Free Republic

President-Elect Donald Trump stunned the world last night with a commanding upset victory over the heavy favorite, Democrat Hillary Clinton. In addition to Trump’s victory in the contest to be the 45th President of the United States, the National Rifle Association’s five million members helped retain control of the Senate by backing victorious GOP contenders in Florida, Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, and Wisconsin (at this time, New Hampshire’s Senate contest between Kelly Ayotte (R) and Maggie Hassan (D) remains too close to call). The House also remains comfortably under the control of the GOP. The NRA pumped more money into...

Gun stocks have plunged since the election of Donald Trump. What happened? Trump was endorsed by the National Rifle Association and was the clear favorite of white, rural, gun-loving America. But the stock prices for Sturm, Ruger (RGR) and Smith & Wesson (SWHC) have both dropped by more than 20% since Trump won. The problem is that gun lovers are losing their biggest boogeyman: Hillary Clinton, who would have continued President Barack Obama's pursuit of gun control legislation. She was so reviled by the industry that Ruger CEO Michael Fifer described her in August as "actively campaigning against the lawful...

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump -- who said he has a concealed carry permit -- called for the expansion of gun rights Friday, including making those permits applicable nationwide. In a position paper published on his website Friday afternoon, Trump called for the elimination of gun and magazine bans, labeling them a "total failure." "Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own," Trump wrote. It's not a departure from what he's said on the trail this year, though it...

I wish to remind everyone, that before his election, Barack Obama said: "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded [as the military]." And five days before his election, he added, "We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America." Recall, too, that under Obama, the Federal government weaponized many federal agencies, including the IRS, VA, and yes, the EPA. Not to mention the infamous rumors of the purchase of 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition by the Department of Homeland Security. We need to make...

Election results mark a continuation of the group's impressive success rate when making large investments on candidates.The National Rifle Association took a historic gamble in 2016, and it paid off in a huge way.The gun rights group placed multimillion-dollar bets on Donald Trump and six Republican Senate candidates locked in highly competitive races. It poured $50.2 million, or 96 percent of its total outside spending, into these races, and lost only one — an open seat in Nevada, vacated by the Democratic Minority Leader, Harry Reid. That race cost the NRA roughly $2.5 millionThe NRA’s big night came as a...

France has a large number of legal firearms and firearm owners.  That number is growing, as explained in an English language French publication. From thelocal.fr: As a result there has a been a surge in the number of people joining gun clubs and looking to arm themselves. An investigation by the Nouvel Observateur website found that the number of people signing up to become licensed members at shooting clubs has risen 38 percent in five years. And in the past year alone there has been a 10 percent increase, believed to be down to the spate of terror attacks...

Bullet lube in a black powder cartridge can function in two ways. On grease-groove bullets, it helps keep the bullet from rubbing the gun’s bore to reduce the chance of leading. In a load with a paper-patched bullet, it coats the bore with lube to help prevent hard powder fouling from being too hard or stiff. In other words, with grease-groove bullets, the lube is primarily for the shot being fired, but it also leaves the bore somewhat coated with lube to keep the black powder fouling soft for the next shot. When shooting paper-patched bullets, the lube largely prepares...

Californians have passed a ballot initiative that expands on some of the nation’s toughest gun control measures. Proposition 63 won on Tuesday and in early reporting had 63 percent of about 4.5 million votes cast. It calls for a ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines; background checks for ammunition sales and speeding the seizure of firearms from people who are no longer allowed to own them.

President-elect will have chance to fill Scalia’s vacancy; as nominee, he said Second Amendment was ‘under siege’ Mark H. Anderson Updated Nov. 9, 2016 WASHINGTON—Republicans took a big gamble on the Supreme Court earlier this year when they shut down President Barack Obama’s effort to fill a vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February. Now, it appears that extraordinary bet may pay off. President-elect Donald Trump will likely get the chance to fill the seat, putting up a nominee after he is inaugurated in January before a Senate that Republicans will control next year. One hurdle...

Kaine tweeted that he’s “proud” of infringing on your Second Amendment rights. .@timkaine: Perennially “F” rated by the #NRA during his tenure at both the state and federal levels… https://t.co/JNIkoyUvxS #VPDebate — NRA (@NRA) October 5, 2016 And proud of it. https://t.co/eTkYtcuAw4 — Senator Tim Kaine (@timkaine) October 5, 2016 Clinton claimed to know better than the Supreme Court when it came to the Second Amendment. During a private fundraising event last year, Clinton said, “The Supreme Court is wrong on the Second Amendment. And I am going to make that case every chance I get.” Clinton was referencing the...

