Free Republic

Flipping a gun for a price higher than one paid now may turn anyone into a dealer, making any such sale unlawful if it does not involve all the licensing and paperwork that govern gun dealers.. On Friday, the 31st anniversary of the massacre of Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, the ATF issued new regulations that make it more difficult to comply with federal laws regulating gun dealing and background checks. Since the 1930s, federal law has required gun dealers to be registered as Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL). The requirements hinged on the meaning of “engaged in the business of”...

You've met America's 'worst mayor' Tiffany Henyard, and now meet the woman who may be the country's worst sheriff. Rochelle Bilal is currently the deputy sheriff for the City and County of Philadelphia, and has been for the last four years - but she has recently been embroiled in scandal, including frivolous spending, maintaining a secret 'slush fund,' and allegedly losing 76 guns from her department. Bilal's campaign team also came forward and acknowledged that 30 fake positive 'news' stories posted to their site were generated by ChatGPT after the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that outlets could not find the stories...

Does your state support your 2nd Amendment rights – or make it exceedingly difficult to keep and bear arms? We’ve ranked the worst states to be a gun owner by analyzing each state’s current laws, upcoming laws, concealed carry guidelines, self-defense statutes, and 2A-centric taxes. #1 Hawaii #2 California #3 New York #4 Illinois #5 New Jersey #6 Connecticut #7 Maryland #8 Massachusetts #9 Rhode Island #10 Michigan #11 Washington #12 Minnesota #13 Colorado #14 Nebraska #15 New Mexico #16 Pennsylvania #17 Oregon #18 Delaware #19 Wisconsin #20 Vermont #21 Virginia #22 Nevada #23 Ohio #24 Maine #25 North Carolina

During the first six decades of the eighteenth century, the American colonies were mostly allowed to govern themselves. In exchange, they loyally fought for Great Britain in imperial wars against the French and Spanish. But in 1763, after the British and Americans won the French and Indian War, King George III began working to eliminate American self-government. The succeeding years saw a series of political crises provoked by the king and parliament. What turned the political dispute into a war was arms confiscation at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775.

Already under fire for misspending most of the money donated to the March for Our Lives PAC he co-founded, gun control activist David Hogg was unable to make a coherent response to Lily Tang Williams' criticisms of his gun-control efforts. Ms. Williams immigrated from China, became a US citizen and is now running for Congress in New Hampshire. "You say no one should have the right to own a gun," Ms Williams said. "Well, in China, no private citizen is allowed to have guns. No one has an effective self-defense against government tyranny. The communist government murdered millions of its...

Contrary to rumor, we here at Twitchy are not, in fact, the personal press agents for actor James Woods, LOL. We just happen to love the man because he drops so many truth bombs on Twitter, they're impossible to resist. Just this week, the two-time Academy Award nominee has epically dunked on Don Lemon, Eric Swalwell, and Joe Biden's unconstitutional college loan 'forgiveness' program. He's murdered more leftist narratives than Jack Crow did vamps in John Carpenter's Vampires. Last night, Woods set his sights on the gun control debate. With one single meme, Woods demolished leftist narratives on the gun...

Report Highlights: • The U.S. has more than 82 million lawful firearm owners. • 53% of the 21 states with restrictive concealed carry laws have violent crime rates higher than the national average. • 55% of states with a violent crime rate below the national average have permitless carry. • Between 60,000 and 2.5 million Americans use firearms for self-defense each year. • 40% of criminals convicted of crimes while in possession of a firearm were already prohibited from carrying firearms. • A 2018 study shows that 68% of those convicted of crimes while in possession of a firearm were...

Report highlights: • An average of 10,252 firearms were used in homicides between 2015 and 2019. Handguns were involved in 59% of homicides in 2020. • Handguns were used in 62% of homicides between 2015 and 2019. • Most mass shooters used firearms chambered in 9mm and .223 Remington in 2023 and 2024 (to date), resulting in 45% of all deaths. • 1 in 6 criminal assaults involving a firearm results in death. • Gunshot victims were 4.5 times more likely to die when shot by larger caliber bullets (.357 magnum, .40, .44 magnum, .45, 10 mm, and 7.62 ×...

A Chinese immigrant emphasized to activist David Hogg what the Founding Fathers knew so well — that violating the right to keep and bear arms is the first and most vital step for any would-be tyrant. It is interesting to note that Hogg’s Leaders We Deserve PAC is currently involved in a scandal over reports that it spent almost half of the money it raised ($1.4 million) in 2023 on travel, consultants, and legal fees but less than $235,000 on its actual alleged mission of helping get Gen Z candidates elected. Hogg not only has no understanding of how guns...

