In Texas, officers lose a machine gun.

Garren Shipley: Son, what did you think was going to happen?

Thanks, Christian Trejbal!

David Rittgers on weapons that look like assault weapons.

If, say five year ago, you told me that there would be an actual discussion on the floor of passing concealed carry laws in Illinois, I would not have believed you. But it’s happening:

Springfield is headed toward a political showdown over guns, with both sides loading up like they haven’t in years.

The gun owners lobby is close to getting a floor debate in the Legislature on its pinnacle goal of allowing residents to carry concealed handguns in Illinois, which is one of just two states that still outlaw it. (Wisconsin is the other.)

Will it pass? Probably not. But it’s got some support from the local sheriff’s association. And, if nothing else, it’s keeping the anti-gunner busy in what is ordinarily a gimme state for them:

Gun control advocates are firing back with bills to create new restrictions on the sale and transfer of those guns, while trying to stop the concealed-carry movement.

Bob Corker called the bailout of AIG a Tar Baby. Those of you who have cracked a book will get the reference. The ignorant will scream THAT’S RACIST. You know, like the time they did over the time someone said niggardly, yard-apes, and mighty white of you.

A pity that you have to choose words because other people are ignorant.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership’s Doug Pennington:

Our whole mission at Brady is to attack the illegal gun market that supplies the criminals who kill police in Philly and elsewhere — yes, with guns.

And they do that by opposing concealed carry; wanting to ban guns; and a whole host of other measures that have nothing to do with the illegal gun market. I guess the problem is we just haven’t made the illegal market big enough for Brady’s liking.

Story and accompanying picture in USAToday about assault weapons. Picture and caption originally looked like this.

Inverse relationship between the DOW and gun company stocks.

Mr. Fixit heads to the local gun buyback:

When I told him no again he asked why I was there then. I told him that I had heard about it, and wanted to watch. I also said that if any collectible guns came in I wanted to try to buy them instead of seeing them destroyed. He told me he didn’t think I could do that.

Update: more here, with video.

How free is your state?

Tennessee comes in at number 7.

That’s what the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership tells. Good thing this guy didn’t own a gun: The man, 45, rented a gun at Sam’s Gun Shop and Range and entered one of the bays. He fired the gun a few times and then turned the gun on himself

The Washington Post:

Voting Rights Backers Hopeful for Removal Of GOP Amendment

They’re talking about the bill that repeals DC’s gun laws. They also note: It passed 62 to 36, winning one more vote than the D.C. vote bill.

Are there 62 GOP senators?

Paul Helmke thinks it would help his case by listing some handgun carry permit holders who have committed crimes. After using the list as an indictment of all gun owners, he goes on to say: To be clear, this shouldn’t be seen as an indictment of all gun owners. We know that he has to use anecdotes because the facts are that CCW holders are more law-abiding than most, including police officers. But when they do, the press is there to tell you all about.

And our list of anecdotal data is bigger.

One thing I’m used to hearing the press say so that it can justify so many of the poor decisions it makes is that there is a right to know. No, there is not. You do not have a right to know. Period. But this boneheaded argument is new:

Handgun permit records have long been public records, and they should stay that way. Closing them would unfairly inhibit the news media from doing its job in protecting the public.

Your job is to protect the public? Funny. I thought it was to report the news. And how does publishing that info protect the public?

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Commercial Appeal and the handgun carry permit holder database in one convenient location.

Technology has put a damper on some constitutional protections. You see, the automobile has made it so that searches are reasonable as long as you search everyone. And indoor plumbing means that it is not longer necessary for the police to knock on your door. Now, technology takes a bite out of the fifth amendment as a judge orders man to decrypt his protected laptop.

All guns are always loaded.

Kinda scary:

Hit men dressed in fake police tactical gear burst into a home in Phoenix, rake it with gunfire and execute a man.

Armed kidnappers snatch victims from cars and even a local shopping mall across the Phoenix valley for ransom, turning the sun-baked city into the “kidnap capital” of the United States.

It’s all the fault of US gun shows of course.

Obama to hide truth about Bush’s warrantless wire taps. Of course he is. He wants to use them too.

Also, Obama appoints another tax cheat: Ron Kirk.

It’s gone beyond funny to officially pathetic. Taxes are, apparently, just for the little people.

A bill that would relinquish the State of Tennessee from federal obligations under the REAL ID Act of 2005. . Good. Lately, snubbing the feds seems to be a theme in many state legislatures.

Alternate names for the Assault Weapons Ban. Heh. I’ve been calling it either the ban on weapons that look like assault weapons or the ban on politically incorrect self-loading firearms for a while. I think the latter was a term created by Dave Kopel.

Via TC.

But, really, why? Suppressed S&W 625 revolver.

Faith No More reunion!

Paul Harvey, dead at age 90.

Some idiotic mother in Texas (who is obviously from somewhere else) is upset that NRA’s Eddie Eagle program is teaching kids things that could prevent them from being killed:

“Not only do I think it’s inappropriate to provide this information to my 5-year-old, but this is a program published by the NRA,” said Nicola Howe, Samone’s mother.

The coloring book includes illustrations of handguns and rifles.

“Having pictures of guns that children color in I think is sending the wrong message,” said Howe.

So, it’s better to act like guns don’t exist? Educating your kids about what to do when the see a gun could save their life. Crapping your pants over pictures of guns doesn’t really help.

First, via Michael, comes Jack McElroy:

The database is a public record, at least for now. The newspaper – our sister in the E.W. Scripps Co. – put the information on its Web site’s “Data Center” months ago. No one noticed, though, until a permit-holder was charged with a shooting death.

Wrong. No one noticed until I pointed it out, thanks to a reader who noticed it. But this canard that it was due to the shooting has been passed around a bit. In fact, it’s now part of the AP story:

The Commercial Appeal added the database to its Web site in December, but it did not draw attention until an early February story about a parking spot argument that ended with a motorist shot dead.

Again, no. I pointed it out. It was posted on various message boards and other blogs, where it quickly spread. I guess the press is afraid to point out blogger influence. That’s a bit odd since it has been alleged by many that the CA did this for the page views.

Anyhoo, The latest from the Commercial Appeal:

Martino Johnson, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Terrelle Beasley this week after a minor traffic accident, held a Tennessee-issued permit to carry a handgun.

The publication of that sentence would be a misdemeanor punishable by a $2,500 fine under one of several gun bills that the state House Judiciary Committee could move on next week.

A fabrication. The bill prohibits publishing the information the state collects. Not mentioning that someone has a carry permit. Via Linoge who asks: Explain to me how his having a handgun carry permit is, in any way, relevant to the charges or the impending court case.

It does matter to the Commercial Appeal that they publish that. They want to paint carry permit holders as dangerous.

Anyway, thanks to the CA. Without you, there wouldn’t be a bill to protect my privacy.

Mentioned the lecturer who crapped her pants and reported that her student had committed the thought-crime of advocating concealed carry to the police. It gets better:

“I felt a general sense of disbelief once the officer actually began to list the firearms registered in my name.”

And people wonder why we gunnies oppose registration.

One in four legislators in Tennessee has a handgun carry permit:

There are 11 senators and 23 representatives on the list; 22 Republicans, 12 Democrats; 31 men, three women. Fourteen are from East Tennessee.

And Fincher doesn’t care if you go strapped at the capitol.

from New Orleans.

Bob Owens on the national ammo shortage.