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AK: The trap of trapshooting by bird hunters
Submitted by: Corey Salo

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Five years ago, the clubhouse at the Snowshoe Gun Club in Kenai was nothing more than a rusted Conex storage container with peeling paint. Inside, a stove the size of an old box television sat in the middle of the narrow room.

It was a Sunday in mid-January when I first walked into the building. The warmth of the single room came from the crowd inside as much as the stove. As one group warmed their hands over the stove, another grabbed their shotguns from the rack and headed out.

I had just shot my first round of trap and was realizing I was not a natural. Instead of teasing me, one of the club members told me my first round was free because I'd spend plenty on the sport the rest of my life.

AR: Campus Carry Voted Out of Committee
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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On Tuesday, the House Committee on Judiciary voted 12-5 to pass House Bill 1249, a Campus carry bill introduced by state Representative Charlie Collins (R-84). NRA-ILA strongly supports this important legislation, which seeks to achieve a safer environment for public college and university residents, employees and visitors. HB 1249 would allow employees of public colleges and universities to carry firearms on campus, provided they have a valid Concealed Handgun Carry License (CHCL). Self-defense is a fundamental right of every person. The basic function of the Second Amendment is to protect the ability of law-abiding people to fight back effectively against those who would wrongfully deprive us of life and liberty.

WA: On Anniversary Of School Shooting, Victim's Sister Has Plea For Lawmakers
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Thursday is the 21st anniversary of a deadly school shooting at Frontier Junior High in Moses Lake, Washington. To mark the anniversary, the sister of one of the victims plans to ask state lawmakers to make it crime to not safely store guns.
On February 2, 1996,14-year-old Barry Loukaitis opened fire, killing two fellow students and an Algebra teacher.

Nyla Fritzs little brother Arnold was one of the victims that day.

My life is kind of two segments, the life before my brother died and my life since, she said.

The latest outreach by Shannon Watts, Moms Demand Action: Teen Vogue
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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But Teen Vogue hasnt given up on fluff, as is illustrated in this piece by Watts, titled, 7 Things You Dont Know About the NRA Gun Lobby and What You Can Do About It, with the even more ominous assertion in the subtitle that The NRA may be more influential than you realize.

She may be right in one respect here. In almost twenty years of teaching, Ive seen time and time again that common knowledge is a term created more out of optimism than demonstrable sociology. But the seven assertions that Watts makes do nothing to alleviate ignorance on the part of any reader who hasnt studied the subject for herself.

The Second Amendment is not a blank check to own every weapon imaginable
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Now, let me ask you a question: do you see any items in that list that you dont want the average US citizen to be able to possess and use for self- and property defense purposes?

If the answer is yes, then congratulations, you have something in common with gun control advocates. You agree that there are some arms which are so dangerous that no citizen should be allowed to possess them. You, like the majority of Americans and the Supreme Court of the United States of America, believe that the Second Amendment is subject to reasonable limitations. The question for you is where to draw the line.

KS: Judge: Federal firearms regulations trump Kansas gun law
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A federal judge on Tuesday rejected arguments that a Kansas law can shield from federal prosecution anyone owning firearms made, sold and kept in the state a ruling that casts doubt on the legality of similar laws passed in nine states across the nation.

The decision handed down by U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten allows federal firearms charges against Shane Cox and Jeremy Kettler to stand. The ruling clears the way for their sentencing on Monday.

NRA Plans To Advance Agenda Under Trump
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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'For the first time in almost a decade, the NRA is shifting from a defensive stance to a pro-active stance,' said NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker, according to The Hill. 'We're going from defense to offense.'

'Now, we have a pro-Second Amendment Congress, and a pro-Second Amendment president, who will sign pro-Second Amendment legislation. That's a huge shift.'

The NRA is reportedly poised to push expanded concealed-carry laws across state lines, as well as laws that more easily enable hunters to use silencers.

Tracing Judge Gorsuchs Paper Trail On The Second Amendment
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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The Second Amendment protects an individuals right to own firearms and may not be infringed lightly. So wrote U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch in United States v. Miguel Games-Perez. That case demonstrates why Judge Gorsuch is a worthy successor to Justice Antonin Scalia.

