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Never Underestimate The Danger Of Edged Weapons

By
Jennifer Sensiba
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79
knife attack
Shutterstock

A recent video out of Tucson, Ari., shows us the right way to respond to a man threatening you with a sword. But, if you’ve never thought too much about how you’d respond to such a thing, it’s worth taking a few seconds to mentally run through that scenario, because misconceptions about blades and guns are all over the map in society.

But first, let’s look at the video:

Obviously, this guy isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and his connection with reality wasn’t very solid. He decided to do some emotionally intense sword practice in a hotel parking lot, screaming and waving his sword around, probably not unlike the Star Wars Kid. When hotel management told him to stop, he ignored them. So, the sheriff’s department had to come out there to let him know that he couldn’t keep doing that.

When deputies arrived, he refused to put the sword away (which he had sheathed by then). Why? Because he was “trying to achieve greatness with the katana”. Then, of course, he had to ask the rhetorical question of whether katana practice is allowed in the United States. That’s an obvious “yes”, but it’s generally not tolerated in a parking lot. Instead of seeing that maybe he should have gone out to some forest or BLM land, he kept arguing the issue with deputies, telling them he’s “hella responsible”.

He then tried to explain that he’s related to a Greek god, and that if anyone wants to kill him, he’s going to be hard to kill. Then, he drew the sword and advanced on deputies with predictable results.

While the guy’s idiocy is pretty funny, you do have to feel bad for the guy because it ended up costing him his life. But, it doesn’t help you much if you find yourself explaining your empathy for the guy’s mental shortcomings if you’re doing that explaining at the pearly gates (or whatever you think you’d find after getting killed).

The fact is, a sword or even a knife can be more deadly than getting shot by a gun. Worse, it takes 1-2 seconds to draw a pistol from its holster and fire it (the above video is a fancy version of the Tueller Drill), allowing a person with a blade to inflict a fatal injury on you before you can draw. So, the police were right both to back away and increase the distance, draw and fire on him as soon as he advanced on them. There’s just no spare time to “shoot it out of his hand” or “shoot him in the leg” (things idiots think police should do in such situations).

So, if you ever see someone acting crazy with a knife or a sword, don’t get too close. In fact, leave if you’re not being paid to deal with the guy. Such a confrontation can cost you everything. But, if you have to deal with such a person, don’t assume that you’re invincible because you have a gun, because the distance you can shoot from can disappear quick when someone’s running toward you.

Report: Biden’s Magazine Ban Targets Three-Quarters Of Mags In U.S.

By
Mark Chesnut
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58
high capacity ar-15 magazines ammunition
Bigstock

President Joe Biden and other gun-ban advocates like to tell Americans that firearms magazines that hold more than 10 rounds are “evil.” What they don’t tell you, however, is that these magazines, which they want to ban, make up the vast majority of mags owned by Americans.

As recently as Feb. 14 Biden called for a ban on what he calls “high-capacity” magazines, which are actually standard-capacity magazines that come stock with most semi-auto firearms sold today.

“I ask the country to stand with me,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “To make your voice heard in Congress so we finally act to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity magazines, strengthen background checks, keep guns out of the hands of those who have no business owning them or handling them. We know what we have to do, we just need the courage to do it.”

While all that might sound good to some who don’t understand the truth about “assault weapons” and “high-capacity” magazines, a recently released report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) revealed how widespread such magazines truly are. And according to that report, magazines that hold 11 rounds or more are the “national standard.”

According to the report, which surveyed over 30 years of detachable magazine production and distribution, revealed that of the conservatively 963,772,000 detachable magazines supplied from a firearm manufacturer and in the aftermarket, at least 717,900,000 have a capacity exceeding 10 rounds.

“The Detachable Magazine Report (1990-2021) confirms what NSSF has known—that the national standard for magazine capacity for America’s gun owners is greater than 10 rounds,” the organization stated in a news item detailing the report. “With nearly 1 billion detachable magazines in circulation, for both rifles and pistols, they are unquestionably commonly-owned and commonly-used for lawful firearm use, including recreational target shooting, hunting and self-defense. They are ‘arms’ within the meaning of the Second Amendment. Detachable magazines are integral to the design of, and necessary for the proper functioning of, today’s modern semi-automatic firearms.”

