Firearms News

NSSF: Gun sales up because ‘customer base is changing’

The gun industry’s leading trade association said earlier this month the media misses the mark when speculating about fluctuating gun sales.

The real reason why background checks — and by proxy, gun sales — ebb and flow, said Larry Keane, NSSF’s general counsel, is a lot less salacious than impending gun control or terrorism.

“Although we at NSSF point this out all the time and we are often quoted, the underlying sales factor that gets short shrift is that more people are participating in the shooting sports,” he said June 8. “While many new shooters first try their hand with a rental or loaner, active participation in a shooting sport generally leads individuals to buy a gun — and quite often, as their interest grows, more than one.”

Keane cited an NSSF special industry report that found target shooting participation increased 44 percent between 2009 and 2016 — proof that the sport appeals to a broader and broader demographic as time passes.

“New shooters are younger, are more female and increasingly diverse in ethnicity,” he said. “The shooting sports are affordable, accessible, and more inclusive than ever before and people are taking full advantage. Even if the industry has room to become more welcoming and inclusive, our customer base is changing along with the American population. They are buying firearms and going to the range. All are welcome.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation processed 1.8 million applications through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System last month. Guns.com estimates about 926,000 guns were sold — nearly 57,000 more than May 2016, the busiest on record.

It continues a trend first noticed in March and sustained in April, when estimated sales eclipsed the previous year by 4,400.

While market analysts and the media offer theory after theory — global terrorism, stateside mass shootings, rock bottom prices — for the unanticipated shift upwards in NICS checks, Keane insists none of it is unexpected, at all.

“Make no mistake, these factors do play a role – they are just overemphasized most of the time,” he said. “Reporters rarely take much time to speak with retailers and gun owners about why they own guns or why the industry is seeing growing or steady sales. They like to report on months when sales dip and ignore or downplay months when they rise – unless there is a mainstream media political narrative popular at the time.”

6/21/17 | by Christen Smith

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TSA: Record number of guns found in one week

The Transportation Security Administration said Thursday the single-week record for the number of firearms discovered in carry-on bags across the country has been broken.

TSA screeners found 82 guns in traveler’s bags between May 15 and 21, breaking the standing record of 81 set last August.

Of the 82 guns collected, 66 were loaded and 18 had a round in the chamber.

“Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality,” the agency said. “Travelers bringing firearms to the checkpoint can be arrested and fined up to $11,000. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.”

The agency suggests travelers brush up on the proper way to fly with firearms and cautions to never pack ammunition or any gun parts in carry-on luggage.

Guns can be traveled with, so as long as they are unloaded and locked in a “hard-sided” container in checked baggage only. The firearms must first be declared at the ticket counter.

The agency tasked with protecting travelers in the nation also found other contraband including a cache of novelty edged weapons in a carry-on bag in Dallas, a sword cane at Valley International in Harlingen, Texas, and a Swiss army knife inside a bill bottle in Vermont.

5/30/17 | by Chris Eger

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FBI restores NICS customer service line for retailers as background checks slow

The Federal Bureau of Investigation restored service to its customer service line earlier this month as the unprecedented surge in background checks from 2016 levels out.

The agency announced May 17 a dedicated phone line for retailers struggling with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System will operate noon until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Holly Morris, an FBI community outreach specialist, said Friday background check applications are “forecasted to be at a more manageable level,” allowing former staff to resume the service.

The agency cut the line last year and redirected its staff to assist with the record-breaking 27 million background checks completed in 2016. NICS applications so far this year lag about 1.1 million behind.

Retailers can also request assistance through the NICS FFL website, under the “Assisting with NICS processing” section.

5/30/17 | by Christen Smith

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Trump ‘slump’ could be turning into Trump ‘bump’

As background checks for gun permits trend downward, the share of estimated gun sales rise — rivaling 2016 in some months — according to FBI data released May 1.

The decreased proportion of permit applications suggests gun sales may be shifting from the rumored Trump “slump” to Trump “bump” — though National Shooting Sports Foundation General Counsel Larry Keane uses the term in jest.

“We’re starting to see an industry rebound and we tongue-and-cheek refer to it as the Trump bump,” he told CNBC Thursday.

Federal background checks ran for permits comprise 41 percent of all applications processed through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in 2017 — down 5 percent compared to last year.

Meanwhile, data shows dealers sold an estimated 4.5 million guns through April — about half a million less than this time last year, the biggest ever for federal background checks. April estimated sales, however, eclipsed its 2016 totals by more than 4,400.

Still, the firearms industry heads into its historically slower season this summer 10 percent down — but not out, Keane said Thursday.

“Reports of our demise are greatly exaggerated,” he said. “We see long-term growth as actually better for the industry. Slow and steady wins the race and sustained growth in a more normalized market allows the industry members to manage their inventory better, manage their cash flow.”

NICS serves a proxy for gun sales nationwide, but is an imperfect measurement of actual firearms sold. So far this year, 8.7 million applications have been processed through the system, however, Guns.com estimates only 52 percent of those resulted in a gun transfer — 1 percent more than estimated sales for the first four months of 2016.

5/16/17 | by Christen Smith

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ATF updates eForm 4473

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Thursday an updated version of eForm 4473 will now be available to federally-licensed firearms dealers.

The software program, first launched in 2008, targets mistakes on the background check form required for firearm transfers by the ATF. It cycles gun dealers through a series of prompts, digitally completing the form along the way in an effort to reduce human error.

Now, the form will include the updated language approved by the ATF last year so that it matches the paper version of Form 4473 in circulation since October.

ATF mandated the use of the new forms in January.

The newest version has more than 50 changes, including an addition of the definition for “fugitive from justice” — a term that has fueled a 16-year dispute between the ATF and the FBI and allowed the transfer of more than 2,000 guns to accused criminals.

Other changes to the form includes added warning statements for buyers in states with legalized or decriminalized marijuana for both medicinal and recreational purposes; clarifying buyers with initials in their legal names should indicate as such using the acronym “IO” for initial only; an option to include the name of the employee completing the background check; and added a direction indicating firearm information must be recorded even if a transfer doesn’t occur.

5/12/17 | by Christen Smith


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Winchester Ammunition feels Trump slump in first quarter

Winchester Ammunition reported an 11.5 percent drop in earnings due to weak demand and higher material costs in filings last week disclosing first quarter results.

The company’s president and chief executive officer, John Fischer, explained to investors that their buyers have been trying to reduce inventory they built up ahead of November’s presidential election while anticipation different election results.

Low demand has effected sales of pistol, rifle and shot shell ammo. “We expect this impact to continue through the second quarter,” Fischer said about efforts by retailers to reduce current inventory levels.

Filings by Olin Corporation, the parent company for Winchester, show the ammo maker bringing in $162.6 million in sales, down $21.2 million, with $25.1 million in profits, down $3.6 million.

Other gun and gun related companies have reported a slowdown since President Trump’s election victory, despite gun sales maintaining seasonal trends. According to federal data, gun sales January to March totaled 3.5 million, down from 3.9 million, or 10.3 percent, from the year before.

Yet, manufacturing operations at a new facility should offset operating costs. Winchester completed relocation efforts from southern Illinois to Oxford, Mississippi, last year, which should save $5 million a year, Fischer said.

Also, filling contract orders to the U.S. military in the latter half of the year should make up for lower commercial sales, he said, adding military sales will push earnings up 30-40 percent whereas they’re now seeing a 15-20 percent decline in commercial sales, Fischer said.