The Biden administration announced Thursday morning that the Department of Justice has finalized a new rule that requires many gun sellers offering firearms at gun shows or online to obtain a license and conduct background checks. The new rule is set to be enforceable in 30 days. Current rules require licensed gun dealers to perform criminal background checks on purchasers, but private sales have long been exempted. The new rule intends to require those who sell guns to earn a profit to obtain a license and register. The White House said that if a person is repetitively selling guns of...

Report Highlights: • There are 26 states with permitless concealed carry freedoms • Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of firearm-related homicides even though it has strict carry laws • 83% of states with permitless concealed carry have a homicide rate at or below the national average • 45% of states with no permitless concealed carry laws have homicide rates above the national average • 3 out of 5 of the safest five states in the U.S. have permitless concealed carry • 2 out of 5 of the top five most dangerous states in the U.S. have permitless concealed carry,...

We graded Illinois’ candidates based on their previous 2A voting records, public statements on their constituents owning firearms, and their willingness to focus on 2A issues. Given our research on these criteria, we’ve assigned the following grades to those currently running for office: A – Joshua Loyd, James Marter B – Jerry Evans, Joe McGraw C – Mark Rice D – Nikki Budzinski F – Raja Krishnamoorthi, Bill Foster, Lauren Underwood, Eric Sorensen

Key Statistics: • There have been 196 accidental deaths related to firearms so far in 2023. • Accidental shooting deaths have declined from 1,491 per year (1979-1998) to an average of 606 (1999-2023). • 728 accidental shootings (including injuries or death) occur on average yearly. • 1% of all firearm-related deaths in 2022 were unintentional. • Individuals aged 14-30 are consistently more likely to die of accidental shootings than any other age group.

Here are the highlights: A - Kat Cammack, Cory Mills, Jose Castillo, Adianis Morales B - Anna Paulina Luna C - Tatiana Fernandez D - Rick Scott, Mario Diaz Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar F - Debbie Mucarsal-Powell, Tom Wells, Darren Soto, Tony D’Arrigo

On March 22, 2024, Governor Mark Gordon vetoed Wyoming House Bill 125 ( House Enrolled Act 49), which would have eliminated many of the gun free zones which exist in Wyoming.Governor Gordon (R), in his veto letter to the Wyoming Secretary of State, said: “The bill exceeds the separation of powers embodied in Article 2 of our Wyoming Constitution. I must, therefore, veto it.”HB 125 passed with veto-proof margins in both the House and Senate. In the House, the vote was 57-7-1. In the Senate the vote was 22-8-1. Wyoming requires a 2/3 vote of both chambers of the legislature...

Colorado Democrats are pushing an 11 percent excise tax on gun and ammunition sales, as well as numerous other California-style gun controls. There is a public hearing on the excise tax proposal today, and Colorado Springs firearms instructor Ana Flanell is urging the public to rally against the tax. On Easter Sunday she posted to X: “Join me at the Capitol tomorrow to testify against this “sin” tax. Self-defense is our right and we should not be taxed an outrageous 11% to exercise our Second Amendment rights. I’ve included a screenshot below of what to select when signing up. Let’s...

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who was convicted on federal bribery, money laundering and other corruption charges in 2014, has completed his 10-year sentence and is asking a federal judge to restore his rights to carry a gun and vote. But prosecutors said Thursday that the New Orleans-based judge has no authority to restore Nagin‘s federal firearms rights, and that it’s up to the state of Texas, where he now lives, to decide on his voting privileges. Nagin, 67, recently filed a court motion in New Orleans, noting that his federal prison time and supervision were officially over on...

Mexico can continue to sue five Arizona gun businesses over criminal gun trafficking through the southern border, a federal judge ruled Monday. US District Judge Rosemary Marquez denied the firearms dealers’ request to have the case dismissed under the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). She rejected claims that the statute, which generally prohibits lawsuits against the gun industry for crimes committed by third parties, barred Mexico’s allegations that the gun dealers’ sales practices helped fuel criminal violence south of the border. She found Mexico met the bar to carry on with some of its claims, such...

An adult male allegedly stabbed multiple victims in the Rockford, Illinois area on Wednesday, leaving four people dead, one in critical condition and four others in stable condition, authorities said in a press conference Wednesday. A postal worker is among the four individuals who died, Rockford Police confirmed. Details about the other victims have not been released.

During her confirmation hearing, 7th Circuit Court nominee Nancy Maldonado was questioned by Sen. John Kennedy about supporting Illinois’ “assault weapons” ban. Maldonado had signed a brief arguing such weapons could be banned as too dangerous for self-defense. However, when Kennedy pressed her to define “assault weapon,” Maldonado said she was “not a gun expert” and could not remember the exact definition. Kennedy said, “You said, ‘Assault weapons may be banned because they’re extraordinarily dangerous and are not appropriate for legitimate self-defense purposes.’ Tell me what you meant by ‘assault weapons’?” Kennedy noted she had submitted a brief calling to...