According to the report, about 46 percent of the magazines estimated in this study are rifle magazines with 30-plus round capacity. The percentage of detachable magazines at 11-plus capacity is about 55 percent of total pistol magazines. The amount of 10 and below capacity rifle magazines supplied from the manufacturer is over one and a half times the amount of 30-plus capacity rifle magazines. The consumer market totals of rifle magazines show 30-plus capacity magazines, over 413 million, are over 30 times the amount available than 10 and below capacity rifle magazines, about 13 million.

Lawrence Keane, NSSF senior vice president & general counsel, said the report should be eye-opening to those trying to ban such magazines.

“The data establishes that law-abiding gun owners overwhelmingly choose magazines that have a capacity to hold more than 10 rounds for lawful purposes including self-defense, target shooting and hunting,” Keane said.

Digging deeper, the report indicated that of the 717,900,000 detachable magazines for pistols and rifles with a capacity greater than 10 rounds, 209,145,000 pistol magazines are in circulation from combined sales through firearm manufacturers (those magazines included with the firearm) and aftermarket production. Rifle magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds accounted for 508,755,000 and rifle magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds or greater totaled an estimated 448,369,000 from combined sale of those included with a firearm at sale and the aftermarket.

Fire Breaks Out in Pennsylvania Ammo Plant, Foreign Media Takes Note

By
Doug Howlett
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21
A steel worker manufactures 155 mm M795 artillery projectiles at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., in this AP file photo. A small fire broke out in the plant Monday.

A fire erupted at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania, which produces key military supplies, including heavy artillery ammunition. The incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. local time on Monday, April 15, and resulted in the emission of black smoke from the facility. Local emergency services quickly responded to what was described as a “structure fire.”

The Scranton plant, managed by General Dynamics-Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) under the U.S. Army’s Joint Munitions Command, confirmed the fire was small and had been extinguished with no injuries reported. The facility is currently assessing the damage to understand the potential consequences for its operations. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Significantly, the plant is a crucial part of the U.S. military infrastructure, producing 155mm and 105mm artillery projectiles, 120mm mortar rounds, 203mm naval shells and various smoke, illumination and incendiary rounds. Since 2022, the Scranton facility has been increasing its production capabilities to meet both U.S. demands and international military assistance needs, particularly for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. In March 2024, the U.S. committed a $300 million aid package to Ukraine, emphasizing air defense, artillery and anti-tank weapons.

Interestingly, the fire at the ammunition plant garnered more attention from foreign media, particularly in regions directly impacted by the output of such facilities. Both Iran and Ukraine reported extensively on the incident. Mehr News Agency from Tehran, an Iranian state-run news outlet, and Militarnyi from Ukraine provided detailed coverage, reflecting a heightened international interest compared to U.S. media. This increased coverage can be attributed to the direct relevance of the plant’s production to ongoing conflicts, especially the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Scranton, a northeastern Pennsylvania community of about 75,000 residents and the birthplace of U.S. President Joe Biden, is bracing for his scheduled visit on Tuesday following the fire incident.

Rust Armorer Receives Maximum Sentence, 18 Months In Prison

By
Mark Chesnut
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52
Rust Alec Baldwin movie set shooting death
Security stands at the entrance to a film set where police say actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun, killing a cinematographer, is seen outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. The Bonanza Creek Ranch film set has permanent structures for background used in Westerns, including "Rust," the film Baldwin was working on when the prop gun discharged. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio)

The armorer in charge of the prop guns and ammunition on the set of the movie Rust has been sentenced to 18 months in a state prison for the incident in which actor Alec Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a prop gun in October 2021.

A New Mexico jury had found 25-year-old Hanna Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter back in early March. And on Monday, a judge handed down the maximum sentence to Gutierrez-Reed, citing her lack of remorse as one reason for that penalty.

“Your attorney had to tell the court you were remorseful,” the judge said at the sentencing, later adding, “You were the armorer who stood between a safe weapon and a weapon that could kill someone. But for you, she would be alive.”

The March verdict was reached after only a few hours of deliberation, and Gutierrez-Reed was immediately taken into custody. Afterward her attorney promised an appeal in the case. Gutierrez-Reed was also found not guilty on an evidence tampering charge for allegedly passing off a bag of cocaine the day of the fatal set shooting.

After Monday’s verdict, the special prosecutor in charge told Fox News that prosecutors “respect the judge’s decision.

“It’s been a difficult case,” Kari T. Morrissey said. “But taking responsibility I think is critical in the criminal justice system and that was something that unfortunately was lacking from Miss Gutierrez.”

