Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

WASR-10 Review: CAI�s Romanian Rifle Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Few firearms are more recognizable than the Kalashnikov family; in this article will be looking at a descendant of that family, the WASR 10. It is a Romanian-made AK-47 imported by Century Arms for the American market. Scroll down for our entire WASR-10 review.

Mobilizing Mouse Guns
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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When times are tight and situations become unpredictable, folks will turn to the firearms they have at hand for personal protection, regardless of what the conventional wisdom of the day might be. Recent concerns over the change in administration, COVID-19 and civil unrest have driven the demand for factory-fresh .45 ACP, 9mm and .380 ACP pistols to record-setting levels. Because preferred medium- and big-bore semi-automatic pistol options are either selling for a mint or simply unavailable, some folks are dusting off small-caliber pocket pistols that have been referred to as �mouse guns.�

WY: It�s best to be prepared before going out into grizzly country
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Know what .22 caliber, a .38 caliber, 40 S&W, 10 MM, 357 magnum, 44 mag. and a .45 colts all have in common?�

They are all faster than calling 911!

Excuse me, but during all the kick and growl about those Powell college dudes that got into a wrestling match with a grizzly bear, where were the firearms? My understanding is that of the four guys, there was one firearm. Which is okay if everybody stays together. Military 101: Never divide your force in the face of a superior enemy.�

Spoiler alert! A grizzly bear, even just one, is a superior enemy.

Dollars And No Sense: What is the True Cost of the Gun Violence Epidemic
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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This week marks the 10th anniversary of the massacre of 20 six-year olds and their six teachers at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

President Biden attended what has become an annual Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence � the first president to attend since Obama (Trump is the poster child for promoting gun violence). 100 people a day have died by guns since then, some 400,000 people. Snuffed out.

WA: WA Anti-Gunners Post 2023 Agenda Targeting Preemption, Rifle Ban and More
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Evergreen State gun prohibitionists have announced their 2023 legislative agenda, and according to a liberal Seattle-based publication called Crosscut, they have the support of Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, both Democrats.

At the same time, an Oregon judge has continued a hold on Measure 114, the gun control package passed narrowly last month. According to KEZI News, another hearing on the measure is scheduled Dec. 23. More about that in a moment.

WY: As Other States Tighten Gun Laws, Wyoming�s Should Be Even Looser, Advocates Say
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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What does a Wyomingite call the average Texan�s gun collection?�

A �starter kit.�

It may be true that Wyoming is widely recognized as one of the most gun friendly states, but it could be even friendlier, say some Second Amendment rights advocates.�

Meanwhile, Oregon�s new restrictions on firearms most likely won�t pass Constitutional muster, Mark Jones of Buffalo, director of hunter programs for Gun Owners of America, told Cowboy State Daily.�

�They�ve not even got the processes in place to implement the new laws (in Oregon), even if it was constitutional,� Jones said.�

OH: Ludlow homeowner shot alleged thief who charged him in self-defense, prosecutor says
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A Ludlow man will not be charged after shooting a man police say broke into several cars in the area.

Damon Hammons is the man recorded on video trying to break into cars as well as a home shortly before he was shot, according to Kenton County Commonwealth�s Attorney Rob Sanders.

Sanders says the man who shot Hammons acted in self-defense. FOX19 is not naming him because he is not being charged.

�It�s a very unusual thing to happen in Ludlow,� Sanders said. It�s normally a sleepy little river town.�

RI: Federal Judge Denies Injunction Request Against Rhode Island Magazine Confiscation Law
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Banning and confiscating commonly-owned ammunition magazines does not run afoul of the Second Amendment.

At least according to U.S. District Judge John McConnell�s reading of the amendment.

On Wednesday, McConnell denied a motion for a preliminary injunction against Rhode Island�s recently passed law banning the sale and possession of ammunition magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds. He said that so-called Large-Capacity Magazines (LCMs) did not count as �arms� protected by the U.S. Constitution.

