Free Republic

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials testified during a Wednesday House hearing that the department would not comply with proposed legislation barring it from sending certain information about U.S. military veterans to the federal government’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The VA reasons that reliance on a fiduciary indicates a beneficiary is mentally incompetent. Federal law states firearms dealers receive a “deny message” if a NICS check for a potential buyer determines the buyer has been adjudicated as a mental defective. … Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) challenged the VA witnesses later on in the hearing to explain their...

Supermarkets in multiple states are now selling firearm ammunition right out of a dispenser. VIDEO AT LINK.................... Americans love guns. Not only do roughly 40 percent of Americans say they live in a household with guns, but the U.S. beats out every other country on Earth when it comes to the ratio of guns to people (the 2nd most gun-dense country is Yemen, and it’s not even close). Indeed, the U.S. is actually the only country in the world that has more firearms than people. Congratulations, everybody. Given all that, it’s really not surprising that, in some states, you can...

Gun law restrictions have no impact on the rate of homicides between states, a study has shown. Researchers at Duke University compared gun laws across the US, including states with and without background checks, 'stand your ground' laws and safe storage requirements. They found there was no difference in homicide rates in states with or without firearm laws and restrictive access, a finding they said 'surprised' them. Since 2020, firearms have ranked as the leading cause of death for children under 18 years old, accounting for more fatalities than traffic accidents and cancer combined. However, the regulations were a lifesaver...

The number of times firearms are used in self-defense is difficult to quantify. In a rare analysis of data concerning deaths related to firearms, the Colorado Center for Health & Environmental data has produced figures that indicate firearms are commonly used for self-defense.The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment analyzed 5,287 firearm-related deaths in Colorado from 2016 to 2020. Of those deaths, the vast majority, 73.6%, were suicides. 24.9% were homicides/assaults (about 1316). Of the homicides, 24.7% were justifiable self-defense (about 325).Firearms availability has minimal if any, effect on overall suicide rates. Firearms availability may increase or decrease overall...

Buckeye Firearms Association PAC has announced its endorsement of Bernie Moreno for U.S. Senate."We're thrilled to throw our support behind Bernie Moreno and help throw out anti-gun, F-rated Sherrod Brown," said Linda Walker, Board President of Buckeye Firearms Association.BFA-PAC leaders sat down with Moreno in May at his campaign headquarters in Columbus to discuss his campaign and stance on the Second Amendment. Our team asked a range of detailed questions on specific issues confronting gun owners and sportsmen in Ohio and across the nation.Along with his 100% gun rights candidate survey score, Moreno and his team expressed enthusiastic support for...

Over 10 million American gun owners have abstained from registering to vote in the upcoming presidential election—a move that could significantly benefit President Joe Biden if left unaddressed. Gun owners of America, unite—or lose your right to own guns for good. A stunning 10 million gun owners and hunters are not registered to vote in 2024, according to the grassroots organization Vote4America—a potentially dire statistic for the Republican vote overall. Such a large voter bloc could easily secure former President Donald Trump a landslide victory—and defend the Second Amendment for years to come from the radical left—but gun owners have...

Here are all the cases which have been documented where .45 acp handguns were fired in defense against bears. These cases do not include incidents where handguns were use with other lethal means, or a mix of handgun calibers were used. If more than one handgun of the same caliber was used, the incident is included. There are 9 incidents with a .45 acp caliber handgun was fired in defense against bears (6 black, 3 brown). The incidents are listed chronologically.We have found 9 cases where .45 acp pistols were used to defend against bears. 6 against black bears, 3...

The incident sparked criticism of Sotomayor's Second Amendment positions during her tenure on the high court, including one decision where she co-signed a dissent that said the Constitution does not protect "a private right of armed self-defense." In that case, McDonald v. Chicago, decided in 2010, then-Justice Steven Breyer dissented from the majority which ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to own a gun against the regulations of state and local governments. "In sum, the Framers did not write the Second Amendment in order to protect a private right of armed self-defense," Breyer wrote. Parker Thayer of...

The abortion debate in America has been a defining issue for decades, drawing a clearly defined line between those who value life and those who, quite frankly, promote death. From the infamous Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, which opened the floodgates to the slaughter of the unborn, to the 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned it, conservatives have long held the moral high ground. We have rightfully labeled the Democrat party as the “party of death”—it is their policies that have facilitated the killing of millions of innocent lives. Yet, with the latest compromises from the Republican National Committee (RNC),...

A Tennessee church raffled off an AR-15 rifle as part of its Independence Day celebration over the weekend. Dr. Todd Holmes, senior pastor of The River of Tri-Cities Church in Johnson City, said that he sees the giveaway as part of a broader effort for his church to “be a blessing” to the community. “This is just one of the many giveaways that we do here at our church,” Holmes told WJHL last week. “And I thought it was appropriate, since it’s about our nation’s independence and part of our Constitution and our Second Amendment rights.” Although Holmes acknowledged that...