Judge Gorsuch currently serves on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Based in Denver, it is the federal appeals court for Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Utah, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Gorsuch was nominated for the 10th Circuit by President George W. Bush in 2006. A Denver native, he earned his law degrees from Harvard and Oxford.

TN: Tennessee Bill Prohibits Federal and International Gun Regs
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A bill recently introduced into the state legislature in Tennessee would see the state no longer volunteer to cooperate with federal and international gun control regulations.

Specifically, Senate Bill 146 introduced by State Senator Mae Beavers prohibits the allocation of state or local funds, property, or personnel for the implementation, regulation, or enforcement of any federal law, executive order, rule, regulation, international law, or treaty regulating the ownership, use, or possession of firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories even if state or local agents attempt to justify enforcement by pointing to provisions in a state law or the state constitution.

TX: Constitutional Carry This Session? Not Likely.
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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But Stickland may not have as much support as he suggests. Andrea Brauer, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, suggested the conservative representative is very much in the minority on the issue. Rather, she said, the priority among Capitol Republicans remains eliminating the licensing fees for open carry enthusiasts while leaving the class requirement in place, though no lawmaker has filed a bill quite yet. "I'm not hearing people say [permitless carry] is a priority except for Jonathan Stickland," she continued.

VA: Senate committee shoots down constitutional carry bill
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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The Senate Finance Committee shot down a bill Wednesday that would have allowed constitutional carry in Virginia.

SB 1440, introduced by Sen. Dick Black, R-Leesburg, would have negated the need for concealed handgun permits in Virginia by allowing all law-abiding gun owners to carry concealed weapons without a permit across the state.

Blacks bill was approved by the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on Jan. 18 by a 9-6 voice vote, but it was killed unanimously by the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday before it could reach the full chamber.

HI: Anti-Gun Bills Scheduled for Hearing [Thursday]
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Tomorrow, February 2, two anti-gun bills have been scheduled for consideration in the Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs. Both bills could deprive individuals of their Second Amendment rights simply based on allegations, without a conviction, mental adjudication or other prohibiting factors. Please contact members of the committee and politely urge them to OPPOSE these misguided bills. Please click the Take Action button below to contact committee members!

Gun Test: Stoeger P3000
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Traditional, reliable, a staple: Theyre all words that could be used to describe the pump-action shotgun. The design, which first appeared in the field more than a century ago, remains brilliant in its simplicity and efficiency. Pump guns continue to have a place in the blinds of hunters and under the beds of homeowners across the nation, and for good reason. That said, of late the design has seen far more popularity on the self-defense side of the shooting and outdoor industry.

CA: American Armory Opens in Hollister Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
American Armory, a retail gun store, opened this week at 731 San Benito St. in downtown Hollister. Owner Jesse Rodriguez, 34, said he chose Hollister because of its proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area and central coast. He previously owned a gun store in Los Banos, but decided to move to Hollister when his lease was up.

AR: Gun bill 'volatile issue'
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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House Bill 1249 "concerning the possession of a concealed handgun in a public university, public college, or community college building" was returned to the House on Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee with a do-pass recommendation. It is up for consideration by the House today.

Eaves said he predicts the "big Second Amendment rights bill" will pass in the house, but it's important to clear up misconceptions about the bill.

Freedoms Steel VI Victorys Edge Bowie Celebrating the Second Amendment
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Knife Rights has donated Freedoms Steel VI Victorys Edge Bowie, a one-of-a-kind Damascus Bowie knife by Master Blade Smith J.R. Cook with Barry Lee Hands engraving, to the National Rifle Associations Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). All proceeds from the auction of this Bowie support NRA-ILAs defense of the Second Amendment in celebration of the Second Amendments Preservation in this past years elections. Knife Rights is the Second Front in Defense of the Second Amendment.

IL: Federal court green-lights lawsuit challenging states gun restriction policies for families
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A federal judge recently denied the states motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging its foster parent policies restricting firearms possession.