According to the Fox report, “In recorded jail phone conversations with her mother, boyfriend and her attorney’s paralegal, Gutierrez-Reed called jurors ‘idiots’ and ‘a—holes’ while complaining about the length of time it took them to deliberate, according to a recent filing by prosecutors. Also in the phone calls, she said that she would not testify in Baldwin’s upcoming criminal trial if subpoenaed and that she wants him to go to jail, too.

During the trial, prosecutors acknowledged that Alec Baldwin, who actually fired the shot that killed Hutchins, had a history of poor gun handling on set. But, they said, that didn’t absolve the armorer’s part in the tragedy.

“Hannah Gutierrez knew that Baldwin was loose. She knew it,” Morrissey told the jury. “She didn’t do anything about it, even though it was her job. It was her job. It is her job to say to an A-list actor, if in fact, that’s what you want to call him, ‘Hey, you can’t behave that way with those firearms.’ That is her job. That is what they pay her for. That is the job that she applied for. That is the job that she accepted.”

Baldwin, who pulled the trigger on the live round while pointing the gun at Hutchins, has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter and is accused of causing Hutchins’s death either by negligence or “total disregard or indifference” for safety. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial will begin in July.

Federal Act Would Require Ranges on Many Public Lands

By
TTAG Contributor
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34
Outdoor range. NSSF Photo

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed, with bipartisan support, H.R. 6492, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act. The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), garnered 51 bipartisan cosponsors. The measure was approved in a voice vote, a rare demonstration of Congress working across party lines.

The EXPLORE Act must be approved by the U.S. Senate before it can be considered by President Joe Biden.

The NSSF-supported bill includes the Range Access Act, which would increase and improve outdoor recreation opportunities across the nation while improving infrastructure and driving economic growth in rural communities. Specifically, that portion of the bill would require the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to have at least one qualifying recreational shooting range in each National Forest and BLM district, which is crucial to ensuring safe public recreational shooting. The EXPLORE Act also contains other provisions to improve hunting and recreational shooting access.

“This is a tremendous win for America’s gun owners and recreational target shooters and demonstrates what can be achieved when Congress works together for commonsense legislation that will improve access to safe firing ranges available to the public,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “We are thankful to Chairman Westerman for this bill to advance the interests of America’s sportsmen and women and for Congressman Blake Moore for ensuring that accessible and safe ranges are open in the public lands for all to enjoy.”

This legislation has the added benefit of supporting wildlife conservation and improving recreational shooting access. Recreational shooting is tied to approximately 85 percent of the Pittman-Robertson excise taxes currently being paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers, making it a major driving contributor to wildlife conservation. Since the Pittman-Robertson excise tax was enacted in 1937, firearm and ammunition makers have paid $27 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars for conservation and construction and improvement of public recreational shooting ranges.

The EXPLORE Act builds on the success of NSSF’s priority Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act, which was enacted into law in 2019. That law, also known as the “Range Bill,” allows states to use their Pittman-Robertson fund allocations to begin construction of new ranges or improve existing state-run public recreational shooting ranges. Prior to this law’s enactment, states were required to put up 25 percent of the cost of range construction projects to access the matching 75 percent of Pittman-Robertson funds. Now, states can access those funds with a 10 percent match and will have five fiscal years to acquire land for range construction or expansion projects.

Obscure Object of Desire: Ruby Pistol

By
Travis Pike
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9

One of the most common, recurring themes in warfare from the dawn of organized armed forces is a lack of weapons, equipment and ammo when you need it. The French found themselves in need of weapons, a lot of weapons, right around 1914. That pesky Great War raged on, and the French needed guns. The French turned to numerous sources, and one such source was Spain. Right before the war, a company called Gabilondo y Urresti (who later became Llama) designed a pistol named the Ruby.

It’s a little Spanish pistol (Travis Pike for TTAG)

The Ruby pistol would prove to be quite sturdy, and the French wanted more. A lot more. They called the Ruby the Pistolet Automatique de 7 millimètre 65 genre. The French ordered 10,000 a month, then 30,000, then 50,000, and Gabilondo couldn’t produce enough. Subcontractors came in and began producing the pistol, with Gabilondo being the company in charge of quality control and delivery. There were seven total subcontractors, and one was a company called Beistegui Hermanos. These contractors were all in the Basque region of Spain.

