First Illinois, now NY:

The Albany Police Officers Union wants to keep secret the names of any officers who illicitly purchased machine guns through the department years ago.

The union served papers Tuesday seeking to intervene in a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by the Times Union, which is asking a judge to order the city to release the records.

The scandal was first exposed in an Aug. 26 Times Union story which reported that dozens of officers, as well as an assistant chief and at least one Albany County prosecutor, had used the department to illegally buy the federally regulated guns at tax-exempt, discount prices. They claimed the guns were for “official duties only” and subsequently registered them to the department, records obtained by the Times Union show.

In the wake of that report, Chief James W. Tuffey said the fully automatic guns were never deployed on the street and that many of the officers who got them were simply gun enthusiasts who used the department to illicitly obtain the automatic weapons.

In Illinois, the troopers got off scott free. Wonder what will happen in this case?

At a liberal website.

Gamo now offers a suppressed air rifle. Spendy for an air rifle but cool.

For a good time, take your Ruger 10/22 and put it in an Airsoft shell.

Update: More here.

Sebastian says it isn’t worth the time and expense. I concur that convincing him to resign is the way to go.

From a presser by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership: Gun Lobbyist and Gun Dealer Sandy Abrams Heads to Trial for Illegal Assault Weapon Sales, Cited for 900 Federal Gun Law Violations Over Nearly a Decade

I’m not particularly familiar with the case but I do know that Abrams had said that he was investigated and the results of that investigation were violations of a technical nature. Seems people put Y instead of spelling Yes or a buyer listing the wrong county on form 4473. See here and here.

The Brady Bunch notes that he sold illegal assault weapons. Well, there is no assault weapons ban at the federal level and Maryland’s keeps getting defeated, though I think they do have some sort of magazine ban and have additional background checks and waiting periods for weapons classified as assault weapons. I could be mistaken but, hey, I can’t memorize every state’s laws. The Bradies say:

Abrams is charged with illegally selling felon Keith Showalter a Yugoslavian SKS assault rifle, a Bushmaster XM-15 assault rifle (the same model used in the D.C sniper shootings), and a Remington semi-automatic assault rifle. Showalter had been found guilty of violent crimes and had been fined for drug charges, and was barred under Federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. On February 18, 2007, Showalter fired seven shots from an SKS assault rifle at two Baltimore County police officers. The officers returned fire and killed Showalter. Abrams is also charged with illegal possession of a fully automatic machine gun with a silencer.

The SKS has never been classified as an assault weapon legally or technically. The XM-15 is not an assault rifle and could have been a post-ban model which would mean it was not covered by the AWB. And Remington doesn’t make a semi-automatic assault rifle that I know of (though they do make a semi-auto for hunting) and they do not make a semi-auto that has the features that would have banned it under the federal assault weapons ban.. And none of those are illegal under federal law nor under Maryland law, that I know of. Unless Abrams knew he was selling to a felon, there’s no violation there.

Now, the machine gun and suppressor possession could be an issue. We’ll see. He was a dealer so it is possible that the NFRTR database was in error. It has happened before. A lot.

The Bradies also cite some weapons traced but ATF even states that is useless a measure of crime.

Could be an interesting case to watch the NRA react to. Many dealers would like the NRA to step in and be a watchdog for when the ATF gets a bit overzealous. And Red’s Trading Post is under fire for such technical violations.

I don’t think Abrams will be taken to the woodshed over this one.

Update: Bitter says a lot of claims are likely false.

Update 2: Bitter clarifies in comments that she meant their claims are false regarding funding the legal defense.

Update 3: Turns out, Remington just started making the R-15, which is not a weapon that would have fallen under the AWB. Well, unless it had a collapsible stock.

So, Captain America (who we thought was dead, a victim of politics) is now packing a handgun. I’m rather disappointed that he didn’t get some sort of carbine like an M4, myself. But that’s probably hard to do with shield. But then, I wonder if Captain America would be subject to NFA regs?

Xrlq emails: Thought you might get a kick out of this. Recently, a neighbor who is originally from MA commented on the goofy laws of her former state. I asked “isn’t their state motto ‘live free or here?'” Her completely serious response: “No, it’s live free or die. And that’s New Hampshire.” Oh.

Bruce should be proud.

Update: name changed because, though that’s who I thought it was, I wasn’t certain.

Reader Carl forwards an email that in September, Tennessee and West Virginia entered into a reciprocity agreement:

I meant to let you know earlier and reminded myself while going through my email system this morning. TN and WV entered into a reciprocity agreement effective September 10, 2007. TN permit holders can now carry in WV in accordance with WV law. If you have any questions, feel free to email. Thanks.

Gerry Crownover
Staff Attorney
TN Dept. of Safety

Cool.

cannon. Via reader Scott.

Well, dunno that I need one but it is cool. And with video.

Reader Clint emails that counter protests are being planned by the VCDL:

1. Antis planning protest at Richmond gun show on Saturday!
*********************************
The Million Mom March/Bady Campaign is planning a protest this
Saturday at the C & E Gun Show at the Showplace in Richmond. They
are planning a “lie-in” (boy, isn’t THAT the truth!) at noon near the
building. They plan on having women dressed in black to lie down for
two-minutes to represent how long it took Cho to get his guns.

