A List Member Replies: We have sold quite a few of the LCRs at my friend's gun shop/gun shows. As gun sales people, we routinely dry fire revolvers, using snap caps. The LCR has locked up so many times, it's ridiculous. We have never fired it at the range, with real ammo. People want cheap shit at gun shows, like Kel-Tecs, LCPs, LCRs, etc. I do my best to steer them to SW and used Colts, but some have it in their head... mostly because they read an article in a gun magazine, or saw it on the front page of Shooting Times. (According to this thread [http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18151], it appears that there is a Ruger forum where LCR problems have drawn some attention as well.) --- Disasters Emphasize Need for RKBA: Picture this: Your city is in virtual ruins because of a natural disaster. You're trying to gather your family and stay with your belongings and what's left of your home or business. You have no electricity, water or food. Your main goal is to stay safe, stay together and stay alive. Think Haiti. Chile. New Orleans. As hours pass, you realize there's no police or firefighter protection for you, and there's no military in sight. What is in sight is the specter of looters - people suddenly freed from the restraints of law and order - who are pillaging homes and businesses to steal whatever isn't nailed down. At this point, because of the disaster, nothing is nailed down and the looters have free rein because you and your family have no way to protect yourself. It's ironic that while the Haitian and Chilean earthquake survivors face just such situations, the U.S. Supreme Court is deciding whether there is a nationwide right for Americans to own guns... http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=127205 --- Open Carry - The Next Frontier?: For years, being able to carry a concealed handgun has been a sacred right for many gun enthusiasts. In defending it, Charlton Heston, the actor and former president of the National Rifle Association, used to say that the flock is safer when the wolves cannot tell the difference between the lions and the lambs. But a grass-roots effort among some gun rights advocates is shifting attention to a different goal: exercising the right to carry unconcealed weapons in the 38 or more states that have so-called open-carry laws allowing guns to be carried in public view with little or no restrictions. The movement is not only raising alarm among gun control proponents but also exposing rifts among gun rights advocates... "I'm all for open-carry laws," said Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, a gun rights advocacy organization in Washington State. "But I don't think flaunting it is very productive for our cause. It just scares people." ...The first meet-ups by open-carry advocates started nearly a decade ago in Virginia, but they became popular more recently in California because the law there makes it difficult for people to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/us/08guns.html?ref=us Don't Confuse Me with Facts: Coffee shops such as Starbucks can provide considerable entertainment for the average Joe looking for a cup of joe. Whether it's the greasy-looking crazies muttering conspiracy theories under their breaths or the suits with greased hair shouting into their Bluetooth sets, one can usually count on some sort of spectacle. Groups of "open carriers," gun owners who carry their firearms in public, are the newest addition to Starbucks' curious mix of patrons. Starbucks recently decided it would allow patrons to carry weapons inside its stores, provided the stores are located in an area where carrying a weapon is legal... (Starbucks has made it quite clear that they are abiding by a long-standing policy, hence it is untrue that this is a recent decision. This brilliant commentary is from a California college student who, unfortunately, appears old enough to vote.) http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/news/2010/03/08/Opinion/New-Starbucks.Policy.Two.Parts.Cream.One.Part.Sugar.Three.Parts.Gunpowder-3886467.shtml --- In Ohio, The Beat Goes On: Since 1993's Brady Bill, sweeping legislation that required background checks for gun buyers, Democratic administrations in Washington have meant only one thing to many local gun owners: the prospect of increased Second Amendment restrictions. With the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the local reaction has been no different. Gun sellers from Ashland to Galion report a huge spike in local sales. More troubling for critics has been an accompanying spike in the number of people carrying concealed guns. The state said last week that almost 200,000 Ohioans are now authorized to carry concealed weapons. In some north central Ohio counties, the number of new applicants for licenses has more than doubled... Area police say first-time gun owners cite slashed police budgets and the perceived need for increased personal safety as rationales for buying a handgun. "When you're seeing budget cuts in law enforcement, (people) are going to arm themselves to protect their families," Knox County Sheriff David Barber said. "There's a surge in applications because of a reduction in manpower." Whatever the reasons, the numbers are striking... (It's unfortunate that Officer Katona does not interpret Rule Three to included placing the finger up on the frame until he is prepared to fire.) http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100307/NEWS01/3070311/More-Richland-Co.-residents-packing --- Ohio Group Endorses Candidate: Ohioans For Concealed Carry is pleased to announce our endorsement of Senator Jon Husted for Ohio Secretary of State. Senator Husted is a gun owner himself and has been a strong and consistent supporter of second amendment rights for his entire career. Jon Husted voted to create and strengthen Ohio's concealed carry law. The Ohio House debated concealed carry several times during Husted's eight-year tenure. In 2002, the House passed HB 274, but differences between the House and Senate could not be resolved and the bill never became law. In the 125th General Assembly, House Bill 12 was approved and signed into law, making Ohio one of 46 states at that time to have some form of concealed carry. He supported House Bill 347 (126th GA), sponsored by Rep. Aslanides, which made changes to Ohio's concealed carry laws enacted in HB 12. The major change eliminated the requirement that a handgun must be in plain sight when a permit holder is traveling in a motor vehicle. This bill changed the law to enable a permit holder to carry a concealed handgun in a holster on the person or securely in a locked glove compartment or locked case. The bill also preempted all local laws related to firearms. This bill was vetoed by then Governor Bob Taft. Then-Speaker Husted successfully led the efforts to override the