The creators of this gun would become the famed Llama company (Travis Pike for TTAG)

Beistegui Hermanos made bicycles, and they still make bicycles. In addition to producing high-end racing bikes, they made Ruby pistols, Mauser C96 clones, and revolvers, including the Ruby pistol you see here.

Inside the Ruby

The Spanish liked the Colt M1903 and saw a business opportunity. In terms of engineering, they essentially copied it, but they made some external differences and some interesting design choices. The barrel is 3.25 inches long instead of 3.75 inches, and the grip has been extended and capacity increased. The Ruby pistols famously held nine rounds of .32 ACP compared to the typical seven.

The barrel unscrews from the gun for dissassembly. (Travis Pike for TTAG)

The gun looks odd, with the barrel and slide shorter than the grip. To me, it looks like the world’s first X-model gun. Unlike the M1903, the safety is right behind the trigger and doubles as a slide lock when placed in the safe position. The magazine release is the typical bottom-of-the-grip design popular among guns of this era.

The Ruby series features lanyard loops and typically plain wood grip angels. My model has had some terrible fake stag grips placed that don’t fit well. Someone seemed to have used some adhesive around the screws that hold the grips onto the frame. It’s ugly and something I want to replace.

The fake stag grips are in need of replacement (Travis Pike for TTAG)

One of the interesting design problems and the problems with subcontractors is that the magazines weren’t always compatible. The Beistegui Hermanos magazines might not work with the Armeria Elgoibaressa y Cia magazines. The French required markings on the bottom of the magazine so the wrong mags never got matched with the wrong gun. The magazine on this gun bears an AK marking.

Handling the Ruby

The little gun is remarkably heavy for such a small gun. When loaded, it weighs about two pounds. I can easily reach the safety device with my thumb and push it up or pull it down. The magazine release is ridiculously stiff, and getting the magazine out takes some effort. To hell with speed reloads. Hey, in 1914, having nine rounds was pretty good.

Nine shots, not bad for 1914 (Travis Pike for TTAG)

The Ruby’s grip is just long enough to fit your entire hand. The magazine base plate holds your pinky on the gun quite nicely. The slide is somewhat hefty to manipulate and doesn’t glide rearward like a Colt. The grip angle has a very sharp downward design, but it’s not uncomfortable.

I loaded the magazine with nine rounds of Aguila .32 ACP and got ready to hit the range.

Blasting Off

You know that old advice, “You’ll never see your sights in a gunfight.” That came to be because of the sights on these old pistols. When Fairbairn and Sykes wrote Shooting to Live, they used guns with these sights. I believe you can’t see them in a gunfight because I can barely see them at the square range. The sights are a small notch with a small front blade.

The gun barely moves when fired. (Travis Pike for TTAG)

You have to take your time to align them; when you do, you can get reasonably good accuracy. It’s certainly no marksman’s pistol, but I could easily hit the broadside of an Imperial German with a Ruby. At 15 yards, you can easily keep your group inside the A-Zone of an IPSC target, but I wasn’t punching out one ragged hole with the gun.

A two-pound, .32 ACP gun has almost no recoil, even if it’s a blowback-operated design. The gun just barely burps. It’s like a rimfire handgun. The little .32 ACP is a fun cartridge; in a gun like this, it’s a nothingburger. I could see the benefits of the little gun in the trenches. Close-quarter fighting calls for rapid-fire weapons, and the little Ruby can be fired quickly without much stress.

The ancient pistol proved reliable (Travis Pike for TTAG)

It’s fun to shoot and seemingly reliable. I didn’t torture the gun, but it always fed, fired and ejected without any drama.

The Little Spanish Pistol

The Ruby handguns are quite common. Almost a million were made for the French. Their popularity has ensured they tend to be priced fairly low for MILSURP pistols, with a price point that’s often less than $300. If you want a fun MILSURP pistol that doesn’t break the bank, then the Ruby is a great way to go. It’s not fancy and doesn’t have the same fame as something like the Luger, but it’s still a neat little piece of history.

 

Check out Ammo To Go, the ammunition retail sponsor of TTAG gun reviews. Get your bulk and quality ammo for a bargain by visiting their site. 