“I don’t – we don’t necessarily believe that’s going to sustain itself all year. I mean, in the fourth quarter of last year, we saw a pretty significant decline year-over-year,” Fischer said.

“So as we get further out into the year, the comparables get much easier for Winchester on the commercial side. What we did say, we expect commercial demand to continue to be weak in Q2,” he added.

5/08/17 | by Daniel Terrill

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67 guns stolen from delivery truck behind Academy Sports store

Thieves have stolen 67 guns from a delivery truck parked behind an Academy Sports store in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

The Clarion-Ledger reported the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Olive Branch police are investigating the theft of some 61 handguns and six long guns.

Police said the delivery truck driver parked behind the store and fell asleep on Sunday night before an early Monday morning delivery. When the driver awoke, he saw that the guns and ammunition were missing from the truck.

ATF Spokesman Special Agent Kevin Moran said authorities were alarmed that so many firearms were stolen at once.

“In general it’s always a concern when any number of firearms are taken from legal commerce and diverted to criminal activity, but even one gun is one too many,” Moran said. “Of course this is a priority for the ATF to be involved in, and we hope to recover every firearm and the information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved. It’s a huge priority.”

While stolen guns often end up in the hands of other criminals, Moran said it was too early to tell where the guns stolen from Olive Branch could go.

“Whether it’s gang related, or it could be cartel related, we don’t know yet,” he said. “Are the guns going to funnel south? I have no clue at this time to say if they’re going to Mexico or up to Chicago, but we follow investigative leads to answer those kinds of questions. Right now it’s way too early to speculate on the end location of where these guns end up.”

Mississippi Association of Gang Investigators spokesman Agent Daniel Dunlap said that from his experience, the guns would most likely end up on the streets, noting that he could not remember a case in which criminals used legally purchased guns to commit their crimes.

“Anytime that amount of guns is stolen, you have to wonder where they’re going. In my experience they end up back on the streets, back in the hands of gang members because there’s always a market for stolen guns because they can’t be traced,” Dunlap said. “They’re used in a crime, then either tossed or found years down the road.”

5/08/17 | by Andrew Shepperson

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Arizona House poised to approve anti-background check bill

Arizona legislators in the House cleared the way Monday for a preemptive strike on future universal background check laws proposed by any local ordinance.

Senate Bill 1122, a measure outlawing any future background check mandates for the transfer of private property — including firearms — received approval on the House floor via voice vote Monday. A formal vote on the measure has yet to be scheduled.

The one-page proposal, authored by Sierra Vista resident Jere Fredenburgh, specifically prohibits a city, town or county from requiring “as a condition of a private sale, gift, donation or other transfer of personal property, the owner of the personal property search or facilitate the search of any federal or state databases and shall not require that a third party be involved.”

Fredenburgh told lawmakers during a hearing last month universal background check laws in Washington and Oregon compelled her into action.

“The purpose is to protect all personal property,” she said. “I’m asking the legislature to champion personal property rights. I have to believe everyone in this room wants that choice to be able to dispose of their personal property as they see fit.”

Rep. Randall Friese, D-Tucson, said Monday the bill’s broad language doesn’t disguise its true intent.

“No one is talking about background checks for refrigerator sales, or microwave sales, or dining room furniture sales … or watch sales, or doorway sales, or door jamb sales, or door knob sales, or door key sales,” he said, according KJZZ News.

The measure passed the Senate 16-14 last month despite warning from Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, who called it a “bad idea.”

“This is over-wrought,” he said during a March 1 session. “This does not allow local cities or counties to do any type of a background check for any exchange of property including cars. This is being decided before the state Supreme Court right now so let’s not rush it. We should not be deciding for a city what’s best for the public safety of its citizens.”

The case Farley referenced pits Tucson against the state over its destruction of seized or surrendered firearms. The policy preempts state law that requires such firearms be sold, though a court decision in favor of Tucson would quash SB 1122, Farley said.

“The city of Tucson is arguing that gun regulations are a matter of local control,” he said. “I think we should wait to see what the court decides before we make any more laws that could be invalidated.”

The Arizona Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling in the case.

4/19/17 | by Christen Smith

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ATF announces NFA branch reorganization in effort to improve performance

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has split its National Firearms Act branch into a separate division in hopes of providing more oversight and efficiency.

The new NFA Division will consist of an Industry Processing Branch, focusing on processing forms from the private sector, and a Government Support Branch centered on law enforcement.

The IPB will see the regulatory body dedicate an entire branch to handling the processing of consumer-directed documents including Form 1 and Form 4 applications for the making and transfer of NFA items such as suppressors, and short-barreled rifles and shotguns.

Dillon McConnell, a public affairs specialist with the ATF, told Guns.com the agency has increased the number of Legal Instruments Examiners — specialists who process these forms — from nine in 2012 to 27 today to address “unprecedented” volumes of NFA applications. The new branch will also strive to leverage “technology enhancements” moving forward.

“In addition, contract staff augment the government staff in the areas of customer service, data entry, and application research,” McConnell said.

As illustrated by statistics maintained by the ATF, over the decade between 2004 -2014 the number of NFA forms processed ballooned sevenfold from 193,224 to 1,370,344. This has also led to increasingly long waits. According to information compiled by NFA Tracker, who survey Form 1 and Form 4 application processes, the average wait time from purchase to tax stamp received ranges between 180-270 days.

Suppressor industry advocates welcomed the news, but feel more can be done.

“Regardless of the reasons, the current wait times for NFA applications are inexcusable,” Knox Williams, president and executive director of the American Suppressor Association, told Guns.com. “The restructuring of the new NFA Division is a clear indicator to us that the ATF is doing the best it can to address the situation, but their hands are largely tied. We applaud them for their efforts, and will do everything in our power to assist and enhance their ability to more efficiently process forms.”

Williams contends one fast cure to the long waits is for legislative correction by removing suppressors from NFA regulation and treating them like regular firearms.

In an 11-page internal document penned by the ATF’s associate deputy director and chief operating officer Ronald B. Turk earlier this year, keeping suppressors chained to tax stamps and NFA forms was identified as a known bottleneck.

“Since silencers account for the vast majority of NFA applications, the most direct way to reduce processing times is to reduce the number of silencer applications,” Turk stated. “In light of the expanding demand and acceptance of silencers, however, that volume is unlikely to diminish unless they are removed from the NFA.”

Williams agrees. “At the end of the day though, it’s important to note that they are still working with an 83-year-old processing system that won’t be fully fixed until major reform like the Hearing Protection Act is passed,” he said.

Government Support Branch

The second arm of the newly separate NFA Division will be more centered on industry affairs such as processing Special Occupation Tax applications for those importing, manufacturing or dealing in NFA items. The group will also handle the paperwork associated with NFA items used by law-enforcement and government entities such as Form 10s and 479.33 exemptions as well as process Freedom of Information Act requests for the division.

Larry Keane, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s senior vice president and general counsel, told Guns.com he hopes the move leads to a better experience for all involved. “We hope it will help to enhance and further streamline ATF’s customer service to industry,” he said.

4/13/17 | by Chris Eger

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February 2017: background checks, gun sales in review

It’s not unusual for the gun industry to see a boost in sales during February and this year’s trend proved no different as dealers moved an estimated 1.2 million firearms — a 23 percent increase over the month before.

In fact, the only year to witness a dip in February’s federal background checks — and by proxy, gun sales — came in 2013, as hysteria of impending gun regulations in the wake of Sandy Hook tapered off.

Despite indications of a slowdown in December and January, however, applications processed through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System crept up more than 190,000 in February, averaging nearly 79,000 checks daily all month long.

