Via ACK, comes word of Bredesen saying the anti-gun steam will pick up next year:

“I think an awful lot of people who didn’t really engage on this issue but felt very strongly on the other side might get engaged the next time,” Bredesen said. “This is an issue being driven by a few thousand people who are very passionate.” He credited recent press coverage with informing people [incorrectly – ed.] on the issue.

“I think an awful lot of people who didn’t really engage on this issue but felt very strongly on the other side might get engaged the next time,”

Yup, I’m sure the Brady Campaign will activate their Nashville division and spring into action. Oh, that’s right, they don’t have one. They exist on paper, in some folks’ minds, and in an office suite in DC. Whereas the gun rights folks have lots of grassroots activists who get stuff done. The other thing about it is, and it illustrates why we win, people are passionate about rights. People, other than tyrants, are very seldom passionate about restricting others.

Greatest picture you’ll see today

Robinson Arms M96

Woman with an AR shorty

Bullpup stock for an SKS

Richard Daley’s bodyguard catches a killer. Using a gun. Because he’s armed. But Daley is probably the most anti-gun mayor around

More coverage of the Sotomayor hearings, specifically on guns, here.

I just booked my flight to attend the Gunblogger Rendezvous in Reno. Looks as though there will be an all star cast and several sponsorships at the event. You should go too. One thing about all this hope and change is that airfare prices are reasonable!

Sotomayor reluctantly discusses Heller.

Arizona: The Republican governor also expanded the rights of gun owners by allowing those with a concealed-carry permit to take their firearms into establishments that serve alcohol

Signal Mountain, Brentwood, and Williamson County have all recently passed laws prohibiting the law-abiding permit holder from carrying weapons in parks. The more cities that do this, the more likely it will be that legislators pass a law removing a municipalities’ opt out option.

A piece in the press about the restaurant carry lawsuit failing to get an injunction has an interesting image of a sign posted at the restaurant. I don’t know which restaurant that’s for but someone should inform them that their sign does not comply with Tennessee law.

I did not know that the Sunsphere had it’s own wikipedia page, with a detailed history of it.

Campaign for Liberty on why not Haslam:

Mayor Haslam discussed the story as I explained and he said his intention in the entire situation was simply to “stop the wrong people from having guns”.

I asked him “what kind of people are you referring to that you say shouldn’t have guns?”
And he responded with “felons, criminals, and those without a permit”.

Then I asked “so you believe we need a permit or permission to exercise a right guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment?”

Mayor Haslam said “well, for handguns yes”

I’m guessing Haslam probably meant for handgun carry and not ownership (i.e., handgun carry permit). Whether one agrees with that position or not, that is the law in this state.

Via ACK.

Apparently, Haslam dodged the question about whether or not he supported a ban on lawful carry of firearms in parks. Via Knoxviews.com, who seems to think marginalizing a minority is OK.

I’m not sure if it’s dry wit or the continued love fest either.

In NZ, reclassification is synonymous with ban.

A look at the restaurant carry lawsuit.

The NSSF’s Bill Brassard: Educate your community.

Shocker: Cops on the streets, actually getting in the criminals’ turf, and focusing on who commits crimes seems to get results.

Gun sales up even in Cali. Tied to fewer cops.

Concealed carry permits up in Montana.

And permits up in Kentucky.

Taurus PT138. In pink.

Dragunov

The beeb has a look.

ATF issues guidelines on receiver sales. Interesting. I’ve bought a few AR lower receivers and the dealer usually marks them as rifles. I thought that odd and wondered the ramifications if I made one into a pistol. I think the new 4473 actually has a box for receiver now.

You’d think: With gun prices so high, surely Mexican criminals are looking elsewhere.

Re-usable reactive targets.

In Knoxville, a man walked right through a restraining order and shot two people. You can’t have a gun when you’re subject to an order of protection.

The silly restaurant lawsuit failed to get an injunction from the court:

Temporary injunctions denied. But judge thinks the case needs to be heard in full. Constitutional clarity of law needs to be examined.

The suit will also likely fail when heard in full, according to every lawyer I’ve discussed the issue with. So, tomorrow, looks like carry will be allowed in restaurants that serve alcohol.

Starts today. Kasey Dread (one of the lawyer’s wives) is twittering it.

Cops catch more criminals with guns. Tennessean blames it on legal gun purchases and carry laws that haven’t gone into effect yet.

A report on Tennessee’s handgun carry permits by the Department of Safety.

I found this interesting:

The average time it took to obtain an original Tennessee handgun carry permit days. For a renewal it was 90.22 days, and for a duplicate it was 29.10 days. took an average of 69.47 days to obtain a Tennessee handgun carry permit.

IIRC, they are mandated by law to issue a permit within 90 days. I do not know that they are required to renew one that quickly.

And it looks like the HCP program made almost $1.4M this year.

TN Governor Bredesen May 2009:

to carry a concealed weapon into a crowded bar at midnight on a Saturday night defies common sense.

Guns and alcohol don’t mix

He vetoed the bill that allowed those with handgun carry permits to carry in places that serve alcohol as long as they didn’t drink. But last week, he signed into law a bill that allows off duty police to carry concealed weapons into places that serve alcohol. I guess police have magical powers to ward off booze that they kept trying to tell us permit holders would drink while carrying, even though that’s still illegal.

Also, note the press coverage. When it’s for police they refer to establishments that serve alcohol. When it’s for handgun carry permit holders, they’re all bars.