Why Everyone Should Be Getting Into VR Training

By
Jennifer Sensiba
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26

When I was a teenager, I liked to play paintball with cousins and friends, along with a few army guys from church. The realistic fighting environment, including some pain if you lose, was a lot of fun. Being one step removed from risk of death along with some people to teach me about things like cover fire was a lot of fun. During those years, I came across a video game on the shelf at Best Buy that made me laugh out loud (and draw some confused looks from other shoppers).

It was a game where you play paintball, which is silly because paintball is already a simulation. A simulation of a simulation was both unappealing and hilarious. I bring this up because I’d imagine that this is how many readers feel when they hear about VR training.

After all, shooting at the range is a simulation of real fighting, so simulating that is a bit like the paintball video game. Instead of spending money on a pair of VR goggles and some accessories, why not just head to the range, right?

In this article, I want to explain why VR firearms training has become so much more than that.

Benefit #1: Realism

In some ways, 1990s VR was terrible for the industry as a whole. Better VR experiences felt like you were wearing a Volkswagen on your head. Cheaper ones, like the failed Nintendo Virtual Boy, flopped because the technology was just too expensive and immature to impress people. It was so bad that even today, the industry is still making jokes about it, like this recent April Fool’s joke. Other VR and AR flops since then, like the Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR, Google Glass, and Microsoft HoloLens (including a failed military version of the product) further justify people’s skepticism of the idea. Even the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro has been a bit of a joke.

On top of reasonable skepticism, there’s also the problem of sharing what it does with people. Because modern VR headsets give you a 3D view that follows the movement of your head, it’s really not possible to convey the full experience on a 2D phone or computer screen. So, I can share a video of VR firearms training, and people will be like, “That’s a lame video game. No thanks.”

So, the only way I can really convey how much the technology has improved is encourage readers to find a store that lets you try one out. I wouldn’t recommend heading to the Apple Store for a demo, because their headset just doesn’t have any training apps available. The Meta Quest 2 or 3 (I highly recommend the 3) is not only affordable, but can do 80% of what the Apple can do, and probably more because software and games of all kinds are available. Best Buy has Quest 3 demos on weekends at some stores. The Meta website has a tool to look up other stores with demos.

Benefit #2: It’s Very Cost Effective

Once you get a chance to try a Meta Quest headset out, you’ll probably next wonder why you should spend anywhere from $200-$650 on one. But, I’d invite you to both take an inventory of your ammo and then take an inventory of your gun safe. Chances are that you’ve spent a lot more than your significant other knows, and some of it was spent on guns that rarely leave the safe. And have you seen the cost of ammo these days?!

Being able to train not just on your fundamentals, but also things like competition shooting and facing off against other people in virtual environments isn’t cheap on the range, nor is it cheap in places that offer things like airsoft and Simunition. VR can’t replace those sorts of training, but it can help you progress and improve faster for the cost of a PSA Dagger and a few boxes of 9mm.

Think of it as a force multplier in your training toolbox. With ammo-free practice between range sessions, you can get a lot more good out of your live-fire time.

Benefit #3: Time Is Money

Finally, let’s consider how precious your time is. If most of us are honest, we’d have to admit that we don’t get to the range every day or even every week. Many if not most of us struggle to get out there once a month. Unless it’s your job to hit the range, other life obligations make it tough to fit in.

With a VR headset and software/hardware like AceXR, you can hit the virtual range anytime you have 20 minutes to spare. You don’t need to load your guns and targets up, drive to a range, spend time shooting, and then pack up, drive home, and unpack. Reasonably good practice is right there ready to go in two minutes, no matter where you are. You can even pack it in a suitcase to get some range time on business trips!

Next week, I’m going to write a follow-up article that shows you what some of these real benefits are. But, in the meantime, be sure to see if you can find a place to try a VR headset out!

Albuquerque’s Misguided Gun Control Task Force Sputters to an Inevitable Halt

By
Larry Keane
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23
Mayor Tom Keller announces the creation of the Albuquerque Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Task Force in 2021.

New Mexico continues to be a shining example of gun control activists and politicians overreaching to restrict law-abiding citizens’ ability to exercise Second Amendment rights instead of pursuing violent criminals. The failure of the so-called leaders to address those breaking the laws and punishing the ones that follow it is a major reason why residents of Albuquerque rank crime and public safety as a top concern.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham made waves for her ill-fated attempts at suspending Constitutional rights within the state’s largest county, saying “No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute.” She was brushed back by the courts and forced to recalibrate.

