IACP Endorses Head Shots: The International Association of Chiefs of Police has issued new guidelines for the use of deadly force when confronting suspected suicide bombers. While I have been skeptical about the reality of making head shots on animate targets, this has become doctrine in dealing with "active shooters" and this brand of terrorist. In this scenario, head shots (note plural) might be more properly viewed as a pre-emptive than a defensive technique and would likely require advancing on the threat. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8817824/ --- Stalker Critically Wounded By Ex-Girlfriend: A Louisiana man was wounded by a gunshot when he broke down the door of the house of his former girlfriend. Of note, it appears that the woman only fired one shot yet the attacker was critically wounded and the bullet ended up in a wall in a neighbor's trailer home. Methinks she was probably not using hollowpoints. http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/080405/new_addis001.shtml --- Teen Released, Still Faces Trial: A 16-year-old boy, charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of his 12-year-old half-brother, has been released to the custody of a family friend. Note the reference to the forensic determination that the shooting occurred from at least five feet. One element of such determinations is the pattern of stippling and tattooing from unburned powder granules - this is why my students are advised to retain five rounds from every lot of ammunition loaded into a defensive firearm, so that any such testing will accurately reflect the round that was used. http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/87296.php --- Officer, Citizen Wounded In Shotgun Mishap: A Canadian police officer and a woman at the scene of a domestic-dispute call were both injured by ricocheting pellets when the officer discharged his shotgun into a sidewalk in the process of clearing it to replace in his vehicle. I have always been troubled by the traditional process of placing a shotgun in "cruiser ready" that includes pressing the trigger to uncock a presumably unloaded shotgun. http://edmonton.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ed-police-shot20050803 --- Campus Firearm Bans Don't Work: A recent graduate of the Oregon University System reminds of of his failed lawsuit to overturn the campus firearm ban and the futility of that ban. http://www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/08/04/42f1c07a4438a --- John Lott vs. AHSA: John Lott details the links between Democrats and the phony American Hunters and Shooters Association, which is merely a cover for firearm-prohibition advocacy. http://johnrlott.tripod.com/2005/08/democrats-set-up-fake-organizations-to.html --- Russia Fights Cloning Of AK-47: Russia is appealing to the UN to recognize its intellectual-property rights in a battle to clamp down on the unlicensed manufacture of copies of Russian small arms, including Kalashnikov rifles. http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/08/04/041.htm --- NRA Convention Moves To St. Louis: The NRA has announced that the 2007 annual meeting, previously scheduled for Columbus OH, until that city passed a ban on cosmetically impaired firearms, has been re-scheduled for St. Louis MO. While Missouri has been a shall-issue-CCW state for a while, the City of St. Louis only recently began accepting applications for CCW endorsements, making it the last jurisdiction in the state to stop bucking state law in that regard. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/EA494F97B2179BF38625705400149655?OpenDocument --- Jacob Sullum vs. NRA: Libertarian commentator, in an article entitled "NRA vs. the Constitution," takes the NRA to task for extremism in defense of the RKBA. http://www.reason.com/sullum/080505.shtml --- The Other Side Of the Story: An account of the Weyerhaeuser firings that triggered to the Oklahoma law, now tied up in court, that would prohibit employers from banning firearm storage in vehicles on company parking lots. http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/08/04/152612.php --- CCRKBA, SAF Support NRA Boycott Of ConocoPhillips: Link is to August 4 press release. http://press.arrivenet.com/pol/article.php/678486.html --- From GOA: Battle to Save the Gun Industry Moves to the House -- Rep. Musgrave working to remove anti-gun amendment Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 http://www.gunowners.org Thursday, August 4, 2005 Last week, GOA alerted you to legislation passed in the Senate (S. 397) that will protect gun makers from frivolous lawsuits. Unfortunately, S. 397 passed with some unwanted baggage -- specifically, an amendment offered by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) requiring gun dealers to include a "lock-up-your-safety" device with every handgun sold. In addition to imposing a "gun tax" on every handgun buyer, this amendment paves the way for future legislation mandating that gun owners use those trigger locks. Many gun owners don't use locking devices because they want instant protection during a moment of crisis. That should be their choice. So GOA is now working with Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R) to get this obnoxious provision stripped out of the bill. She will be sending a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Majority Leader Tom DeLay, asking them to NOT approve the Senate bill. Rather, the Musgrave letter asks these two leaders to push the House bill, H.R. 800, which provides lawsuit immunity for gun makers and sellers, without endangering average gun owners. H.R. 800 has been well received in the House, as it currently has a whopping 257 cosponsors. Rep. Musgrave needs additional cosignatories before she sends her letter. And this is where we need your help. ACTION: Please ask your Representative to sign onto the Musgrave letter opposing the "lock-up-your-safety" provision in S. 397. She needs as many Congressional signatures as possible to show the House leadership that there is a groundswell of support for pushing the House bill, H.R. 800, rather than just taking the Senate version at face value. You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Representative a pre-written e-mail message such as the one below. --- Pre-written letter --- Dear