Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

Real Fearless Women
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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To illustrate the point, try running an internet search of woman shoots assailant. Based on national media reports, one would expect to see only four or five instances over the past several years. Instead, there are thousands of hits. Similar searches for woman shoots robber and woman shoots invader provide even more local news stories of women using guns defensively. Then, to get an idea of the true scope of the phenomenon, consider that in most instances of defensive gun use, a shot is never fired and doesnt get reported on.

Mere possession of a gun not 'suspicious'
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Gun-rights advocates should know that Indiana is friendly to the Second Amendment not only because of laws passed by the General Assembly but also because of what the state is willing to stand up for and defend.

Along with Michigan, Texas and Utah, Indiana has joined West Virginia in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Second and Fourth Amendment considerations of a case in which a man was stopped and frisked simply because of reports that he carried a gun. The implication of the police action is that mere possession of a weapon creates a reasonable suspicion that a crime may have been committed.

Three Self-Defense Myths That Just Wont Die
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Just about the time it appears they have been proven false and dismissed, the same self-defense and gun myths pop again. Part of this is probably due to the fact there are always new people who finally realize they need to do something about their personal safety and begin seeking answers. Unfortunately, it is also due to the tendency of some people to pass on advice they have heard, but never took the time to find out if it is really true. Since it sounds cool, it must be right.

NY: Manslaughter conviction of former porn performer tossed out
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Marchant told police that night that she thought Stone was going to kill her and had chased her around the apartment. She grabbed a knife in the kitchen and told him to back off, but Stone continued chasing her.

Marchant testified that she tried to hide in the bathroom but Stone forced open the door, dared her to stab him and pulled her head backward by grabbing her hair. Marchant said she tried to escape the bathroom, but Stone grabbed her hair again, so she "just stuck him" with the knife.

Police testified that the locks on the bedroom and bathroom doors had been damaged, and that they found blood spatter that indicated Stone was knifed in the bathroom.

D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Must Enable The Typical Citizen to Carry a Gun Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
On Tuesday, July 25 2017, The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its anticipated decision in the case of Grace v. District of Columbia, and issued a permanent injunction prohibiting D.C. from enforcing its good reason (i.e., a special need beyond self-defense) requirement for the issuance of a CCW.

GA: No Trump bump for the gun industry
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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With the new president firmly aligned with gun-rights advocates, the FBI performed 9 percent fewer firearms background checks in the first half of this year compared to January through June 2016, according to newly released data.

In Georgia, the decrease was even greater. From January to June, the FBI performed about 269,000 background checks in Georgia 11 percent fewer than the 302,000 it logged in the first half of 2016.

Background checks dont precisely correlate to the pace of gun sales. Some states periodically request new checks on people who bought guns in years past. Generally, though, the checks are a strong indicator of the robustness of the gun market, often driven by calls for new gun-control laws.

It seems cool to be racist now: The rising profile of the black gun owner
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Mark Warner was hovering over the counter of handguns, about midway through the morning shift at Blue Ridge Arsenal, the black-owned gun store in Fairfax County where hes worked for the past 18 years, when he spotted me.

I heard you want to talk about black people buying guns, Warner, himself black, declared in the matter of fact, teasing tone that has endeared him to the stores regulars. So what do you want to know?

Lets say that I wanted to buy a gun, I asked as I cautiously approached, prompting a smirk from Warner. What do I need to know?

Ed.: We heartily welcome all new gun owners!

D.C. Appeals Court Strikes Down Good Reason Concealed Carry Law Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
The Second Amendment Foundation and American Gun Owners won a significant court victory against good reason requirements for concealed carry when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a permanent injunction against enforcement of such a requirement in Washington, D.C. The 2-1 ruling, written by Judge Thomas Beall Griffith, a 2005 George W. Bush appointee, declared that;

Tested: The .22 TCM Cartridge
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Cartridge wildcatters are visionaries. For them, an existing cartridge is simply a stick of moldable clay or an unchiseled block of marble hiding a masterpiece within. Adhering to an avant-garde approach, wildcatters such as Charles Newton, P.O. Ackley, Ned H. Roberts, Richard J. Dick Casull, Ken Waters and J.D. Jones, among many others, altered existing cartridges (or created new ones) in order to improve efficiency, increase velocity, maximize energy, better consistency or, in certain cases, fulfill a niche. For gunsmith and Armscor/Rock Island Armory (RIA) consultant Fred Craig, the latter was the impetus for creating the .22 TCM.

State Attorney Generals: Being Armed Not the Same as Being Dangerous
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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State Attorney Generals (AG) from Michigan, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia are asking the Supreme Court of the United States to review a 4th U.S. Circuit Court ruling and reaffirm that being armed is not the same thing as being dangerous.

The AGs Bill Schuette (MI), Ken Paxton (TX), Sean D. Rayes (UT), and Patrick Morrisey (WV) are convinced the 4th Circuit made a mistake in ruling that individuals who carry guns can constitutionally be searched, simply for having a gun.

Circuit Court: 2nd Amendment Protects Right to Carry Firearms for Personal Self-Defense Beyond the Home
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a majority opinion stating that the Second Amendment protects a right to carry firearms for personal self-defense beyond the home.

This opinion was handed down in Wrenn v. District of Columbia, a case wherein the D.C. Circuit ruled that the citys good-reason requirement for concealed carry issuance is not constitutional. When the ruling was issued, Breitbart News reported that the court issued a permanent injunction, barring future use of the good-reason clause to limit concealed carry permit issuance.