As dedicated NRA supporters, we know it’s maddening to witness the betrayal from within our own ranks. The latest news reveals the agreed-upon settlement that Wilson “Woody” Phillips, the former CFO of the NRA, confessed to unethical conduct, further deepening the trust issues we’ve had with the organization’s leadership. Phillips’ Deceitful Contract Without disclosing their relationship, Phillips admitted to awarding a $1.36 million contract to HomeTelos, a tech company run by his then-girlfriend Nancy Richards. This was a blatant violation of NRA policies designed to prevent conflicts of interest. It took whistleblowers raising the alarm for Phillips to finally come...

The Arizona rancher who became the face of the border crisis when he was charged with killing a migrant on his land will not face trial again, a judge has ruled. George Alan Kelly, 75, was charged with the killing of Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, a Mexican national found dead on Kelly's sprawling ranch in January 2023. The case led to a mistrial in April when jurors failed to reach a verdict after one hold-out refused to acquit. Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink denied the prosecution's request to keep the case open on the possibility that new witnesses could...

Hunter Tyce Erickson has the story of a lifetime after recently taking down a Kodiak bear. Erickson went viral over the weekend after several social media accounts shared a photo of the massive bear he took down in Alaska. Naturally, I had to dive into the details. Erickson revealed in a podcast that they were tracking the wounded bear that he had shot with a rifle when it charged him and his guide. Upon being charged, the guide fired two shots from his rifle - at least one hit - but the bear wasn't down. That's when Tyde fired with...

In 2008, bear spray received a large boost with the publication of the paper on the “Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray” by Smith and Herrero. The paper considered 83 incidents, of which 72 incidents were scored for effect where bears were sprayed. The eleven other incidents did not involve bears being sprayed. The authors judged bear spray to be 92% effective. 25(35%) of the scored incidents involved aggressive bears. 10 of the aggressive bears charged (14% of the incidents). 21(29%) of the 72 incidents involved park personnel targeting bears. The percentage of aggressive bears that were deterred was not mentioned....

Two deputy U.S. Marshals thought to be guarding Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s home in Washington, D.C. shot a suspected carjacker who pulled out a gun last week, officials said. The U.S. Marshals office said that suspect Kentrell Flowers, 18, allegedly walked up to one of the deputies’ cars at around 1:15 a.m. on July 5 and pointed a gun at the bodyguard. The Marshal fired four shots, hitting Flowers in the mouth. Flowers was taken to hospital for treatment and arrested. “The Deputy U.S. Marshals involved in the shooting incident were part of the unit protecting the residences of...

Lowe’s Market in Canyon Lake now sells bullets between its ATM and ice machines. The Sattler store recently placed an American Rounds ammunition vending machine by its entrance. With the swipe of a driver’s license customers can now purchase ammo for handguns, shotguns and rifles. “It’s as secure as going to Walmart or Academy,” said an employee who asked not to be identified. Lowe’s expects to add another vending machine at its Startzville/Canyon Lake location in the near future.

A homeowner in Los Angeles opened fire on numerous alleged intruders Monday around 3 p.m., critically wounding one. NBC Los Angeles noted, “Investigators believe three masked men tried to break into the home on Addison Street near Colfax Avenue, but they were stopped by the property owner.” FOX 11 reported there were “two to three” alleged intruders, who managed “broke into a home” and an altercation with the homeowner ensued. Thereafter the homeowner retrieve a handgun and shot one of alleged intruders, causing the other(s) to flee. Officers arrived to find the wounded 25-year-old suspect was “conscious and breathing,” and...

A deputy US Marshal shot a would-be carjacker who pulled a gun on him while he was guarding Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s home in Washington, DC, authorities said. Two deputies were parked outside Sotomayor’s home in northwest DC on July 5 when Kentrell Flowers, 18, allegedly walked up to one of their cars around 1:15 a.m. and pointed a gun at the bodyguard, the US Marshals Service told The Post.

Attorneys for Hunter Biden on Tuesday withdrew their bid for a new trial in his federal gun case, conceding in court papers that a motion they filed last month misunderstood a technicality in the district court's capacity to carry out a trial. Hunter Biden's legal team had argued in a filing last month that his "convictions should be vacated" because trial commenced before a circuit court formally issued a mandate denying one of his many pretrial appeals -- an argument disputing not the merits of the case, but the mechanics of the trial.

Many readers are interested in how various handgun calibers have performed in defense against bears. This is a complicated subject. Sometimes, any caliber will do. Sometimes, a level of power may be required. Sometimes, a level of accuracy or speed may be required. Many permutations exist. The most important aspect, if a confrontation occurs, is to have a firearm available, easily and quickly accessible. The specific caliber is less important. These updates include all the incidents we have been able to document to the date of the update, after several years of intense searches. We have always asked for examples...