I am going to have fun with this one! Cho had to wait THIRTY DAYS to
get his 9 MM pistol. More proof that gun control is a joke. Anyway,
I hope these women bring warm bedding for the month that they should
be lying there. 😉

I plan on talking to the press (if any shows up) and our Executive
members are discussing some possible counter-protests, like a
stand-in representing those students who might be alive today if
they, or other law-abiding students or teachers, had been armed on
that fateful day.

The irony of this is that Steve Elliott, who runs C & E, is willing
to honor the MMM’s First Amendment right at the gun show, even though
he could legally ban them from the property, as it is privately
owned. If only the MMM hypocrites could honor the Second Amendment
the same way.

Steve is going to offer to let any of the protesters in for free so
they can see a gun show for themselves. I hope they go in – they
will be quite surprised by what they see.

While we are at it, let’s pack that gun show to support C & E.

And on a final note, while the MMM’s wish list for gun control would
actually make crime worse if implemented, they have a right to their
beliefs and it is important that we honor that right. That means
being polite to them, while letting the media know that the MMMs are
simply wrong on the issues.

Lawnmower leads funeral procession.

Heh. Ya know, I have to express my disappointment in Phil Bredesen. I voted for him twice. The first time, it was just against Van. The second time it was because I thought he was doing a good job. Second term with no re-election to worry about, he’s led the nanny state charge. I doubt I’ll vote a lame duck into office again.

For those of you thinking that California’s microstamping will not take effect due to patent issues, you better think again.

So, a man walks by a police car. A K9 barks at him and startles him. He hurls expletives. The man is arrested and on $100,000 straight bond:

But at King’s arraignment, District Justice Gene Ricciardi put him in jail and set the bond.

“A police dog is a police officer. There is no difference under the law,” Ricciardi tells KDKA.

Well, the law probably wasn’t written with the fact that you’re a fucking retard in mind.

Say hi to both of them.

Sebastian has a round up.

So does Mr. C.

Kevin discusses the range trip.

Well, look ya’all. Local yokel Blounttruth is back.

So, I noted that some folks couldn’t comment at an anti-gun piece. The article is here. The webmaster at Cornell informed me that they were just in moderation. The author of the piece commented here. And then, in a bit of irony, wordpress decided that the author’s comments were spam. I have recovered all that I have found and promoted his status here so he should not have any more issues commenting here.

Update: Seems Cornell is different than Cornell Daily Sun. See comments.

1 – Folks at the range at GBR will recall that the batteries for my EOTech on the 9mm AR-15 had died. I got home and looked for batteries. I found them in the Vltor ModStock that I have on the 9mm AR and that I also happened to buy, in part, because it had a compartment to hold batteries. Durdy dur.

2 – Handy tip: when you get home and have two AR lowers and two AR uppers, pay attention. You see, if you put your 9mm Upper on your 5.56 lower and then rack the charging handle, you just created yourself a bit of a problem that requires you to remove the stock and will likely destroy your take down pin spring. Oh, and why I thought it was a good idea to use LocTite on the CAR nut will now remain a mystery to me.

2/3rds oppose ban on handguns. That’s why Handgun Control Inc. is now The Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Ownership.

She says: As a girl who has shot 50 calibers more often than most folks who read this blog, I would like to say that I don’t flinch.

Well, I didn’t know what to expect. I doubt I’d flinch the second time. Ammo was low so I didn’t take a follow up shot.

Via NinthStage, comes this:

Firearms remain a distinctly American obsession.

Ok, you’ve started off badly already. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Swiss, French, Australians, New Zealanders, Fins, and others with high rates of firearms ownership? Well, we’ll let your opener go. Surely, you have something factual to say.

While the rest of the civilized world has abandoned such instruments of technological feat and individual dignity, we have survived this strange, globally endemic wave of demasculinization by preserving our right — constitutional right, that is — to bear arms.

Err, nope. Guess not. Ok, let’s just skip to the end:

In short, our society must be willing to gamble on mutual trust and mutual peace.

Now, I’m a gambler. And that is what we gamblers would call a bet with a negative expectation. You see, you make your bets when your expectation is positive over time. In other words, if I can repeatedly make the bet a large number of times and, in the long run, profit then it is a good bet. This is not. I, instead, don’t gamble and take steps to ensure my own safety. And all the hippie, tree-hugging mutual trust bologna in the world isn’t worth a hill of beans the very second someone breaks that mutual trust your gambling on.

As NinthStage notes: First, there is no peace but mutual peace, unilateral peace just means you are not willing to admit you’re already at war.

Update: Ahab has more.

So, let’s suspend him:

Hamline University has suspended a student after he sent an e-mail suggesting that the Virginia Tech massacre might have been stopped if students had been allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus. Student Troy Scheffler is now required to undergo a mandatory “mental health evaluation” before being allowed to return to school.

Nice.

SM discusses hunting coverage in the press.

At Kevin’s.