This is the latest chapter in Shults et al v. Sheldon, a lawsuit filed last July by the Bellevue, Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Illinois State Rifle Association on behalf of Kenneth and Colleen Shults in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. George Sheldon, director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS), is named as the defendant.

KS: Kansas Bill to Make Campuses Permanent Gun-free Zones" Fails
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A bill that would have made public university and community college campuses in Kansas permanent gun-free zones failed on Tuesday in committee. Only two Democrats on the committee voted to send the bill on to the State Senate.

Under a law passed in 2013, public colleges and universities in Kansas will have to allow the concealed carry of firearms on their campuses starting in July. That law also opened public buildings to concealed carriers, but provided a four-year exemption for campuses.

UK: Once they have the guns, they come for the knives
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A towering knife angel has been crafted in Great Britain out of blades turned in through police amnesty programs across England and Wales in the past two years as a tribute to victims of knife violence.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the British Ironwork Centre and 25-year-old sculptor Alfie Bradley have created the angelic figure from more than 100,000 knives collected by 40 police agencies with the South Yorkshire Police set to add blades collected by that department in coming days.

New bill re-activates fight for suppressors by turning gun grabber argument on its head
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Gun grabbers have classified guns as a public health issue for far too long, and this argument is about to backfire on them. For years now, the deregulation of silencers, or suppressors, has been shot down over and over again by gun control freaks in Congress, but this is likely to changeall in the name of public health.

Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03) along with Rep. John Carter (TX-31) have introduced a bill called the Hearing Protection Act, which moves to eliminate a $200 tax and nine-month approval process on suppressors. Guns are loud, and these legislators are trying to spare some ears from permanent damage.

NRA Applauds Neil Gorsuchs Nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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The National Rifle Association (NRA) applauds the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill Justice Antonin Scalias seat on the United States Supreme Court.

President Trump has made an outstanding choice in nominating Judge Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court. He has an impressive record that demonstrates his support for the Second Amendment, said Chris W. Cox, Executive Director, NRA-ILA. We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, just as it did in confirming him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by a unanimous voice vote.

LA: Guns dangerous by nature, effects not containable
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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There are many people who seek to maintain the ability to acquire high powered weaponry by any means possible. Needless to say, they result to many schemes and arguments to go about accomplishing this goal. One of these strategies, which I find to be one of the most common, yet least powerful, is that claim that guns- alone- are quite harmless. Aside from being obvious, this claim is also rather useless in proving anything. Nothing which has any relation to anything has any affect on it either.

What Justice Gorsuch Might Mean for the Second Amendment Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Trumps nomination of federal judge Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court has been greeted with much glee by conservatives and a well-anticipated gnashing of teeth by the progressive Left. Naturally, those of us in the gun community have our own particularized questions about what a Justice Gorsuch might mean for the Second Amendment. Lets take a look, shall we?

NE: Fathers Shooting of Son in Barneston, Appears to be Self-Defense Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
A 25-year-old Barneston man is hospitalized with a gunshot wound, after allegedly being shot by his father in what initially appears to be self-defense. Gage County Sheriff Millard Gustafson says Julius Bruner was flown by medical helicopter to Bryan LGH Trauma Center with what appears to be a non-life threatening gunshot to his abdomen.

NH: Constitutional Carry, SB 12, passes House Committee
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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The New Hampshire House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety has passed SB 12. SB 12 is the New Hampshire permitless or Constitutional carry bill for 2017.

The New Hampshire legislature has passed permitless Constitutional carry both of the last two years. Both times the bill was vetoed by Democrat governor Maggie Hassan.

Now, early in the session, the New Hampshire Senate has passed SB 12-FN. It passed the Senate with a healthy 13 to 10 margin, defeating two attempts at amendment, on January 19, 2017.

FL: Convicting killers in Florida may soon get harder
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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We start with good news for anyone who might commit a murder in Florida: The Legislature is advancing a bill that could help you get away with it!

Now, that might seem like a bad idea to most people. It does to prosecutors and victims' advocates.

But when prosecutors such as Seminole County State Attorney Phil Archer objected to the NRA-backed proposal to make convictions tougher, NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer responded by calling them "anti-gun."