It seems obvious: Restrict gun access and people will be safer. Indeed, in all four presidential debates, Hillary Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine have pushed for background checks on private transfers of guns. Clinton says this will “keep guns out of the hands of those who will do harm.” After each mass public shooting, President Obama has made a similar case for background checks on private transfers of guns. But theory and practice don’t always match. Too often, gun bans or background checks don’t stop criminals and disarm law-abiding citizens, particularly poor minorities. This only makes life easier for...

Handguns from an Arizona Turn In Event, 2013 In 2013, the Arizona Legislature passed HB 2455, to prevent the destruction of valuable firearms by lower levels of government in the state. No penalties were imposed. It is not normal for local governments to destroy valuable property, at least not when the property can be legally sold for the public benefit. But in this case, the property was being destroyed for ideological purposes, not for pragmatic ones. The purpose of destroying valuable guns is to send the propaganda message: guns bad.  Some cities, especially Tucson, refused to obey the law....

Hope some freepers can hopefully lend a hand. I am trying to find the best source for gun ownership by state. Is there a reputable source for this that someone can reccomend? Thanks.

The following article appeared on November 2nd on the American Thinker website Hillary: Impose Gun Control by Judicial Fiat By David T. Hardy It’s no news that Hillary Clinton is against guns (except those in the hands of people who protect the high and mighty) and enthusiastically in favor of restricting gun owners. When it gets down to specifics, her position does become vague, with some exceptions. One of those exceptions stands out only because of its obscurity. Hillary really, really, wants to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. The PLCAA essentially protects gun manufacturers and gun...

Gun owners must take better care of their firearms to stop them falling into the hands of jihadists plotting a massacre, police have said, as they disclosed 800 lawfully-held weapons go missing each year. The threat of terrorists getting guns for a marauding Paris-style assault has meant the need to rid the streets of weapons has “never been a more significant priority”, senior officers said. The difficulty of finding guns in the UK has given police a “massive advantage” in stopping atrocities such as those seen in France, but there are concerns firearms are still available to potential terrorists, some...

As a US Government contractor and retired US Army Soldier with 23 years of service I’m allowed an account on the US Army’s social portal, AKO, Army Knowledge Online. AKO is an employee portal for all Soldiers and Army Civilians to collaborate, exchange, and find information about their unit, the Army and the US Government. Recently I attempted to load a picture on my AKO profile page. The picture shows a close up of me shooting an M1 Garand. Shortly after the upload AKO informed me via email that Response Via Email: “(Janet C.) - 11/02/2016 07:53 AM Your recently...

October, 2016 continued the record breaking pace to become the year with the most gun sales ever. The 2016 NICS checks are far ahead of those for 2015, the previous record holder. In October 2016 there were 2,333,539 National Instant Checks done.  In 2015, the NICS done in October were 1,976,759.In 2015, the total NICS checks for the year were 23,141,970 .  In 2016, through October, they were 22,206,233.  That is less than 1 million below the total for 2015, with the two biggest months in 2016 yet to happen.  Last year there were 17,584,346 by the end of...

The number of firearms in private hands has been rising for at least 70 years.  During the last 20, the numbers of murders, murders with guns, and violent crime with guns has been dropping sharply.  It has become very hard to say that more guns equal more crime with a straight face.  Fatal gun accidents are at an unprecedented low.  The rate of fatal gun accidents has dropped 94% in 85 years.The response of those who wish to disarm the public has been to focus on suicides.  They lump in suicides with murders and accidents and call the whole...

A 40-year-old Hollywood man is being held on five counts of attempted murder after an apparently random shooting spree that left one person hospitalized in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. Carl Deshon Washington was arrested Saturday morning after police said he shot at several passing motorists in the area of...

Depending on what you’re shooting, there’s always a little bit of recoil, sometimes it’s hardly noticeable, like the AR-15 — unless you’re a journalist with the New York Post. On the other hand, a rifle like .950 JDJ, has a kick that leaves a lasting impression and probably a bruise the size of a dinner plate.