The latest example by city officials in Albuquerque shows their efforts yielded more fizzle than fruition in reducing criminal violence.

Gun Control Flop

In 2021, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller signed an executive order to establish the Albuquerque Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Task Force aimed at developing strategies to “turn the tide on gun violence.” The creation of the task force came after months of discussions and on the heels of the deadliest year in the city from homicides.

“Turning the tide on gun violence will take immediate action, like strengthening laws for gun storage and gun crimes,” the mayor said at the time. “This task force is one of the priorities that emerged from the Metro Crime Initiative this summer, as it becomes more clear that gun violence is a public health crisis.”

Mayor Keller’s rush to “do something” included pushing for unconstitutional mandatory firearm storage laws and strengthening gun control laws despite playing footsie with the “defund-the-police” movement in 2020. Calling “gun violence” a “public health crisis” is also code-speak for using taxpayer funds to implement more gun control and usurp the Constitution to limit rights.

Fast forward to last month and the three-year-old task force has fizzled out with little fanfare. According to KOB4 News, a member of the task force who wanted to stay anonymous said that the group hasn’t met since last fall, leadership has changed multiple times and more than a dozen members have left the group.

One of the members of the task force who left, Miranda Viscoli, acts as the co-president of the gun control group New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence. Viscoli seemed baffled about the idea of what to do and how to do it. “Task forces are complicated, right? It’s, you know, we have to figure out what to do, and then how do we execute it,” Viscoli said.

After more than two years of “work,” the group is dismantling with an odd message about their accomplishments. “I think there is still more work to be done,” former task force leader and Albuquerque City Councilwoman Nicole Rogers said. “Clearly, gun violence is still an issue in our community, especially with our youth. So there is absolutely more work to be done.”

In sum, after nearly three years, there are no formal recommendations and there’s no report yet on how much it cost taxpayers.

Like Governor, Like Mayor

Mayor Keller’s failure to face the fact that it is criminals who should be held accountable for their crimes is familiar because that’s what comes down from the state’s top executive. Gov. Lujan Grisham exhibits many of the same tendencies based on gun control fantasies as well.

During her first term, Gov. Lujan Grisham tried choking off gun rights during the COVID-19 pandemic by closing down firearm retailers under the guise of those businesses not being “essential.” The backlash across the state was fierce and when faced with the legal certainty her order wouldn’t pass Constitutional muster, including legal challenges, the governor relented and allowed firearm retailers to reopen.

Fast forward to September 2023 and the governor decreed a public health emergency in Bernalillo County, including Albuquerque, that suspended Second Amendment rights and prohibited all lawful public and concealed carrying of firearms.

“There are literally too many people to arrest,” the governor said. “If there’s an emergency … I can invoke additional powers. No constitutional right, in my view … is intended to be absolute.”

But in the wake of her edict, even gun control’s most stalwart schemers criticized her for the announcement. March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg did and so did U.S. Rep. David Lieu (D-Calif.), who posted on social media, “This order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution … There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.”

Once again, a judge placed a temporary restraining order on the concealed and public carry provisions of the public health order. And again, the governor recoiled, narrowing her edict but extending the initial 30-day order by another 30 days while legal challenges are working through the courts.

The governor tried once more to push more gun control during the 2024 30-day budget-focused legislative session but still failed to get her way.

Answer Right in Front of You

If the governor, Mayor Keller or any of the former task force members are still searching for answers on how to reduce criminal gun violence, the governor already announced to media how it can be done. She held a celebratory press conference in October 2023, patting herself on her back that her gun control efforts were working. Except they weren’t. The things she highlighted as having the biggest impact on reducing criminal gun crimes were, in fact, related to criminals, not law-abiding New Mexicans.

The “successes” the governor highlighted included getting tough on criminals and holding them accountable. She praised the arrests of more than 500 people, “many for misdemeanors,” during a recent stretch. She “celebrated” the recovery of 20 stolen firearms, while leaving out that there had been more than 5,000 firearms reported stolen in Albuquerque over the past five years. Another data point Gov. Grisham praised was that there were 38 fewer reported gunshots detected over a three-day window – a blip lower than last year’s average of 100 each day.