I had somehow missed this:

To be quite honest, the majority of the response I got to my first blog on gun control was negative and angry, and it got me down quite a bit. But, the majority of the arguments I saw were also better, more thought out, and much more educated than the ones that I had previously come in contact with. It certainly was enough to change my mind.

[…]

Yes, I have changed my mind on the gun control issue. I really want to note, though, that it was only because of the responses that were written kindly which convinced me.

Look what happens when there is actual reasoned discourse.

Via reader Clint.

Send some Aunt B.’s way.

Mike Kelly, director of the Shooters Alliance for Firearms Rights in the state of Michigan, emails:

I am a director of the Shooters Alliance for Firearms Rights here in the state of Michigan. There is a bill in our legislature that is going to get a hearing. If it gets enough support from the public, it can get a vote on the floor.
We don’t know whether or not it will get passed when it hits the floor, but we’d like to try. I’m an avid reader of your website and I would appreciate it if you could post the information below on your blog. It’s a copy of the email I have been sending out to everyone in my address book.

I know that lot’s of gunnies visit you. I’m hoping to reach as many Michigan voters as I can.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you need clarification.

Thanks in advance.

—————————-

Below is a copy and paste job of an NRA alert regarding HB 4490. HB 4490 would get rid of the so-called safety inspection requirement for the purchase of new handguns.

Right now, there is no uniform method for ‘safety inspections’. My favorite firearms rights organization, SAFR, ( www.firearmsalliance.org) collected reports from gun purchasers across Michigan and learned what has been going on.

In one city, the gun buyer brought a valuable collectors piece into the local PD for the safety inspection. He was told to leave it over night. He came back the next day to discover that someone had fired his gun and scratched the finish on a couple of places. Aside from the fact this was unauthorized use of his personal property, it was a collectors item valued in the thousands of dollars. Imagine someone writing a phone number on the back of your Honus Wagner baseball card.

Another city had the gun owner hold the pistol up to the bullet proof glass and show it to the cop doing the inspection. The cop never looked at or touched the gun and merely recorded the serial number.

Other cities have made it hard for people to bring their guns in. They will only accept guns for safety inspections during certain hours making it difficult for people to get the inspections done. It’s claimed that manpower is the reason. However, you can go to the same police departments and get accident reports all day long. The Michigan Attorney General issued a ruling that said police departments have to provide safety inspections during business hours the same as any other service. Quite a few police departments have thumbed their noses at this ruling and continue to do business that way.

The Safety Inspections the the police are supposed to conduct on your newly purchased handgun are not really safety inspections. None of the police officers involved are qualified to decide if a gun is safe or not.
Everyone has to pass a background check before purchasing a gun. If you cannot pass the check at the point of sale, you cannot buy the gun.
What’s really going on is that these inspections are rooted in the past when the KKK controlled Michigan politics. The only thing the police wanted to see was that a “safe” person, i.e. WASP was buying the gun. True, they aren’t really “inspecting” guns for these reasons now, but since they are not actually determining if the pistol is safe, then why should we have to bother putting up with this?

Please contact your local representative and urge them to vote to pass this bill.

The text of this bill can be found here. http://tinyurl.com/2dwp8y
Please go read it.

—————————————

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=3256

Important Michigan Pro-Gun Bill to be Heard Soon!

Friday, October 12, 2007

State Representative Paul Opsommer (R-93) has introduced legislation that seeks to repeal the required “safety inspection” for newly obtained handguns. House Bill 4490 would also require law enforcement agencies to destroy safety inspection records on file. Current Michigan law requires anyone who comes into possession of a pistol to take it to the police or sheriff’s department for a safety inspection. The requirement of a safety inspection is a burdensome waste of time for law-abiding gun owners and HB4490 will end that inconvenience.

HB4490 is expected to receive a hearing in the House Committee on Tourism, Outdoor Recreation, and Natural Resources soon. Please contact the members of the Committee and respectfully urge them to support passage of HB4490.

State Representative Joel Sheltrown (D-103), Committee Chair
(517) 373-3817
joelsheltrown@house.mi.gov

State Representative Kate Ebli (D-56), Majority Vice-Chair
(517) 373-2617
KateEbli@house.mi.gov

State Representative Tom Casperson (R-108), Minority Vice-Chair
(517) 373-0156
tomcasperson@house.mi.gov

State Representative Terry Brown (D-84)
(517) 373-0476
terrybrown@house.mi.gov

State Representative Ted Hammon (D-50)
(517) 373-3906
tedhammon@house.mi.gov

State Representative Kenneth Horn (R-94)
(517) 373-0837
kennethhorn@house.mi.gov

State Representative Kathleen Law (D-23)
(517) 373-0855
kathleenlaw@house.mi.gov

State Representative Steven Lindberg (D-109)
(517) 373-0498
stevenlindberg@house.mi.gov

State Representative Mike Simpson (D-65)
(517) 373-1775
mikesimpson@house.mi.gov

State Representative John Stakoe (R-44)
(517) 373-2616
johnstakoe@house.mi.gov

State Representative Howard Walker (R-104)
(517) 373-1766
howardwalker@house.mi.gov