Representative: As you know, the Senate recently passed much-needed lawsuit protection for the gun industry (S. 397). But this bill passed with some unwanted baggage -- specifically, an amendment offered by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) requiring gun dealers to include a "lock-up-your-safety" device with every handgun sold. In addition to imposing a "gun tax" on every handgun buyer, this amendment paves the way for future legislation mandating that gun owners use those trigger locks. Many gun owners don't use locking devices because they want instant protection during a moment of crisis. Mandatory trigger locks will actually cost lives by rendering self-defense firearms ineffective in an emergency situation. I urge you to sign onto a letter being circulated by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave which deals with real efforts to gain lawsuit protection for gun makers and gun dealers, without endangering ordinary gun owners. The letter asks the House leadership to push H.R. 800, a lawsuit protection bill that contains no gun control, rather than its Senate counterpart. H.R. 800 has been well received in the House, as it currently has 257 cosponsors. America deserves a clean bill which offers real protection for gun makers and dealers. Thank you very much. Sincerely, *********************** BATFE Fails the Test Raw, uncut footage of BATFE agents testing a semi-automatic firearm for alleged "modification" to full-automatic capability. What happens when the BATFE "expert" is confronted by a knowledgeable firearms expert? If you own a semi-automatic firearm, what happens in this film could happen to YOU! Produced by JPFO, BATFE Fails the Test is available now for $17.76 on VHS or DVD. Price includes postage. With your purchase, you'll receive a copy of the exam report by the defense's expert witness, demolishing the BATFE's position. Get your copy of this eye-opening documentary at http://www.jpfo.org/batfevideo.htm today. **************************** --- From JPFO: ALERT FROM JEWS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FIREARMS OWNERSHIP America's Aggressive Civil Rights Organization August 4, 2005 JPFO ALERT: IS S. 397 A TROJAN HORSE? You may have heard a lot of praise for S. 397, which last week passed the U.S. Senate. This bill is supposedly intended to protect firearms manufacturers against nuisance lawsuits. There's been minor grumbling about the "safety lock" provisions in the proposed legislation, but otherwise S. 397 has had overwhelming support. Just about the time we were wondering why even some usually gun-unfriendly senators like Herb Kohl (D-WI) were in favor of this bill, an alert Congresswatcher contacted us with a warning. "The only thing I see that's good about the bill," this sharp-eyed observer wrote, "is that it hasn't become law." After taking a closer look, we agree. As our correspondent pointed out, the real problem lies in Sec. 6 "Armor Piercing Ammunition." THIS SECTION COULD ALLOW ALL CENTERFIRE RIFLE AMMO TO BE BANNED Here's how. Part One of Sec. 6 makes it illegal to make, import, sell or deliver any "armor-piercing" ammunition EXCEPT: 1) For the use of state and federal government departments or agencies. 2) For export 3) For Attorney General-approved testing. Part Two "enhances" criminal sentences for anyone who possesses "armor-piercing" ammunition during the commission of a crime. Part Three is where the trap is really sprung. Because this part instructs the U.S. Attorney General to "conduct a study to determine whether a uniform standard for the testing of projectiles against Body Armor is feasible." NOTE WELL: The tests to determine whether or not ammo is "armor piercing" are NOT to be conducted against armor plate, such as that used on military combat vehicles. The tests are to be conducted against body armor. And as anyone knowledgeable about firearms knows, VIRTUALLY ALL RIFLE AMMO WILL PENETRATE BODY ARMOR. So will some pistol ammo. We asked firearms maker Len Savage if the warning we received was well-taken or whether this was simply a misinterpretation of the proposed law. Here's Len's reply: "Yes. This gives the A.G. the power to say what is and is not "armor piercing." There is no language for what type of test is to be conducted (other than ballistic vests). If the test were on 1 inch "rolled homogeneous armor plate" then there would be no problem. If the test is a level I "vest" material, then EVERYTHING including .22 longs, are going to be illegal ammo. "The bill would effectively give the power to decide to ONE person. NO vote, NO appeal, NO rights. (Just like the current mess with [the sloppy, no-standards testing practices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms].) "I figured it was a matter of time before they got around to figuring out: Control the ammo and you control the guns. Of course there would be born a "black market" for ammo, very close to the black market for marijuana, in size, scope, and risks. Next will be the sentencing recommendations for possession, and distributing (dealing). Components will be viewed as constructive intent of illegal manufacturing of "terrorist material." "This is a dangerous path for America. I am forced to ask myself: Why the continued attack and obvious methodical disarming of American Citizens? There is only one answer: control and power." Just as "Saturday-Night specials," "military-style assault weapons," "cop-killer bullets," and "sporting purposes" have all been used as deceptive, emotionally loaded key words to justify regulations and outright bans, it now appears that the designation "armor-piercing ammunition" is likely to be mis-applied in an attempt to deprive Americans of their rights. We should all be asking some serious questions about the real impact S. 397 will have on our freedoms if it becomes law. One important question is: Why are our "leaders" so desperate that they would attempt to slip such a potentially draconian provision into a supposedly pro-gun bill? The Liberty Crew LINKS: S. 397, Sec. 6 http://tinyurl.com/9u8mt (click on [S.397.ES]) A reality check on the U.S. government's sloppy firearms testing procedures: http://www.jpfo.org/alert20050701a.htm ============================================================ -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .