Free Republic

This week on Uncommon Knowledge, the man who saved the Second Amendment. In 2007, Judge Laurence Silberman, senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, wrote a decision overturning the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns. The following year, the Supreme Court agreed with him.

Video Presentation Use the comment section on each of the videos if you have an opinion. THE SECOND - The Legislation. Under STORIES. Propaganda piece for the Brady bunch and CCAGV. Note reference to upcoming legislation. On the DATA page you may have to Right Click to open.

If this isn’t the perfect evidence of why any freedom loving western citizen should be against gun registries, then you can’t make the case at all. Over the last few weeks the police in Toronto, Canada have been stormtrooping through the homes of average, everyday Torontonians that have had the misfortune to have appeared on the area’s gun registry and confiscating their legally owned guns. What has been the pretext for this massive gun confiscation program? Unfortunately, the restrictive gun laws in Canada allow authorities to stomp through any citizen’s home and demand to see where that citizen stores his...

The Ministry of National Defense plans to sell more than 100,000 aging U.S. combat rifles to American gun enthusiasts, ministry officials said Thursday. The plan is part of the ministry's programs to boost its defense budget, they said. About 86,000 M1 Garand rifles and 22,000 M1 carbine rifles will be sold to gun collectors in the United States, as the U.S. government has approved the sale. The rifles were originally given to South Korea as part of a U.S. aid program in the 1950s, according to officials. The total value of the firearms for sale exceeds $120 million. The rifles...

With one swift slash from a samurai sword, John Pontolillo made a convincing case for ... private ownership of handguns? Oh, you betcha. Pontolillo is an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University. Before Sept. 15, that's all he was... But nine days ago, Pontolillo went from being a simple college guy to being in the center of the maelstrom that developed after he slashed a burglar in the backyard of a house he shared with fellow JHU students. Pontolillo used a samurai sword to defend himself after the burglar lunged at him. With one swish he nearly severed the burglar's left...

NASHVILLE - The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has told Tennessee gun dealers to disregard a state statute that exempts firearms made and sold inside Tennessee from federal gun laws and registration. The ATF says the federal laws still apply regardless of the state's move. The Tennessee legislature considered and approved several bills this year to reduce restrictions on firearms, including one bill that its sponsors labeled the "Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act." It passed overwhelmingly, the House 87-1 and the Senate 22-7, despite warnings by some lawmakers that it could subject Tennessee citizens to federal prosecution and...

[snip]Armed with a shotgun, wearing masks over their faces and carrying rope, the two men knocked on the door of the Taylor home. When Taylor, 58, a former part-time police officer, answered the door, the two men shoved their way inside. The men had Taylor on the floor, strangling him, and were demanding money and the location of a safe when Taylor's wife, hearing the commotion, came downstairs and told the men she had expensive jewelry upstairs. While they were focused on the jewelry box, Taylor got his handgun. The man with the shotgun pointed it at Taylor, who opened...

In the early days of America's history, before independence, wily frontiersmen formed community militias to provide protection from the native Indians and French-Canadian settlers. By the 1760s, peace resulted in militia training reaching a low point. For example, during militia training, a common salute to an officer consisted of a militiaman's firing a blank shot at an officer’s feet. A general sense of humor and neglect existed among the colonists toward formal military discipline. However, marksmanship and weapon handling remained important as a part of daily life and thus was regularly practiced. Many of the other practices of the...

I no longer hunt often- usually pheasant a few times a year and a day or two of spring turkey, if I'm lucky. Accordingly, I'm down to two shotguns- a Remington 870 Wingmaster I've had forever and a camo Benelli Nova. I've been shooting sporting clays and trap sporadically over the summer and enjoy it. I use my 870 as I've literally shot it for half of my life. I'd like to shoot trap on a regular basis with the thought of joining a league next year. I'm looking for recommendations for an entry-level trap gun. I'd like to spend...