ND: Permitless Carry to Go Into Effect
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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On August 1, the permitless carry law enacted by the passage of House Bill 1169 will go into effect. HB 1169 was signed by Governor Doug Burgum in March, and makes North Dakota the 12th state to enact permitless carry, also know as constitutional" carry.

HB 1169 eliminates the requirement of North Dakota residents to obtain a permit in order to lawfully carry, and makes the current permitting system optional, which will still allow citizens to obtain permits to take advantage of reciprocity agreements with other states. Those wishing to utilize the permitless carry system starting on August 1, 2017, should ensure they are familiar with the new law.

MS: Store Owner Opens Fire On Teen Burglars Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
In Batesville, Mississippi, a local store owner opened fire on two teenagers that police say were trying to break in. The proprietor said his store was broken into through the roof earlier that week, and several items were stolen including ice pops and beer. He said he spent the night in his shop after multiple break-ins.

TX: Open-Carry Swords: A Civilized Second Amendment Right
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Starting in September, Texas will allow you to open-carry swords. The state already allows you to carry around blades shorter than 5.5 inches, but this fall that restriction will be lifted and Texans can get their saber on.

I think thats great. Seriously. I am totally cool with the right to bear swords. Its an originalist interpretation of the Second Amendment. A sword is way closer to an 18th-century musket than any of the sub-assault-pocket-Uzis turning our country into a shooting gallery today. If you could get people to turn in their guns to receive a personally crafted sword, Id vote to melt down the Intrepid for steel and enslave Hitori Hanzo to do the work.

Americans Love Guns, but They Have No Idea How to Use Them
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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The United States is awash in gunsand a significant portion of those gun owners have no idea how to use their weapons.

That's the conclusion of a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington School of Public Health and published in the journal Injury Prevention. The research, culled from a national survey of nearly 4,000 American adults, reveals that some 61 percent of firearm owners "had received formal firearm training."

Republican-Appointed Judge Backs Gun Control Law, Says 'Firearms Regulation Requires Ample Deference' from Courts
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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But the ruling was not unanimous. Writing in dissent, Judge Karen Henderson insisted that D.C.'s gun licensing scheme should be affirmed. According to Henderson, the principle of judicial deference demands nothing less.

"The nature of firearms regulation requires ample deference to the legislature," Henderson wrote. That "ample deference stems from the recognition that gun laws involve a 'complex and dynamic' issue implicating 'vast amounts of data' that the legislature is far better equipped to gather and analyze." The propriety of gun control regulation, she concluded, is a political question that should be solved exclusively by democratically accountable officials.

IL: Piasa Armory issues statement on SB571 proposed by Sen. Haine
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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While this legislation would not likely affect Piasa Armory, another indoor shooting range, located at 3685 East Broadway in Alton, armory owner Scott Pulaski issued a statement against the proposed bill via Facebook Messenger, which said the following:

Regarding Senate Floor Amendment 001 to SB571, while we may not be directly impacted by the proposed changes, the use of state power to directly target a business is shameful. Trigger Talent, the target of this measure, may be our competition, but we share the common goal of creating a culture of responsible firearm owners and providing a professional and safe training environment.

NY: Albany says yes to Genesee County rifle hunting
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A law permanently allowing the use of rifle hunting in Genesee County has been signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The passage was announced Thursday by Assemblyman Steven Hawley, R-Batavia. He said he was very pleased.

As someone who has always passionately fought for Second Amendment rights, I am happy I was able to author this bill on behalf of the tens of thousands of hunters, rod and gun clubs and rifle owners in Western New York and give them a voice in Albany, Hawley said in a news release.

CA: Ammo Could Be Pricier And Harder To Get In California If Pols Have Their Way
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Gun owners in California may soon be required to undergo background checks before purchasing ammunition and even more proposed regulations could result in higher ammo prices across the state, Guns.com reports.

Also known as The Safety for All Act of 2016, Proposition 63 is meant to close perceived loopholes in Californias gun control laws. The initiative was approved by California voters by a 63-37 margin in the general election last November.

If implemented in their current form, the regulations would treat ammunition sales like gun sales, put measures in place to strip guns away from convicted felons, and prohibit Californians from possessing magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

CT: Amicus Groups Try to Sway Conn. Supreme Court in Sandy Hook Hearing
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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As the Connecticut Supreme Court prepares to hear a case pitting families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook shooting against gun manufacturers Remington and Bushmaster, a variety of groups have staked out sides in amicus briefs in an attempt to sway the decision.

The state's high court must decide whether to remand the case back to Bridgeport Superior Court to allow the families to continue their discovery after the case was dismissed last year.

VA: George Washingtons Mount Vernon Becomes Gun-Free Zone
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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With a policy change taking effect his year, Mount Vernonthe estate of the first president of the United Statesis now a gun-free zone.

The decision was made by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, which has operated Mount Vernon since just before the Civil War.

The new policy is evident in the Mount Vernon Bag Inspection Policy & Prohibited Items website, which clearly states a ban on the possession of weapons/firearms, except [by] qualified law enforcement. This is a shift from a policy allowing the possession of guns in a way that comports with Virginia law ...

CA: Confident in Trump, gun owners buy fewer rifles, shotguns
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Californians bought fewer long guns a type of firearm including shotguns and rifles in the first six months of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, according to new data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In the first half of 2017, Californians bought 166,167 long guns compared to 230,666 in the same period in 2016. The 2016 sales reflect a bump from the previous two years, but the 2017 sales are the lowest they have been since 2011.

Ed.: That's bound to happen when you ban the guns people want to buy.