The National Rifle Association pointed to the upswing as proof the “Trump Slump” doesn’t exist, while gun control advocates and media reports of a recalibrating industry spread nationwide.

While still 17 percent behind last year, the biggest days of 2017 thus far came when dealers processed 377,625 background checks over a three-day span, from Thursday, Feb.23 to Saturday, Feb. 25.

Only one other day so far this year has exceeded 100,000 checks: Friday, March 5.

February-2017-NICS-graphs“Comparing current data to the record high points doesn’t prove that sales have plummeted; it does indicate that the number of background checks performed – and so the number of permit applications and/or firearms purchases – is still at near-record levels,” the NRA said. “February 2017, one of the months cited as proof of the “Trump Slump” was actually one of the 15 busiest months ever for background checks.”

Just a day before the sharp increase in background checks, 51-year-old Adam Purinton opened fire on two Indian nationals inside Austin’s Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas, killing one and wounding two others.

Several witnesses told investigators they heard Purinton yell “get out of my country” before firing.

A Guns.com analysis of daily background checks uncovered a pattern of applications bottoming out on Sundays and rising throughout the work week until peaking on Friday. The impact of current events or politics on background checks, however, doesn’t always manifest in the data in the immediate aftermath of an incident, if at all.

Still, background checks for the three days following the shooting outpaced the fourth busiest day of the month — Friday, Feb.17 — by more than 28,000 checks.

Meanwhile, Congress continued with legislative lifts in February as Tennessee Republican Rep. David Roe introduced the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act on Feb. 16.

The proposal reverses an Obama-era rule dating back to his first term, when veterans assigned fiduciary trustees were automatically reported to NICS as “mentally defective,” stripping away gun rights.

Roe’s bill, H.R. 1181, would require a hearing before the Department of Veterans Affairs could report the beneficiary to the FBI.

“The freedoms granted by the Constitution should apply to all Americans—especially the men and women who have been willing to risk their lives to protect those freedoms,” Roe said. “This commonsense bill would ensure no veteran or beneficiary is declared ‘mentally defective’ simply because they utilize a fiduciary.”

Critics of the bill argued it would jeopardize the lives of veterans battling mental illness after returning from deployment.

“This gun lobby-backed proposal turns a blind eye to our country’s suicide crisis in which, on average, 20 veterans take their lives every day – and two-thirds of those suicides are carried out with firearms,” said Everytown President John Feinblatt in a statement. “This bill would put more veterans in danger by allowing vets suffering from severe mental illness who are prohibited from purchasing guns to buy them again. But the gun lobby isn’t concerned about that – they care about advancing their extremist ‘guns for everyone’ agenda.”

4/13/17 | by Christen Smith

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Without Obama, once-booming gun industry poised to shrink

President Trump’s election appears to be negatively affecting gun sales in the U.S. and the bubble appears to be bursting despite a staunch advocate for gun rights in the White House and Republicans ruling Congress.

"President Obama was the best gun salesman the world has ever seen," Karl Sorken, a production manager at Battle Rifle Co. in Houston. Sorken is an Army veteran and self-described liberal who voted for Obama and notes the change for the industry under Trump is a topic of conversation in the shop.

Fears of government limits on guns -- some real, some perceived -- led to a surge in demand during Obama's tenure and manufacturers leapt to keep up. Over the decade ending in 2015, the number of U.S. companies licensed to make firearms jumped 362 percent.

"The trends really almost since Election Day or election night have been that gun sales have slacked off," said Robert Spitzer, political science department chairman at State University of New York at Cortland. "When you take away Barack Obama and you give the Republicans control of both houses of Congress, which is extremely friendly to the gun lobby, then the political pressure subsides. And that surely is at least a key part of the explanation for the drop-off in sales."

The Washington Post reported that the FBI conducted about 500,000 fewer background checks in December 2016 then in 2015. Gun sales this year have reportedly dropped about 17 percent.

From 2004 to 2013, sales of all handguns -- pistols and revolvers -- increased nearly fivefold, according to industry figures. Sales of rifles tripled in that timeframe.

Battle Rifle took shape in the middle of that surge, formed in 2010 after its founder Chris Kurzadkowski ventured into his garage to build his police officer son a rifle from scratch.

"Our forefathers realized what tyranny does and if you don't have a way to protect yourself from tyranny then you become a subject," said ammunition expert Jamey Spears, who spent five years in Texas law enforcement until he was shot during a raid on a Dallas crack house. The .45-caliber hollow point bullet that went through a gap in his body armor remains lodged next to his spine, a noticeable lump reminding him of how close he came to dying that day.

"I have nothing but the most heartfelt adoration for people who serve so others can be safe," he said.

One reason for the surge in manufacturers of AR-platform firearms -- called "modern sporting rifles" by the industry -- is that they are not protected by patents or trademarks. That makes it an open field for anyone with the proper federal license.

Another has been demand helped by a monied clientele. The majority of AR owners are overwhelmingly male, with half between the ages of 45 and 64, and more than half reporting annual income of more than $75,000, according to a 2013 survey conducted for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents gunmakers.

Daniel Defense, a company based in Black Creek, Georgia, about 25 miles west of Savannah, capitalized on that growth. It began in 2000 by making parts for AR-style firearms. Last year, Daniel sold 60,000 complete weapons.

Founder Marty Daniel, who employs about 310 workers and is more than doubling his manufacturing facility's square footage, said he was prepared for the dips in sales and anticipates those will last through the year. But he considers the downturn part of a natural business cycle, like those that hit the housing market.

"There are some blips in there from time to time. And we're in one of those because Trump was elected," Daniel said. But, he says, "it's not gloom and doom."

Published April 01, 2017 FoxNews.com

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Pennsylvania Senate Committee schedules hearing for gun preemption bill

Pennsylvania’s Senate Local Government Committee scheduled a hearing Tuesday for a rebooted preemption bill invalidated by the Supreme Court last year.

Senate Bill 5 would prevent the state’s 2,500-plus municipalities from enacting gun ordinances stricter than state law. A similar measure was introduced in the House earlier this month.

Both bills want to correct Act 192 of 2014, which the state’s highest court threw out in a June 2016 ruling because it violated the single subject rule.

In October 2014, state Republicans amended Act 192 into a scrap metal theft bill and sent it to then-Gov. Tom Corbett’s desk. Described at the time as the “strongest firearms preemption statute in the country” by the National Rifle Association, state Democrats, including then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane, balked at the notion of gun rights groups suing municipalities over local firearm ordinances.

The NRA filed suit against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Lancaster less than two weeks after Act 192 took effect in January 2015.

In Commonwealth Court later that same year, the bill’s detractors argued the law violated the state’s single-subject rule — meaning it addressed too many unrelated issues in the same bill. Six out of the panel’s seven judges agreed, overturning the law. The state Supreme Court upheld that decision in June.

“It was very clear why the courts threw Act 192 out,” said Rep. Mark Keller, R-Perry, sponsor of the House proposal, last year. “Not because of this particular law, but because of the single subject matter. That needs to be noted. The law itself is not unconstitutional. It’s the way it was put through.”

Senate Bill 5 remedies the single-subject argument because its stands as its own piece of legislation.

“This legislation seeks to build on the good points of previous versions while including language reflective of discussions aimed at making this piece of legislation better,” said bill sponsor Sen.Wayne Langerholc, Jr., R-Clearfield. “It is my hope that these changes contribute to a solid piece of legislation to enforce our state laws.”

3/27/17 | by Christen Smith

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North Dakota joins ranks of constitutional carry states

Republican Gov. Doug Burgum on Thursday night signed a popular measure allowing law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

House Bill 1169 codified the right of those with a North Dakota drivers’ license or state-issued ID card to carry a concealed handgun. The bill passed the House last month 83-9 and the Senate this week 34-13. Burgum, who carried an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association during his election campaign last year, contends the measure reaffirms Second Amendment rights.

“North Dakota has a rich heritage of hunting and a culture of deep respect for firearm safety. As a hunter and gun owner myself, I strongly support gun rights for law-abiding citizens,” Burgum said in a statement. “House Bill 1169 allows citizens to exercise their Second Amendment right under the U.S. Constitution. It also is consistent with the North Dakota Constitution, which declares in Article I that all individuals have the inalienable right ‘to keep and bear arms for the defense of their person, family, property, and the state, and for lawful hunting, recreational, and other lawful purposes, which shall not be infringed.’ ”

The new law leaves the state’s current concealed carry permit scheme in place but allows that any resident with a state-issued ID for at least a year and is not prohibited from possessing a firearm could carry a handgun without having such a permit. It also adds a duty to inform police of their firearm during encounters such as traffic stops.

Gun control advocates to include Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety opposed the measure and had asked Burgum to veto the legislation. Former Republican Gov. Ed Schafer, the state’s chief executive from 1992 to 2000, had also lent his voice to the opposition.

“I think it’s a mistake. We’re going back to the ‘Old West, high noon, let’s all carry a gun; if we get into an argument…I’m going to start shooting at em’ attitude,” said Schafer.

“Gun ownership is both a right and a responsibility, and that responsibility begins with individuals and families,” Burgum said.

With the implementation of the new law, North Dakota became at least the 12th state to make obtaining a weapon permit optional when carrying a concealed handgun.

Vermont has never required a license to carry a concealed handgun and, since 2003, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Wyoming have moved to adopt similar laws.

While lawmakers in two of North Dakota’s neighboring states, Montana and South Dakota, approved permitless carry bills earlier this year, their respective governors vetoed the proposals.

The new law takes effect in North Dakota Aug. 1, 2017.

3/24/17 | by Chris Eger

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Here's how 'invisible armor' could defeat bullets and blades

Ever wonder if there was such a thing as transparent armor? It sounds like something straight out of a comic book, but it's something the Navy has actually created.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientists have created a remarkable transparent armor that is lightweight and still provides excellent protection.

Nearly as transparent as glass, the armor is essentially invisible protection from bullets. And if the armor surface is damaged, warfighters could fix it on the fly with something as simple as a hot plate and the armor will meld itself back together.

Think about how “bulletproof glass” (a misnomer since it is often only bullet resistant) works – you can see through it and it stops bullets.

Now what if you could do that for body armor and helmets? That’s the idea here.

This next-generation armor advance could also amp up transparent bulletproof walls to protect tourist attractions from the attacks we’ve seen in Paris and most recently, in London.

What’s the armor made of?

The transparent polymer armor gets its transparency from something known as tiny crystalline domains. The armor itself is made up of alternating layers of elastomeric polymer combined with a harder material substrate.

NRL scientists conducted tests using polymeric materials as a coating to try to enhance impact resistance.

By applying layers of the special materials to body armor and helmets, the result was better protection for warriors against bullets.

The armor also helped reduce the impact of blast waves caused by something like an IED explosion, which could potentially help prevent brain trauma.

When a bullet hits the armor

If you picture a windshield that has been struck by a rock kicked up while driving, the rock’s impact may cause damage that makes it difficult to see through the windshield.

One of the amazing things about this see-through armor is that when it's struck by a projectile, such as a bullet, it still retains its lucid nature. There’s virtually no impact on visibility and the damage is limited only to the spot where the bullet connected with the armor.

Repair vs. replace

The possibility exists that this futuristic body armor could be ironed back into shape after it sustained some hits, because of the material used to create it.

The material needs to be heated to around 100 degrees Celsius, which then causes it to become hot enough to melt the tiny crystallites. By heating the material, any impact from the bullet can be melded back together and returned to its normal state. Scientists believe that this sort of repair will not impact how the armor performs.

Easy, fast repairs can be a great advantage for warfighters operating in remote locations and it can save money by repairing rather than replacing.

Implications for protecting against global terror attacks

In a scenario like the recent London attack, lightweight body armor approaches like the aforementioned can be very useful to protect armed officers from bladed weapons, bullets and other threats while the reduced weight can improve their speed, agility and flexibility of response.

Like the Capitol building in the US, armed officers protect the building and those working in and visiting the building. Based on the information provided publicly thus far, the terrorist wielded a bladed weapon and attacked British officers. One officer was tragically killed.

Guns and explosive devices are not the only methods of attack used by Islamic extremist terrorists. In Europe, terrorist plots and attacks have increasingly involved bladed weapons on foot as well the weaponization of vehicles.

Islamic extremist groups such as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State group have been actively promoting these sorts of attack methods.

Just last month in Paris, a terrorist tried to launch an attack with machetes at the popular tourist site of the Louvre museum. A French soldier stopped him before there were any casualties.

In 2013, two terrorists drove at British Army soldier Fusilier Lee Rigby, who was walking a street in England. The terrorists then exited the vehicle, attacked him with blades and murdered him by hacking him to death.

Invisible Walls?

Ultimately, advances like NRLs in transparent armor could play a vital role in amping up “invisible” walls could be used to stop both people and vehicles from storming sites and areas. By enhancing protection, it could help prevent attacks and casualties.

Paris recently announced they are building an eight-foot bulletproof glass wall around the Eiffel Tower. Why? Tourist sites are attractive targets for terrorists. The goal is to stop not just bullets but prevent vehicles loaded with bombs from gaining access.

Transparent armor-ed up walls mean tourists can still enjoy an uninterrupted view while benefiting from enhanced protection.

Advanced armor like this can also become a deterrent to future attacks.

By Allison Barrie Published March 23, 2017

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California Supreme Court to review microstamping challenge

The state’s high court announced Wednesday it will weigh the case of two firearms industry groups who contend the state’s microstamping mandate is terminally flawed.

The California Supreme Court voted during its petition conference this week to review the case taking on the state’s 2007 unsafe handgun modification requirements.

The suit was originally brought in 2014 by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, who insisted the legal requirement for semi-auto handguns to mark cartridges with a microscopic array of characters, that identify the make, model and serial number of the pistol upon firing was, “impossible to accomplish.” The groups argued that the technology was unproven in actual field conditions and easy for criminals to defeat.

California Superior Court Judge Donald Black dismissed the case in 2015. In his ruling, Black cited the doctrine of sovereign immunity precluded the argument of the gun industry groups that “the law never requires impossibilities,” and felt the groups lacked standing to sue.

On a subsequent appeal to the California 5th Appellate District, a three-judge panel found last December that NSSF and SAAMI have “a right to present evidence to prove their claim.”

At stake is the ability to purchase newly manufactured semi-auto handguns in the state.

In 2014, just after the California Department of Justice began enforcing the mandate that new pistols submitted for approval to the state’s firearm roster incorporate microstamping capabilities, there were some 1,152 approved models. That roster has since constricted to 744 as legacy handguns, certified for a five-year period, cannot meet the new requirement. All the models currently on the list are scheduled to lose their certification in 2018.

Larry Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel, told Guns.com on Thursday their fight to prove that microstamping is a nascent, unproven and unreliable technology that should not have been mandated will prevail.

“We are confident the California Supreme Court will uphold the Court of Appeal ruling allowing our case to proceed to trial where we will prove that it is impossible to microstamp a firearm in compliance with California’s ill-advised law that has resulted in no new models of pistols being available to purchase in the state since the law was implemented,” said Keane.

3/23/17 | by Chris Eger

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‘Gun Show Loophole Closing Act’ reintroduced in the House

A Democrat from New York’s 12th congressional district reintroduced the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act in the U.S. House of Representatives last week.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney sponsored H.R. 1612 Friday and, so far, 29 co-sponsors, all Democrats, have signed onto the bill, which would require background checks for all firearm sales at gun shows.

“For too long, we have allowed the gun show loophole to undermine our best efforts to prevent crime and keep guns away from dangerous individuals” Maloney said Friday. “The Brady Bill has prevented the sale of more than 3 million guns to felons, domestic abusers, and other prohibited purchasers. The gun show loophole and other shortcomings erode this progress and safety check, allowing dangerous individuals to game the system and slip through the cracks.”

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act mandates background checks for guns bought through federally licensed dealers only, thus allowing otherwise prohibited buyers to exploit the so-called loophole by forgoing a background check during a private sale.

This bill, like the five iterations before it, tries to close that perceived loophole as well as require gun show operators to register with the attorney general’s office and update the state with a list of all vendors’ identities at any upcoming events. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would also “inspect” gun shows and the vendors’ records.

“This common-sense legislation would make sure that all sales at gun shows require background checks,” Maloney said. “Just like New York has already required on the state level.”

Efforts to close the “gun show loophole” have found success at the state level, with universal background check laws on the books in eight states, including California, Washington, Oregon and Colorado.

Voters approved a similar law in Nevada by less than 1 percent last year, though in December state Attorney General Adam Laxalt halted the measure from taking effect, citing contradictory language.

Maloney, a 23-year congressional veteran and former New York City Councilwoman, has long championed gun control in the House. Besides her efforts to bring background checks to gun shows nationwide, she joined U.S. Sen. Edward J Markey, D-Mass., in asking President Obama for $10 million in federal funding for the Centers for Disease Control to study gun violence as a health issue in 2014. She later proposed legislation asking for six times that amount, Guns.com previously reported.

H.R. 1612 was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. No hearings have been scheduled

3/21/17 | by Christen Smith

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Some states could take big financial hit if gun industry slows under Trump

Donald Trump’s election to the White House has inadvertently slowed gun sales as many Second Amendment supporters no longer fear strict gun control. But as a result, the nation’s economy – both public and private sectors – might have to bite the bullet, and some states could take a bigger hit than others.

In its latest impact report, The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the leading trade association for the firearms industry, estimates that the gun arena has created around 30,000 jobs over the past three years. And in 2016 alone, it is reported to have contributed more than $51 billion to the country’s economy and a further $7.4 billion in federal and state taxes.

“The economic growth America's firearms and ammunition industry has experienced over the years has been nothing short of remarkable,” the NSSF stated. “Over the past couple of years, the industry's growth has been driven by an unprecedented number of Americans choosing to exercise their fundamental right to keep and bear arms and purchase a firearm and ammunition.”

The NSSF insists that broader economic impact flows throughout the economy, “generating business for firms seemingly unrelated to firearms,” such as in banking, retail, accounting, metal working, even in printing, all depend on the firearms and ammunition industry for their livelihood.

Subsequently, analysts for financial and credit report site WalletHub have conducted a deeper state-by-state study of the firearms enterprise, releasing their findings this week in the “2017 States Most Dependent on the Gun Industry” report.


Using an array of metrics, the analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three main dimensions – the firearms industry, gun prevalence and gun politics.

According to the findings, the top ten states most dependent on the business of firearms are Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Idaho, Kentucky and Arkansas.


Source: WalletHub
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the states that rely the least on firearms commerce include Rhode Island at the very bottom, followed by Delaware, New York, New Jersey, California, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Hawaii and Washington.

WalletHub analysts also found that the states and districts which had the highest average wages and benefits in the firearms industry – D.C, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island – ranked among the lowest of overall dependency on the gun industry. States with the lowest wage averages – including Maine, West Virginia, Indiana, Wyoming and New Mexico, typically range between the top to middle of the pack on the dependency list.


"Typically gun manufactures or dealers will set up shop in states with lower labor costs and lower costs of living in order to obtain a higher profit, which is why states with higher wages are generally less dependent on this industry.” WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez told Fox News.

But this may also be a matter of how many other industry’s each state bestows.

“These high wage states have the largest and most diverse economies. Firearms are a cottage industry in the overall scheme of things. They disappear into the margins in these high wage areas,” explained Dennis Santiago, an independent California-based firearms policy analyst. “In places where there's little large industry, cottage industries become far more relevant to their economics.”

Although not covered in the study, states that are home to the world’s leading firearms manufacturers – such as Smith & Wesson in Massachusetts, Beretta in Maryland, Kimber in New York and Colt, Sturm, Ruger & Co. and O.F Mossberg & Sons all in Connecticut – were all, perhaps ironically, found to be very low on overall monetary reliance on the gun industry.

“The states in question have very large financial sectors and relatively small manufacturing sectors,” said Jeffrey Borneman, founder of investment firm Rampart Portfolio Partners, specializing in metals, defense, energy and food. “The fact that arms manufacturing has peaked will not affect the state’s revenue much.”

But it appears, as per the study, that there is no direct correlation between the highest numbers of NICS background checks per capita and how heavily each state relies on the gun business. The states with the most checks – Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Montana and South Dakota – range from 4 to 40 on the dependency scale. However, those with the fewest checks – Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii and D.C – were all in the lowest rung of economic gun reliance.

States with high financial interdependence on the firearms industry, such as Alaska, Arkansas were found to have the highest gun ownership.

WalletHub expert Gregg Carter, professor of sociology for the Department of History and Social Sciences at Rhode Island’s Bryant University, noted that the new administration and the Republican-controlled Congressional agenda are focused more “on gun rights, not gun control,” thus advocates for the latter are likely to face steep challenges.

“For example, earlier this year, both the House and the Senate voted to block the implementation of an Obama plan that would have had the Social Security Administration send the names of recipients who had been ruled incompetent to handle their financial affairs to the NICS background system to prevent these individuals from buying guns,” he continued.

However, others say what the survey ultimately shows is that the power centers putting gun regulations on the books are also the places where fewest of the gun dealings happen.

"The most important thing I see in this data is the power of unengaged information electorates. America's gun votes are driven by people in states having large urban centers filled with people who have little knowledge about firearms whose governments are insensitive to the economics,” Santiago added. “All they see of it is the inconvenience being asked to learn about things that are not relevant to their lives. The deeper national interests of the Second Amendment take a back seat in such circumstances."

By Hollie McKay Published March 15, 2017 FoxNews.com

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‘American Guns’ star Richard Wyatt guilty on conspiracy, tax charges

A federal jury in Denver last week found gun shop owner and former reality star of “American Guns” guilty on 10 felony counts ranging from conspiracy to tax evasion.

Richard Wyatt, 53, was found guilty Friday on two counts of conspiracy and eight tax charges at the conclusion of an 11-day trial. The deadlocked jury was unable to agree upon a verdict on three charges of dealing guns without a license.

The former star of the Discovery Channel show, which aired for 26 episodes in 2011 and 2012, Wyatt fell into a spate of legal troubles after the show was canceled.

Arrested first in 2015 for theft, authorities began investigating him for operating without a federal firearms license and failing to file taxes. This resulted in a subsequent arrest last February on 13 counts of dealing guns without a license, conspiracy, and tax-related charges after officials uncovered he sold guns at his store illegally and failed to report $1.1 million of income.

Per court documents and statements, Wyatt surrendered his federal firearms license in 2012 due to violations and, changing his store’s name on paper, continued to operate without a license, telling employees to list gun sales as “miscellaneous” in the store’s system rather than as firearms.

The store continued to display firearms and Wyatt provided gunsmithing and custom work on guns, operating with a straw license by changing the address of an existing FFL he had no ownership of to his business address. Firearms transfers were done through another FFL who performed the mandated background checks.

After wearing a body camera during gun buys at the unlicensed shop, undercover agents obtained an indictment and seized 583 guns from Wyatt’s Gunsmoke store in 2015.

“The laws and regulations surrounding the sale of firearms exist for a reason, and no one is above the law,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge Debora Livingston in a statement. “ATF is committed to ensuring every gun dealer is appropriately licensed, educated and inspected, and we will investigate those who believe the rules do not apply to them.”

Beyond the firearms charges, Wyatt failed to pay either personal or corporate income taxes for a three-year period and filed a false return in 2012 saying he lost money when in fact cleared $350,000.

At large since his arrest last year, Wyatt was taken into custody immediately following the guilty verdict. For the two conspiracy charges, Wyatt faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. For the eight tax charges, he faces up to one year in prison and a $25,000 fine per count.

Sentencing will be in front of Chief Judge Marcia S. Krieger on July 19.

3/13/17 | by Chris Eger

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Wisconsin Supreme Court: Passengers can carry guns on Madison buses

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that passengers with concealed-carry permits can carry guns on Madison city buses.

The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports the 5-2 decision reversed previous rulings by the Court of Appeals and a circuit judge.

Metro Transit in Madison had prohibited firearms and other weapons on its buses since 2005, but gun owners challenged that rule in 2013 after passage of Act 35, the state’s concealed carry law. Act 35 stated local governments could ban guns in specific locations, but buses were not specifically listed in those locations.

Metro Transit refused to change its rule, prompting Wisconsin Carry, Inc. and one of its members to sue in 2014. The group argued Act 35 does not allow local governments to choose the locations where lawful gun owners are allowed to carry firearms.

Both a circuit judge and the Court of Appeals ruled Act 35 only preempts counties, cities, towns or villages from imposing stricter regulations that the state’s gun law, and does not apply to the transit commission’s “agency rule.”

However, the Supreme Court disagreed and sided with the plaintiffs, ruling that Act 35 does indeed apply to Metro Transit and thus lawful gun owners with concealed carry permits should be allowed to take guns onto buses.

Concluding a nearly 50-page majority opinion, Justice Daniel Kelly wrote the following: “We also hold that the Concealed-Carry Statute, Wis. Stat. § 175.60, preempts the City’s authority to restrict a licensee’s right to carry concealed weapons on the City’s buses so long as the licensee complies with the statute’s requirements.”

According to the Associated Press, Wisconsin Carry President Nik Clark believes the ruling will have an effect on other cities as well.

“There are other mass transit entities around the state that have prohibitive policies,” he said. “Once we review the decision, we’ll have a better understanding of how far-reaching it is.”

Metro Transit’s spokesman Mick Rusch said the organization will comply with the law but is concerned the ruling will negatively impact passenger safety.

3/07/17 | by Andrew Shepperson

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Christie moves to loosen New Jersey rules for handgun carry

New Jersey’s Republican Gov. Chris Christie announced Monday an effort to cut regulations for those seeking to carry handguns, sparking another fight with state lawmakers who are not impressed.

The revised regulation, adopted after a 60-day comment period, allows a police chief reviewing handgun carry permit applications to consider evidence of nonspecific “serious threats” as a new part of the strict “may-issue” process for granting a permit.

As noted by Christie’s office, the move does not change the process for obtaining a permit but instead aligns the regulatory definition of “justifiable need” with the standard used by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. The move is the second since last April that the governor has tried to add the “serious threat” guideline to the permitting process following recommendations of a panel established by Christie in 2015 after the death of Carol Bowne, 39, of Berlin.

Bowne was killed in her front yard by her ex-boyfriend after she obtained a protective order and filed paperwork to obtain a firearms permit that was still not granted more than two months later.

Citing public safety concerns, state lawmakers blocked Christie’s last change from taking effect in a Democrat-led push last year and are ready to do the same with the fresh attempt announced this week.

“Gov. Christie’s actions are an affront to the state constitution, our democratic process and public safety,” said Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, D-Hudson/Bergen, in a statement Tuesday vowing counteraction from the Legislature. “The governor does not have the right to ignore legitimate legislative actions simply because he does not like them or lacks the power to stop them. This is not a dictatorship.”

Gun rights groups in the Garden State welcomed Christie’s step at incremental concealed carry reform.

“The Right to Bear Arms necessarily includes the right to self-defense with a firearm outside the home,” said Scott Bach, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs. “Although 43 states recognize that right, New Jersey remains one of a handful of backward states that apparently prefer their citizens to be victims – except for legislators, who themselves enjoy the armed protection of State House security details. New Jersey’s days denying right to carry to its citizens are numbered.”

Should state lawmakers foil the governor this year, they won’t have to face off with him again as regulations bar Christie from seeking re-election for a third term when his second officially ends in January 2018, though he may seek to run again after 2021.

3/07/17 | by Chris Eger

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Repeal NFA petition ends with 250K signatures, Hughes falls short

A “We the people” petition for the federal government to repeal the National Firearms Act closed Sunday with a quarter million signatures, while one to scrap the machine gun ban narrowly failed.

Both petitions to the White House for gun reform started on President Donald Trump’s inauguration day and ended on Feb. 19.

The more popular of the two, “Repeal the NFA” seeking to do away with the National Firearms Act of 1934, garnered 254,314 signatures. There were over 4.4 million NFA items of all types listed on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) as of Feb. 2016 including destructive devices, machine guns, suppressors, and short barreled rifles and shotguns.

The second, to “Repeal the 1986 Hughes amendment,” the law which bans new production of machine guns for civilians, picked up 97,837 signatures.

Each petition needed 100,000 signatures to earn a response from the White House and had to reach that goal by midnight Sunday.

The petition effort has been publicized by a number of those well-known in Second Amendment circles including NRA commentator Colion Noir, the Military Arms Channel and the IV8888 crew.

As the NFA itself is a package of laws, a repealer would generally have to begin in Congress and work its way through the legislative process to reach the White House for signature by the President.

While the Hughes repeal petition did not reach its goal for a response, a Change.org petition started by David Johnson of Cleveland, Alabama in January aims to call upon U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, for the Second Amendment Caucus to review the machine gun restriction. That effort has received 10,404 supporters.

2/20/17 | by Chris Eger

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Bill to keep guns from domestic violence offenders advances in Utah House

A bill that aims to keep guns out of the hands of domestic violence perpetrators is making its way through the Utah House of Representatives.

KSL News reports House Bill 206, which would expand the category of persons restricted from possessing firearms to include persons subject to protective orders and those who have been convicted of assault against a cohabitant, was unanimously approved Friday by the Utah House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee.

Sponsor Rep. Brian King noted that Utah’s domestic violence rate is higher than the national average, and said the bill would align Utah law with federal law.

“If you have prior domestic violence and a gun in the home, the likelihood that a woman dies increases dramatically,” King said.

King hopes the legislation will give state police and prosecutors more resources in these types of cases.

“Replicating in state law what is already prohibited on a federal law level just brings more resources to the table,” he said.

“It makes it much more likely that, for individuals who already shouldn’t have a gun because they have been convicted of domestic violence or have a protective order entered against them … that we have the resources to go after those individuals, identify them, and get the guns out of those individuals’ hands,” King said.

Carl Calaway, who lost his daughter, Katherine Peralta, when her husband, Richard Peralta, fatally shot her last December, said that he is a firm supporter of Second Amendment rights and views the bill as a way of protecting those rights.

“These (rights) get protected by bills like this,” he said. “They don’t hurt it.”

Rep. King is reportedly working on an amendment to the bill that would better align it with federal law. Once that amendment is solidified, King noted, the NRA and Utah Shooting Sports Council have indicated they will support the legislation.

2/14/17 | by Andrew Shepperson

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Trump makes unannounced trip to receive remains of Navy SEAL killed in Yemen rai

President Trump left Washington, D.C. Wednesday on an unannounced trip to Dover Air Force Base to receive the body of a fallen U.S. Navy SEAL killed over the weekend in an attack on al-Qaida in Yemen.

Trump, who was accompanied by his daughter, Ivanka, met with the family of Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens for about two hours, according to reports from The Associated Press.

Owens’ family requested privacy as the serviceman’s remains were returned, as well as during their meeting with the president. Likewise, Trump did not reveal where he was going until after he had returned to the White House.

Owens, of Peoria, Illinois, was 36 years old at the time of his death and a member of the SEAL Team 6. He joined the Navy in 1998 and received numerous honors, including two Bronze stars, a Joint Service Commendation and an Afghanistan Campaign Medal. He was described by the Navy Special Command as a “devoted father, a true professional and a wonderful husband.”

Trump said Owens was “a great man” and called the meeting with his family amazing, noting it was both sad and beautiful and the conversation with Owens’ family both “very somber and lengthy.”

White House press secretary Sean Spicer later told reporters Trump met with Owens’ wife, Karen, the couple’s three children, and his father.

The family of William “Ryan” Owens said he knew he wanted to be a Navy SEAL when he was still in high school and he made his dream come true. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
The family of William “Ryan” Owens said he knew he wanted to be a Navy SEAL when he was still in high school.

“We could never repay the debt of gratitude we owe him, the freedom he fought for, and the sacrifice he made as well as the other members of his unit injured in this operation,” Spicer said.

An official confirmed that the raid of the al-Qaida compound was previously planned by the Obama administration but authorized by President Trump. Owens was the first U.S. serviceman to die in a combat mission since the new Commander in Chief took office less than two weeks ago.

Contrarily, Obama was in office for nine months when he received the first of many fallen servicemen. In October 2009, Obama made the trip to Dover Air Force Base when the remains of 18 soldiers killed in Afghanistan were brought home. Then, in 2011, Obama made the trip again, that time to receive the remains of 30 servicemen who died in a single helicopter mission in Afghanistan, which was the most American military casualties in a single day since the U.S. became involved in the war on terror.

2/02/17 | by Jennifer Cruz

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Good Samaritan fatally shoots man attacking officer on Arizona highway

A man who witnessed an Arizona trooper being attacked on the side of the highway near Tonopah early Thursday morning shot the officer’s attacker and authorities say if it wasn’t for the passerby’s brave actions, the trooper likely wouldn’t be alive.

The suspect died as a result of his injuries and, although he faces a long recovery, the trooper is expected to be okay, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The incident unfolded around 4 a.m. as officers were responding to a report of shots fired on a remote stretch of Interstate 10. Trooper Edward Andersson arrived on the scene and saw what appeared to be a rollover accident. Moments later, gunfire erupted in what authorities are describing as an ambush.

Andersson was shot in the shoulder and chest, after such time a physical fight ensued between him and the suspect.

Soon thereafter, another man happened upon the scene when he noticed the suspect repeatedly slamming Andersson’s head into the pavement. Andersson yelled at the man for help and the passerby then retrieved a gun from his vehicle.

The passerby commanded the suspect to stop, but he refused and continued to attack Andersson. The passerby then fired an unknown number of shots, striking the suspect. He then got on Andersson’s police radio and called for assistance.

The suspect was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Andersson was also taken to the hospital and underwent surgery. He is expected to survive. A woman involved in the rollover crash died as well. The identities of the woman and the suspect were not immediately released.

DPS Director Frank Milstead said Andersson would not be alive were it not for the assistance of the good Samaritan.

The investigation, which is being conducted by state detectives, is still ongoing, but authorities have reason to believe the suspect who shot Andersson was the driver of the vehicle involved in the rollover accident.

1/13/17 | by Jennifer Cruz

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Gun sales set record ahead of California bullet button ban

California had more gun background checks in December than any other month on record for the state, in a month where gun store owners reported a flurry of sales ahead of the so-called bullet button ban that took effect the first of the year.

The Golden State had 298,161 background checks in December, second only to Kentucky, which averaged more than 300,000 checks each month in 2016, and consistently has the most checks of any other state, according to federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System data.

December’s nearly 300,000 checks marked a 33 percent increase from the month before, when there were 224,039 background checks in California.

The uptick comes as no surprise. By mid-December, gun store owners reported a doubling of long gun sales since Gov. Jerry Brown signed new gun control measures into law in July. The bullet button ban took effect Sunday and prevents the sale of semi-auto rifles with magazines that can be removed by depressing a button with a bullet, itself a work-around from previous California gun laws that sought to regulate such weapons.

While background checks are not an exact measure of gun sales, they represent a barometer for the industry. In October, there were 54,333 background checks for long guns in California, according to the federal figures. Two months later, that figure jumped 72 percent to 93,224 long gun checks.

In the “other” category of the federal data, which “refers to frames, receivers and other firearms,” there were more than 19,000 checks in October, 30,000 in November, and by December, there were 77,929 background checks for frames, receivers and other such items.

The receiver portion of the semi-auto firearms is where the bullet buttons are located and is subject to the new law. Under the ban, Californians can own such weapons if they were purchased before Jan. 1, and if they register the firearm with the state.

“It’s like (Lieutenant Gov.) Gavin Newsom, (Calif. State Senate Leader) Kevin de León and (Gov.) Jerry Brown are the biggest marketing and sales guys for AR-15 and AK-47-style rifles in the state of California,” Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California told the LA Times last month. “Because of their actions, people are buying them any way they can.”

1/06/17 | by Brian Seay

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Protecting Trump and family in NYC proves challenging… and expensive

Keeping President-elect Donald Trump and his family safe in America’s largest city is rife with a number of unique challenges and is reportedly costing New York City more than $1 million a day.

There are a number of details that add to the costly security, including the fact that Trump’s residence atop the famous Trump Tower is right smack in the middle of one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the most populated city in the country.

The Secret Service is tasked with protecting Trump, along with his wife, Melania, 10-year-old son, Barron, Trump’s adult children – who have worked closely with the president-elect throughout his presidential campaign – as well as Trump’s grandchildren. But local law enforcement is responsible for providing assistance to the Secret Service, as needed, when the president – or in this case president-elect – is in the city. However, with the entire Trump family residing in New York City, law enforcement is working overtime to ensure they are all protected.

“The number one imperative here is safety and security. We owe that to the president-elect, his family and his team,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio during a recent press conference.

Typically, where safety is concerned, local law enforcement focuses on any problems which could arise with the general public. In the days and weeks following the election, hundreds of protests and riots have broken out across the country, as security around Trump Tower has intensified. Numerous patrols have been added to the area, as barricades have been set up around Trump Tower, roads have been blocked and traffic rerouted. Furthermore, every time Trump travels through the city, traffic is rerouted accordingly.