"American firearm owners form the cutting edge of the modern freedom movement in the United States," gun rights expert John M. Snyder said here today. A former National Rifle Association editor, Snyder is Public Affairs Director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Treasurer of the Second Amendment Foundation, and Manager of Telum Associates, LL.C. Shotgun News last year named him the senior rights activist in Washington. Snyder said the Senate's recent 68-30 vote allowing Amtrak passengers to transport handguns in their checked luggage may indicate that, "politicians are beginning to get the message. The...

A diverse crowd of more than 150 people gathered in Forum Hall Wednesday evening to hear the opinions of two law professors as they debated the ever-present topic of gun control in relation to the language of the U.S. Constitution. The audience sat intently as the debate-style information session titled “Guns on Campus? The New Understanding of the Right to Bear Arms” brought two perspectives on the future of the courts’ interpretation of the Second Amendment through the research and experience of Raymond T. Diamond, law professor at Louisiana State University, and William Merkel, law professor at Washburn University.

We dealt with this yesterday on the show … but it certainly, it is worth watching for yourself. Chris Matthews, bless his heart tried to explain why an avoid communist killed JFK because he was influenced by right wing extremism. His guest Gerald Posner (Daily Beast) agrees the protestors are just a loaded magazine away from going violent.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- A measure to put Amtrak passengers on the same footing as airline passengers, allowing guns in checked-through baggage, was passed by the U.S. Senate Wednesday. The legislation, part of the transportation and housing appropriations bill, was approved 68-30. It would deny federal subsidies to Amtrak if it doesn't change its rules. The House version does not include the provision. Domestic airlines allow licensed gun owners to transport their weapons in their checked-through baggage. One senator said the gun measure "is going to put a severe burden" on Amtrak, CNN reported. But the measure's sponsor, Sen....

Here is a little test that will help you decide. The answer can be found by posing the following question: #You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you. You are carrying a Colt Model 1911 45 cal. automatic pistol, and you are an expert shot. You have a mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do? Democrat's Answer : Well, that's not enough...

Annie Le was a Yale University PhD student who was recently found dead in a campus building, found the same day she was supposed to get married. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,549765,00.html Several months before her untimely death, she wrote an article about avoiding/dealing with crime on the campus after interviewing the Chief of police in town. http://bbs.yale.edu/images/B10_1.pdf In this piece, several tips are given by the Chief, but none could realistically help someone Annie Le's size (4' 11" and 90 pounds) against an attacker. Simply unrealistic. Once again, the officials ignore the elephant in the room; namely, that guns are often the best...

(MOBILE, Ala.) Sept. 10 - The lesson here is never threaten an expecting mother, especially if she's armed with a shotgun. "I was angry," Randi Fairley says. "I was really mad that he was in my house." At around 4 A.M. Sunday, Fairley was wide awake, because her unborn daughter was kicking. That is when she heard a noise; it sounded like someone touching a potato-chip bag downstairs. "I came and looked over the stairs," Fairley says. "I saw this kid, down at the bottom of the stairs. He was about to grab my computer." Fairley is six and a...

Speculations have been running wild since Sunday when a United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force plane was detained in Kolkata, India, for carrying undeclared weapons bound for China.

Many gun-loving Americans are convinved that President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress are bent on ripping rifles from their "cold, dead hands," as actor Charlton Heston once declared at a National Rifle Association meeting. But from the perspective of police departments – not to mention gunmakers – the Obama administration may go down as one of the most gun-friendly in history. Across America, police departments are using the taxpayer-funded stimulus bill to boost their arsenals with shotguns, handguns, and assault rifles. Among the general public, a record 1 million guns were sold across the United States in August alone, rebuffing...

I figured since I had two questions, I'd combine them into one thread to make my referencing simpler and one less for everyone to look at. :) How does one truly know if a site that sells heirloom seeds is REALLY selling heirloom seeds? That's my 'caveat emptor' question. Secondly, I'm needing a cleaning kit for my carbine, but the non-specialty stores seem to have just American standard caliber kits. IIRC, isn't .308 the same as 7.62mm in diameter? Thanks for your help!