Taxpayers in Albuquerque are owed answers. How much did they pay for an ill-fated task force to meet and sputter out with no formal report or finalized recommendations on reducing crime in the city? That money could’ve been saved if everyone recognized that going after criminals does the most good, not further restricting the Constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

Colorado Gun Ban Passes House, One Step Closer to the Californication of the Mile High State

By
Doug Howlett
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58
assault weapons ban rifle gun control ar-15
Bigstock

The Colorado House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats, passed a bill on Sunday that aims to ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic firearms, marking a significant legislative move that could align Colorado with other states that have similar prohibitions, according to ABC News. The bill, which was approved by a 35-27 vote, now heads to the Democratic-majority state Senate.

This legislative push comes a year after a nearly identical proposal was rejected by Democrats, citing concerns about the scope of the ban and commitments to their constituents to avoid excessive government intervention. The bill’s journey through the Senate is anticipated to be challenging despite the Democratic majority, as Colorado has historically been a battleground state with a mixed political heritage.

Governor Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has expressed reservations about the bill, reflecting the nuanced positions within the party on gun control measures. Last year, Governor Polis signed four less comprehensive gun control laws, including raising the minimum age for purchasing firearms to 21, establishing a three-day waiting period for gun purchases, enhancing the state’s red flag law, and reducing legal protections for the firearms industry, making it more susceptible to lawsuits from gun violence victims.

These legislative actions followed several tragic events in Colorado, a state with a painful history of mass shootings. This includes the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999, a movie theater shooting in Aurora in 2012, and more recently, a shooting at a Boulder supermarket in 2021 and at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs.

Democratic Representative Javier Mabrey highlighted Colorado’s notorious history with mass shootings in his plea for support for the bill, emphasizing the deadly potential of semiautomatic weapons which can inflict significant harm in a short period.

In contrast, Republicans in the House argued that the bill infringes on the Second Amendment rights and insisted that mental health issues and the broader societal disregard for life are the root causes of violence, not the firearms themselves. They pointed out that individuals intent on harm could resort to other means, such as knives. Just such a violent attack with a knife was carried out in Australia this past weekend, a nation that prides itself on how it limited its citizens from easily owning and possessing firearms.

The outcome in the state Senate will be closely watched as an indicator of shifting legislative priorities in traditionally purple states.

Update: Court Refuses to Allow Oregon’s Anti-Gun Measure to Go Into Effect During Appeal

By
Doug Howlett
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3
gun training class concealed carry training
Gun training class. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

In the latest update on Oregon’s contentious gun control law, Measure 114, the Oregon Court of Appeals has blocked the law from taking effect while an appeal is ongoing, KATU reports. The decision comes after a Harney County judge previously ruled that the measure violated the constitutional right to bear arms under the Oregon Constitution.

Measure 114, which was approved by voters, mandates that individuals undergo a criminal background check and complete a gun safety training course to obtain a permit to purchase a firearm. Additionally, the measure seeks to ban high-capacity magazines.

The state had requested that the measure be allowed to take effect during the appeals process. However, the Court of Appeals found that implementing the law now would disrupt the current legal status quo. The court also noted that the state’s argument suggesting imminent risk of harm without the law’s enforcement was based on speculative grounds.

While the court has denied immediate implementation of Measure 114, it has agreed to expedite the appeals process. To facilitate thorough consideration, the court has extended the deadline for filing legal briefs to 119 days from the announcement on Friday, as per KATU’s coverage based on information from the Oregonian. This decision marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over gun control measures in Oregon.

The Battle For National Park Carry Isn’t Over

By
Jennifer Sensiba
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24
Old Faithful Geyser Visitor Center Yellowstone National Park.

In 2009, President Barack Obama signed a law that ended the National Park Service’s ban on guns in parks, monuments, historic parks and every other kind of NPS property. Obama, of course, didn’t want to do it, but because Republicans managed to get national park carry inserted into a “must-pass” bill, Obama was left with little choice but to sign on the line.

This was, of course, a big victory for gun rights. Even if you aren’t visiting a national park, it’s entirely possible to drive through one on the way to somewhere else. For visitors, being able to protect themselves from everything from smugglers and ransom gangs in border parks to drug grow operations elsewhere meant a lot more peace of mind for the family.

Sadly, visitors still face a bit of a minefield. While you can lawfully carry in a national park according to the laws of the state the park is in, “federal facilities” within the parks are still off limits. This basically means any building in which NPS personnel work, so the visitor center, many bathrooms and showers, and even some hotels are off limits. Worse, the National Park Service has stretched the reasonable definition of “building” to include natural structures like the caves at Carlsbad Caverns.