veto... http://www.ohioccw.org/201003074812/ofcc-endorses-jon-husted-for-secretary-of-state.html --- Illinois CCW Bills Advance, for Now: HB6249 A Right to Carry bill sponsored by Rep. John Bradley passed out of the House Agriculture & Conservation committee this past week with a vote of 11-1. It is now placed on the House calendar for Second Reading. HB462, another Right to Carry bill sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps is scheduled to be heard by the same committee on March 9, 2010 and is expected to pass out of committee with the same support. Click on the bill numbers above to see if your Representative is one of the co-sponsors of these bills. If their name is not listed as a sponsor, call them and urge them to support your right to protect your self and your family. Urge them to show their support by signing on as co-sponsors of these bills. If your representative does not support your right to carry, be sure to inform him/her they will not have your support in the next election! Lobby in person for the Right to Carry, March to the State Capitol, and make your voice heard! Don't miss an important opportunity to show your support for the Right to Carry! ... (The crucial test for RKBA legislation in Illinois is whether it can overcome the opposition from the Chicago area.) http://www.ammoland.com/2010/03/07/right-to-carry-bills-make-progress-in-illinois-general-assembly/ --- Kentucky Governor Signs RKBA Bills: ...On the home front, Governor Bill Bredesen signed two bills this past week that will affect the state's gun owners. House Bill 2376, sponsored by Representative David Shepard (D-69) and Senator Doug Jackson (D-25), prohibits the destruction of confiscated firearms and requires that they be auctioned off or sold to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Proceeds from the sale will be used for the benefit of local law enforcement agencies. House Bill 770, sponsored by Representative Mike Turner (D-51) and Senator Doug Jackson (D-25), will allow law-abiding permit holders to carry a firearm for self-defense during the bowhunting season. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20100307/COLUMNISTS11/3070336 --- One More Shot to Repeal Virginia Purchase Limit: Gun control advocates thought they had defeated an attempt to repeal Virginia's "one gun a month" law. But there will be one more attempt this week to do away with it. Democrats shipped off the proposed repeal to a Senate subcommittee which killed it along with several other gun bills March 4. Prince William Delegate Scott Lingamfelter says they'll make one last attempt to revive the repeal in another committee Monday. "The level to which we are willing in the House to trust the decisions of law abiding citizens, it seems to me that the Senate has a somewhat contrary view." If that does not happen, Lingamfelter predicts lawmakers will face some political blowback... http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1906176 --- Florida CWFL Funds Threatened Again: ...For years the legislature fought gun owners over paying for a statewide licensing program that would provide uniformity and fairness to gun owners. Legislators did not want taxpayers to fund a gun program. Gun owners are tax payers too and wanted tax dollars to fund the program. In 1987, the concealed firearms licensing law passed with a financial contingency. The legislature insisted that the gun owner program not be dependent upon General Revenue or any government funding whatever. The NRA, Unified Sportsmen of Florida and gun owners, insisted upon only being responsible for funding the program. They insisted that licensing fees only be an amount necessary to administer the program, no more, no less. Further, they insisted that the fees be held in a trust fund and used solely for the benefit of and administration of the program and never used for any other purpose... http://www.ammoland.com/2010/03/07/gun-trust-fund-protects-constitutional-right/ --- Oops, Wrong Store: A robbery attempt was foiled after a store clerk shot a thief. The incident occurred at the Snappy Convenience Store, located at 115 S.E. 10th Street, Friday night. Store clerk Samir Al-Madi, 25, told Broward's [FL] Sheriff's Office Robbery detectives he was on the telephone when he saw a hooded man approaching the store. According to BSO, when the suspect, 24-year-old Alexander Brown, pulled out his gun on Al-Madi, Al-Madi reached for a gun and shot Brown in the jaw. Freddy Al-Madi, owner of the convenience store and father of the victim, said, "He walked in and he tried to kill him. He did not come in here just to rob. The guy was ready. The gun was ready." When Brown tried to get up, Al-Madi felt threatened once again and shot Brown again. Brown was taken to North Broward Medical Center. He is expected to survive... (If you watch the video you will see the clerk's shot fired one-handed, possibly with a coarse visual index. Note that while the jaw is part of the head, the first shot was only temporarily disabling.) http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI145560/ http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m3d7-Convenience-store-clerk-shoots-violent-robber-in-self-defense --- Increasing Small Arms Lethality in Afghanistan: Taking Back the Infantry Half-Kilometer: Operations in Afghanistan frequently require United States ground forces to engage and destroy the enemy at ranges beyond 300 meters. These operations occur in rugged terrain and in situations where traditional supporting fires are limited due to range or risk of collateral damage. With these limitations, the infantry in Afghanistan require a precise, lethal fire capability that exists only in a properly trained and equipped infantryman. While the infantryman is ideally suited for combat in Afghanistan, his current weapons, doctrine, and marksmanship training do not provide a precise, lethal fire capability to 500 meters and are therefore inappropriate... The special operations community also identified the requirement for a more lethal cartridge. They began a search for a new cartridge that would give them an increased capability over current M855. Two master sergeants took the historical information about effective calibers and tested cartridges in 6-mm, 6.5-mm, 6.8-mm, 7-mm, 7.62-mm cartridges that would work within the system limitations of the M16/M4. They discovered that 7-mm was the most devastating caliber and that 6.5-mm was the most accurate caliber for the above range. The 6.8-mm caliber offered the best compromise in accuracy and lethality... (Lots of interesting stuff here, if you've go the time to read it.) http://www.scribd.com/full/27765477?access_key=key-25o3hl0i8xdi4f5zo2tb -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. The tactics and skills to use a firearm in self-defense don't come naturally with the right to keep and bear arms. http://www.spw-duf.info