De Blasio noted that it’s a costly service, to the tune of more than $1 million a day. “This is a very substantial undertaking. It will take substantial resources,” de Blasio said. “We will begin the conversation with the federal government shortly on reimbursement for the NYPD for some of the costs that we are incurring.”

However, at this point, it’s not entirely clear whether those figures are likely to change in coming months. Trump previously indicated a full-time move to the White House – which is a less than 45-minute flight from New York – wasn’t necessarily in his plans, and last week confirmed that Melania and Barron would stay in New York, at least long enough to allow Barron to finish out the school year.

De Blasio also said that New York City, although it’s been the location for a number of high security events and temporarily hosted numerous world leaders, has never before had a president who would be in the city “on such a regular basis.” But while it’s an unprecedented undertaking protecting the future First Family in New York, de Blasio indicated it was a challenge his city was willing – and able – to tackle.

“The NYPD is up to the challenge and the city of New York is up to the challenge,” he said. “I have no doubt about that.”

11/28/16 | by Jennifer Cruz

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Biden meets with gun ‘stakeholders’ as ‘civil’ sell-outs begin

January 10, 2013
By: David Codrea

Joe Biden is meeting throughout the day “with advocates for sportsmen and women and wildlife interest groups as part of the Administration’s effort to develop policy proposals in response to the tragedy in Newtown, the Vice President’s schedule announced today. Among groups known in advance to be attending one of today’s meetings are the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Today’s series of meetings include a different set of what the administration calls “stakeholders.” Yesterday, the Vice President and Attorney General Eric Holder met with what they referred to as “gun safety groups” (even though the organizations in question are not qualified and do not teach gun safety, but rather, are committed gun prohibitionists) and “victims and survivors.”

Likewise, today’s meeting will raise concerns about more than terminology. What gun rights activists will find especially troubling is the premise of the meeting, noting the Second Amendment has nothing to do with sports or wildlife, and particularly noting the disturbing origins of the premise that it does. A true meeting of “stakeholders” would include representatives for those who believe in the unbending of the Founders’ intent for the Second Amendment, who know that it is necessary for the security of a free state, that it shall not be infringed, and who won’t stand for being scapegoated or for citizen disarmament edicts imposed by those who would try.

Meetings and attendees for today, including representatives for retailers and the entertainment industry, were conveyed by a White House official through Michael Scherer of TIME, acting on behalf of the press pool, and include:

11:45 AM: Sportsmen and Women and Wildlife Interest Groups:

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Blue Water Strategies

Bull Moose Sportsmen's Alliance Action Fund

Ducks Unlimited

Outdoor Industry Association

Pheasants Forever

Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Wildlife Management Institute

1:45 PM: Gun Owners’ Groups:

Defense Small Arms Advisory Council (DSAAC.)

Firearms Import/Export Roundtable

Independent Firearm Owners Association (IFoA)

National Rifle Association of America

National Shooting Sports Foundation

National Association of Arms Shows

6:00 PM: Representatives from the Entertainment Industry:

Branded Entertainment

Comcast Corporation

Directors Guild of America

Film & Television Alliance

Motion Picture Association of America

National Association of Broadcasters

National Association of Theatre Owners

National Cable and Telecommunications Association

Supplied by the Justice Department:

Today, at 3:15 the Attorney General will meet with retailers as part of the ongoing gun violence sessions being held at the White House by Vice President Biden.

Below is a list of the retailers who will be attendance.

Academy Sports + Outdoors

Bass Pro Shops

Big 5 Sporting Goods

Cabela's

Dick's Sporting Goods

Dunham's Sports

Gander Mountain

Sportsman's Warehouse

Wal-Mart

National Retail Federation – (awaiting confirmation)

There are many concerns this list raises, including what else a company like Dick’s is willing to preemptively surrender to further alienate customers who don’t go there for the sport of it.

Also of concern: The attendance of the Independent Firearm Owners Association, headed by Richard Feldman, once a lawyer representing the gun industry who spearheaded the last industry surrender to the White House, and went on to author an expose of his former allies. Who and exactly how many they purport to represent is somewhat of a mystery, but we do know they portray themselves as "moderates," include "a number of retired law enforcement officers" on their board, and boast "There are 15 million self-identified liberals that own guns -- that's four times the size of the NRA."

Last night, Gun Rights Examiner obtained a “boycotted” copy of an IFoA press statement, not authorized for release until 1 p.m., that is, exactly as this is being typed. The complete statement has now been posted on the organization’s website. Aside from calling for “a return to public civility,” it includes a series of measures presented as needed to fight crime, with dangerous concessions made on two fronts.

“Let’s agree that we are united in opposition to the misuse of firearms, especially the access of guns to criminals and mentally unstable individuals,” it recommends, making no mention of how due process will be ensured for the “unstable” so that innocence is presumed as opposed to having to be proven. As Gun Rights Examiner pointed out on Monday, “reforms” in this area could create a blanket dragnet for gun rights disabilities.

“Let’s agree to require the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) at gun shows,” the release further advocates. “NRA’s Wayne LaPierre supported this to Congress back in May 1999. Our proposal is called the Gun Show Preservation and Protection Act of 2013.”

In other words, end the practice of allowing private sellers to attend gun shows.

The IFOA does not explain what it believes ending private sales at gun shows will accomplish, and why, if they think it will reduce violent crime, they have not also called for ending private sales everywhere, and if that will be a concession they intend to make at some later point once this beachhead has been secured. Nor do they explain how this “agreement” squares with delegated enumerated powers of either Congress or the Executive branch under the Constitution, nor if either the Second or Tenth Amendments should be consulted before agreeing to anything.

Nor do they indicate how, with anti-gunners snarling for viscera, civilly throwing them a scrap and giving them a taste of flesh will do anything but encourage the ravenous pack to close in for more.

If NRA and NSSF join in with this divide-and-conquer preemptive surrender, and show anything but strength, gun owners will have an internal problem to resolve when they should instead be working together toward the victory it is within their power to achieve.

UPDATE: The following information just came in from the reporting pool immediately after this article was published and is quoted below:

The VP said he would give POTUS recommendations by Tuesday. "I have committed to him that I will have the recommendations to him by Tuesday."

He mentioned several recommendations to deal with guns that he said he had heard repeatedly from stakeholders. This included what he called "universal background checks, not just closing the gumshoe* loophole." He also mentioned a call do deal with high capacity magazines. And he said, "The last area is the whole subject of the ability of any federal agency to do research on gun violence."

He compared the current limits on federal data gathering with the 1970s restrictions on federal research over the cause of traffic fatalities. He said there was a need to gather information on "what kind of weapons are used most to kill people" and "what kind of weapons are trafficked weapons."

He described his own personal relationship with guns as "an owner of shotguns--I'm no great hunter, it's mostly skeet shooting for me."

He said he was still hoping to have a conference call with gun manufacturers. "There has got to be some common ground, to not solve every problem but diminish the probability" of future mass shootings. "That's what this is all about. There are no conclusions I have reached."

He referred to Newtown, saying, "there is nothing that has pricked the consciousness of the American people" as the image of "little six-year-olds riddled ... with bullet holes in their class."

* "Gumshoe loophole" is a perfect example of "Authorized Journalists" acting as subject matter authorities. Maybe Biden really said it, though. A transcript is said to be forthcoming.

UPDATE: Dave Workman says "The ‘fix’ was in; NRA ‘disappointed’ at meeting."

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