Even worse, the NPS is still going to go after you if you have any reason to use the firearm. According to the NPS website:

Unless authorized, the use or discharge of a firearm within a park area is prohibited. 36 CFR 2.4(b) and 13.30(c). In parks where hunting is specifically mandated or authorized by federal statute, firearms may be used to hunt in accordance with NPS regulations and state laws. 36 CFR 2.2.

Visitors should not consider firearms as protection from wildlife.

So, expect the NPS to jerk you around in court and try to take your freedom away if you need to shoot at animals, whether on two or four legs.

Blatantly Unconstitutional

The good news is that after the 2022 NYSRPA v Bruen decision, the days of these remaining unconstitutional laws and policies are numbered. There’s really no widespread historic example of gun bans on public property from the time of constitutional ratification until the 14th Amendment was adopted. So, there’s no real way to say that visitor centers and caves are a place where guns can be banned. There may be some way to justify banning carry in the actual offices of the Park Service but bans on publicly accessible areas really can’t be justified.

As for the use of firearms in self-defense, parks are likely going to need to defer to state laws on use of force. Things like the reasonable person standard, necessity, and whether one instigated an attack need to come into play instead of a blanket policy that bans all firing of guns, no matter how compelling one’s need for that may be.

But, to make these things happen, the NPS will need to be taken to court. That, of course, is going to require money. So, on top of asking gun rights organizations to take this on, we must also chip in a few bucks to cover the costs. Personally, I’d recommend sending FPC a few bucks, and not only because I’m working with them on another case. But, if you have another organization you think might take it on, be sure to pitch in there, too!

FPC Targets California Non-Resident Carry Ban

By
Mark Chesnut
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25
Rob Bonta
California Attorney General Rob Bonta (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Among gun owners, California is infamous for having some of the most restrictive—and unconstitutional—gun laws on the books. And one by one they’re being challenged in court.

On Thursday, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a lawsuit against California for the law that bans carry of firearms in the state by out-of-state residents. The case, Hoffman v. Bonta, filed on behalf of three out-of-state gun owners, is just one of several that FPC and the FPC Action Fund (FPCAC) are currently litigating in California on behalf of lawful gun owners.

“California’s unconstitutionally restrictive scheme provides no path for non-residents to carry a firearm lawfully in public at all,” the complaint states. “As a result, individuals like Plaintiffs Hoffman, Orrin and Sensiba, who have been issued carry licenses in their respective home states (and are allowed by other states that either do not require a license, or which offer reciprocity based upon the license(s) they hold), are barred from lawfully carrying a firearm in public for self-defense when they visit California.”

Cody J. Wisniewski, FPCAC president and FPC counsel, said the restriction is just one more example of California leaders believing they are above the law.

“California’s ban on firearm carry by non-residents is blatantly unconstitutional,” Wisniewski said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. “Whether California likes it or not, the United States Constitution requires the State to allow non-residents the ability to exercise their natural, fundamental right to bear arms. We again look forward to reminding California that it is not above the Constitution.”

The complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, makes the point that rights covered under the Second Amendment are no less important than other rights enumerated in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

“This ban is unconstitutional,” the complaint stated. “Individuals like Plaintiffs do not lose protection of their rights under the First Amendment’s speech or religion clauses when they cross state lines. Nor do they lose their protection under the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures. The likewise do not surrender their Second Amendment protected rights when they travel outside their home state.”

The California government, which has never accepted the 2022 Supreme Court Bruen ruling, will, of course, fight the lawsuit with thousands of dollars of taxpayer money—much of it paid by lawful gun owners who live in the state.

It’s evident that the FPC has a pretty strong case. In fact, in a 2023 case concerning a New Hampshire permit holder who was arrested in Massachusetts a district court judge ruled in favor of the man who had been arrested for carrying his firearm in Massachusetts.

“A law-abiding resident of New Hampshire who is exercising his constitutional right should not become a felon by exercising that right while he is traveling through Massachusetts merely because he has not obtained a Massachusetts license to carry, which now, under the holding of Bruen, has to be issued to an applicant unless the applicant is otherwise disqualified,” the judge wrote in his ruling in Commonwealth v. Dean. F. Donnell. “The court can think of no other constitutional right which a person loses simply by traveling beyond his home state’s border into another state continuing to exercise that right and instantaneously becomes a felon subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of incarceration.”

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