Video at the link. Very well done, good statements from sherrifs on the border.

The reliable measure of stability in many countries is the value of the currency or the price of equities, bread or fuel - but not in Afghanistan: here the key indicator that nearly every Afghan keeps tabs on is the price of a Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle.

Sep 9, 2009 10:40 pm US/Central Air Rifles And BB Guns: Toys Or Weapons? SEND A TIP TO THE 2 INVESTIGATORS Reporting Dave Savini CHICAGO (CBS) ― Just a few hours ago a Naperville high school student was arrested for shooting a BB gun at students from Chrone middle school. Fortunately no one was hurt. Not the same can be said for one Glen Ellyn woman who had a BB pellet pulled out of her heart. That's why there is a growing call to have BB guns and air rifles regulated like handguns. CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini takes a...

Smith & Wesson President and CEO, Michael F. Golden, said, "Ongoing consumer demand for handguns and tactical rifles fueled our strong growth and allowed us to deliver record financial results in the first quarter. Higher production levels in our Springfield factory allowed us to capture additional revenue in the quarter, and a focus on controlling costs helped translate that revenue into profitability." Golden continued, "In addition to robust growth in our firearms segment, we began a new and exciting chapter in our history by entering the large and rapidly growing security market with our acquisition of USR, a leader in...

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,074,757 checks in August 2009, a 12.3 percent increase from the 956,872 reported in August 2008. So far that is roughly 9,076,205 gun bought this year! The total is probably more as NICS background checks may cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time.

We've talked about Rep. Carolyn McCarthy's "No Fly" bill before. I've also made it the subject of my October Guns Magazine "Rights Watch" column: Having been thwarted in 2005, she recently reintroduced H.R. 2401, the “No Fly, No Buy Act of 2009,” with the stated objective “To increase public safety and reduce the threat to domestic security by including persons who may be prevented from boarding an aircraft in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and for other purposes.” There's a danger that could catch citizens unawares with terrible consequences: Author and attorney Dave Kopel noted, “Under the New...

WATERBURY, Conn. - Connecticut residents are arming themselves at quite a clip, with women, in particular, packing heat in growing numbers. The state issued 7,741 pistol permits from January through May, a 90 percent increase over the same time period in 2008. Nearly 12,000 new permits have been issued so far this year in a state that recently posted one of the lowest gun ownership rates in the country, according a study of 2006 data by the Violence Policy Center, a national gun control advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. Connecticut gun retailers and educators who run the safety classes...

With nationwide demand for firearm ammunition outstripping manufacturers' supply, empty shelves in Nevada gun stores have some consumers sweating bullets. On delivery days at the Bass Pro Shop in the Silverton, 20 to 30 customers will line up for the store to open, said Keith Rainey, an assistant manager in the hunting department. "They call us up every day to find out when the next load is coming in," Rainey said. "If you don't get there early, you don't get any bullets." John Lowrie, a sales representative at Discount Firearms on Highland Drive, said it's the same in every store....

A fatal San Marcos shooting may fall under the castle doctrine. Two Luling teens are dead, one is in the hospital and another is in jail. Early Friday morning crime scene tape surrounded a home just a couple blocks away from Texas State University. Police say it's the result of a home invasion robbery carried out by four Luling teenagers. "Three of the suspects were armed, one with a handgun, two with what we were later to find out were pellet guns, but very realistic looking,” San Marcos Police Chief Howard Williams said. San Marcos Police Chief Howard Williams says...

It's high noon for the high holidays. Fearing jihadists will attack synagogues during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a group of badass rabbis has developed a program to turn your average shul-goer into a lean, mean fighting machine. The group, which calls itself the International Security Coalition of Clergy, was founded by Rabbi Gary Moscowitz, who boasts a black belt in karate, teaches martial arts and was an NYPD cop for nine years. He's teaching others basic and advanced fighting moves -- how to take down a terrorist by the neck, how to use a table as cover from gunfire...

In the Olympics of car ownership, Rachel Veitch of Orlando, Fla., is a marathoner of the first order, with a record virtually impossible to match. For one thing, Veitch is still driving at the age of 91. For another, she has had her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente for 45 years, racking up about 559,000 miles on it. Together, Veitch and her car have outlasted her three husbands -- a feat surely worth of a footnote in the annals of automotive history. This happened for a simple reason: A retired nurse, Veitch likes to keep things in good working order --...

Started another thread about getting sights for my 1911. And it got me thinking that another thread might be worthwhile... What are some films that use the 1911 prominently? Terrific (or sucky!) movies that have the ole standby as the handgun of choice? Tell me, tell me, tell me...

Awww...you know how it is... Looked around online and got some answers...BUT...for gun porn, the Freep has been the place to go. Freepers have always been the mother lode for gun info... I have several pistols, but just bought a Rock Island Armory 1911, full size, to play around with. Both as a rock-solid, nearly mil-spec .45 and also as something I could customize and build up as I like. I'm looking for some advice on sights. This'n's got the GI blade sights. It'll shoot fine, but I'd rather have some better sights on it. I'll have a gunsmith do...

Gunmen open fire on paramedics in Gary Thursday, 03 September 2009 7:16AM GARY, Ind. (STNG) -- Two men shot at two paramedics Tuesday night after the medics dropped off a patient in Gary, Ind., police said. Gary police Cpl. Gabrielle King said one medic was standing at the rear of the ambulance in the 5100 block of West 4th Avenue with the doors open, and the other was standing at its front at 5:50 p.m. Suddenly, she said, two males drove around the ambulance in a red two-door Geo Tracker and and fired four shots. Next, she said, the men...

At the same time, hoplophobes seek to suppress any expression of gun ownership or approval of the practice among adults. Many corporations include websites about firearms or firearm accessories in their list of sites to block — right up there with porn and the stuff about making bombs. The media routinely lies about the motivations and intentions of people who choose to carry firearms on their person — as CBS and MSNBC recently did when it peddled false stories about those who were open carrying at some of the townhall protests and other gatherings. In polite society, guns shouldn't be...

East Alton, IL – -(AmmoLand.com)- Winchester® Ammunition was recently awarded a contract by the Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security to supply a maximum of 200 million, 40 cal. rounds over the next five years.

Craigslist now requires phone verification to submit ads to the Sporting Goods section. Maybe they're not requiring everyone to do so, but it just required me to verify by phone (recorded code) to be able to post to the sporting goods section. It includes a warning that violation of policy (guns, ammo) will result in suspension of account and blacklisting of the phone number. Ebay bought a large percentage of craigslist and is probably behind some of this. The liberals are in charge. Most Americans have little backbone to fight these people in control. The whole thing is a tragedy.

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline)-The family of an Illinois boy who was fatally shot by his friend have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a federal law that protects gun companies from most civil lawsuits. The family of Joshua Adames want the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005 overturned, a move that would allow them to sue a gun manufacturer over the 13-year-old boy's accidental death.

In a story in this week’s issue of The Catholic Review, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien talked about the violence plaguing Baltimore City. Here is the full transcript of that conversation. Catholic Review: When the summer began, you had a peace summit with other religious leaders and you were hoping this would be a summer of peace. How frustrating has it been to watch everything that’s transpired? Archbishop O’Brien: I hope some of it helped. It’s safer in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think, sometimes. Still, there are good people out there patrolling the streets and taking an interest in the neighborhoods...

Battle lines between sportsmen and anti-hunting extremists seem to be hardening with each passing day. Frighteningly, it looks to get worse as a major anti-hunter is on the verge of setting up residence in a federal office with the power to block pro-sportsmen regulations for years to come. Cass R. Sunstein may not be a household name, but make no mistake, in academic and legal circles he is a rock star. His nomination by President Obama to serve as the head of the powerful Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), otherwise known as the "Regulatory Czar", appears on track...

"The weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully-automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons – anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun – can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons." - Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center (VPC) - 1989 Twenty years ago, when Sugarman made the above quote, the universe of "black rifles" and those who possessed them was a small fraction of what it is today. Now, the AR-15 is the most popular rifle in the country and other...

Frommer's Travel guide guru Arthur Frommer said yesterday in his blog that he is considering recommending an Arizona travel boycott because of recent open firearms carry in a non secure area at an Obama speech location . And what was the police and Secret Service action was taken to citizens openly carrying guns there? Precisely what it should have been. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No reaction whatsoever. Although his travel guide is not urging a boycott, not just yet anyway, Frommer said that he will not travel in any state where people can legally carry loaded weapons in the open as...

'This is an issue where the federal government has no business' Montana statehouse Supporters of a first-of-a-kind law in Montana that declared weapons or ammunition made and kept in the state were exempt from federal rules are preparing for a court challenge to the federal government's insistence it will regulate those items. The Montana Shooting Sports Association and the Second Amendment Foundation have formed a strategic alliance with plans to litigate over the Montana Firearms Freedom Act. The bill was passed by the 2009 Montana Legislature and signed into law by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police are unraveling a home invasion and burglary that began at an elderly couple's home and ended with a 15-year-old suspect shot to death on a nearby street.

I'm a strong proponent of the Second Amendment. One reason for that (there are others) is that I believe that you have an absolute right to self defense. A firearm is, for many, the best and most effective method of self defense. You'll often hear me lamenting the fact that one person at a crime scene—a passenger, a customer, a teacher, a student, a security guard, a clerk—could have saved many more if only they'd had a gun to use against the bad guy. And it's not bragging to tell you that I'm right in 100% of those cases because...

Clark County Shooting Park dedication triggers assertions of gun rights support Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., tells of shooting a jack rabbit in his youth at Tuesday's dedication of the Clark County Shooting Park in the northern valley. Reid, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons and Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Harry Reid progeny Rory Reid all took turns declaring their support for gun rights in Nevada. Everyone knows Sen. Harry Reid is tough on political foes, but he's even tougher on jack rabbits. Wielding an antique .22- caliber rifle Tuesday, Reid, D-Nev., told an audience...

California Legislature to Consider Anti-Gun Bills Very Soon Please Contact Your State Legislators Immediately! As we have reported, there are two very serious anti-gun bills pending action in Sacramento. These bills could be heard as early as Thursday so it is critical that your contact your legislators in opposition. Assembly Bill 962 is currently awaiting action in the Senate. Sponsored by Assembly Member Kevin De Leon (D-45), AB962 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...

It's called the Ammunition Accountability Act (AAA). You've got to love the name. It sounds so noble. But remember the great gun writer, Mel Tappan's, universal rule of law: "The nobler the language, the more nefarious the purpose of any legal instrument."

Highlights Enthusiasts Agree: Guns and HUMMERs go together Dealer says “It’s been a huge success.” Watch video: http://www.cardealerreviews.org/?p=116792

"Once upon a time . . . " Sometimes it seems that news reports about guns or gun owners should begin with that phrase. Those four short words would inform readers that while the story to follow will be presented as fact, it is really fiction, or better said, a myth or a fable. Unfortunately, non-truths, through constant repetition, have come to displace facts in the public dialog about guns in America. Some of these fables, as many fables do, started out with a grain of truth, but were later misrepresented and twisted to serve a particular political purpose. Others...

North Carolina State Senator R.C. Soles, 74, the longest-serving lawmaker in the General Assembly, shot a home invader as he tried to break into his home Sunday. He shot 22-year-old Thomas Kyle Blackburn in the leg as Blackburn and another man allegedly tried to break down his door. They apparently were both legal clients of the senator. The Senator, who has made a career of being against gun rights for you and me, didn't hesitate to defend himself with his own gun when he believed he was in immediate danger, and was the victim of a crime against himself. In...