Congress should enact national reciprocity for citizens issued permits to carry concealed firearms by individual states," he added. A former National Rifle Association, Snyder is Public Affairs Director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. "An individual who has a state-issued permit to carry a concealed firearm ought to be able to carry in any state in the same way an individual with a driver's license can drive anywhere in the United States," Snyder said. "Such a...

As the phrase “Common Sense Gun Laws” has been so overused by the MSM as a means to try to enact every type of intrusive, incremental type of restriction and gun ban that the anti-freedom collective wishes to impose on free citizens, I thought it would be interesting to hear Freepers ideas on what real common sense gun laws would be. I have come up with a few ideas for starters: 1. Eliminate sales taxes on guns if the buyer shows that they have passed a gun safety course. 2. Eliminate the Federal restrictions on the sale and ownership of...

Joe Zamudio was out buying cigarettes last Saturday when he heard what sounded like fireworks but quickly realized were gunshots. He reached into his coat pocket for the 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol he carried, clicking the safety off. He heard yelling around him: "Shooter, shooter, get down!" Zamudio saw a young man squirming on the ground and an older man standing above him, waving a gun. Zamudio, 24, had his finger on the trigger and seconds to decide. He lifted his finger from the trigger and ran toward the struggling men. As he grabbed the older man's wrist to wrestle the...

I just got my first gun. Kim du Toit used to blog about how a .22 was a household commodity, like sugar or flour. However, the People's Republic of Massachusetts made things enough of a PITA that we never jumped through the required hoops. Now we're in Georgia, and breathe free air, so it's a different story. Because I no longer live in Massachusetts, I don't need special licensing from the State to own a gun. Even without special papers, without fingerprinting and background checks, I can own one - and ammunition (!) -without becoming a felon. What this make...

Britain's gun laws need a complete overhaul BRITAIN’S gun laws need a complete overhaul in the wake of the shootings, a military hero said yesterday. Doug Beattie, who won the Military Cross in Afghanistan, called for gun owners to undergo an annual psychological assessment. He said: “There should be a fundamental look at the ownership of any weapons. I do not see any requirement for gun ownership except for specific businesses. “Sporting guns should be held in a centralised location, such as a sporting club. Anyone who does have a gun should have a psychological assessment each year.” In the...

Britain. They have some of the toughest gun laws in the world, and anti-gun proponents would claim that could only lead to positive results, right? Wrong. According to the UK’s Daily Telegraph who filed for a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) to obtain the figures, the results for those advocating looser gun restriction laws could not be better. The report shows in Britain at least one in three police forces have seen an increase in either gun or knife offenses in the last year. “Force by force statistics obtained under the Freedom of Information have raised fears that Government initiatives...

An increasing number of U.S. states are revolting against the Federal Government's attempts to control the possession of firearms.

The Brady Campaign to prevent gun violence has compiled a scorecard for each state, according to how they (the Bradyites) view each state’s gun laws. These statistics are through 2009. More restrictive states received higher scores. Utah received the best—or worst, depending on your perspective—score (0), and California received the worst (79). The score had several components, such as whether laws were in place to forbid bulk purchases, and whether there were “assault” weapons bans. Complete details are available at their site. The Guardian, doing the job American papers have forgotten to do, and using the Fed’s data, compiled each...

Pima County may be affected when the Arizona State Senate Judiciary Committee has a hearing on Monday, February 15, 2010 to discuss pending gun legislation.

Test your knowledge of federal firearms laws. 17 Questions. Fed. Firearm Law Questions

Fairfax, Va. -- An Arizona man who spent nearly three years in prison for justifiably shooting a man in self-defense is now free and clear of all guilt in his case. This week the Arizona Supreme Court let stand the state appellate court’s decision to overturn Harold Fish’s second-degree murder conviction. The National Rifle Association provided assistance in this case. NRA’s Office of General Counsel advised Fish’s defense counsel, and the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund provided financial aid for Fish’s defense. Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action said, “We are pleased that justice has...

1. I hope this is just coincidence and not due to something in the water. These events all took place within about 30 miles either side of I-35 along the 100 mile distance from Austin to Waco, Texas: * November 5, 2009: The massacre at Fort Hood by a muslim traitor. 13 killed, 3 * A 1993 raid by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the subsequent siege by the FBI ended with the burning of the Branch Davidian ranch outside of Waco, Texas in McLennan County. David Koresh, 54 adults and 21 children were found...