NM: Gun used by Brandon Travis during UNM shooting was stolen Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Target 7 is uncovering more details in the deadly shooting that happened on November 19th at the University of New Mexico campus, when New Mexico State University basketball player Mike Peake killed 19-year-old Brandon Travis in what police say was self-defense. State Police have now confirmed the gun used by Brandon Travis was stolen from Clovis, New Mexico.

Shoot Like A Girl�Announces 2023 Mobile Range Tour Dates
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Shoot Like a Girl�has announced it is hitting the road in 2023, once again bringing its mobile range to locations throughout the country. Dedicated to educating women and their families about the importance of firearms safety, the trailer allows attendees to gain experience in handling and shooting all types of guns and compound bows. The Shoot Like A Girl tour gives women who are new to shooting sports the confidence to begin their journey, while simultaneously encouraging experienced shooters to continue their journey.

MO: Resident who killed burglar goes free. Alleged organizer charged in murder.
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A man who shot and killed a burglar last weekend in St. Louis is claiming self-defense under Missouri�s Castle Doctrine law and has not been charged in the killing.

St. Louis prosecutors, however, did file a murder charge against an alleged prostitute who orchestrated the burglary that led to the burglar�s death, police said.

Tierra S. Gines, 31, was charged Monday with second-degree murder and first-degree burglary. Gines lives in the 1200 block of Cleveland Avenue in East St. Louis.

Brazil: Gun-loving Bolsonaristas Challenge Lula�s Pledge to Disarm Brazil
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Reuters interviewed eight other people working on, or advising, Lula�s transition team on bolstering gun controls once he takes office on Jan. 1. Although their plans are not settled, they aim to revoke dozens of executive orders Bolsonaro signed to loosen gun laws, which sparked a surge in firearms ownership.

Nearly three-quarters of Brazilians opposed Bolsonaro�s weakening of gun laws, pollster Datafolha said in May.

The priority will be to reimpose civilian prohibitions on certain high-caliber weapons, including the rifle used by Jefferson, the sources said.

They also plan to make it harder to get new firearms licenses, and more expensive and onerous to renew old ones.

FL: Florida Stand Your Ground Law Clears Shooter
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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A recent shooting in St. Lucie County, Fla., resulted in the death of a boat shop owner. However, the state�s Stand Your Ground law has resulted in prosecutors declining to press charges.�

The shooting, according to the Treasure Coast Palm, occurred when an argument turned into a fight, which got out of hand. It resulted in multiple shots fired, with two people shot � one of whom died � along with the shooter and one other taken to the hospital.�

CA: Gun violence restraining orders lack safeguards we need to protect our rights
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Gun owners have few protections from someone using GVRO laws vindictively. I continue to be contacted by people who need a lawyer due to GVROs being used simply because another party makes an allegation. A woman found her husband cheating and he claimed she threatened to shoot him in the aftermath. He said he later tried to retract his statement, but was told he would be prosecuted if he did. The woman spent thousands on legal fees to have her resulting GVRO tossed out by a judge.

Another person posted an offensive meme on social media and it was reported to law enforcement by a co-worker. The resulting GVRO cost him thousands in legal fees, his job and his reputation.

KY: Kenneth Walker settles lawsuit stemming from no-knock police raid that killed Breonna Taylor
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On Monday, the city of Louisville settled for $2 million a lawsuit that Kenneth Walker had brought against them over the event. Walker�s lawyer told the New York Times that he and Walker were happy that the case was over, even though he knows the �case has additional value.�

Walker had initially been charged with attempted murder because one of his defensive shots struck a police officer in the leg. But as prosecutors were forced to reckon with all of the mountains of evidence that Walker acted in self-defense, and that the police officers in question should be those being charged with crimes, the charges were dropped.

Less-Lethal Defense Options Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Ideal for college students, women or anyone looking to hide something discreetly, the COMPACT launcher boasts an effective range of 30′. This product not only nearly doubled the effective range of the pepper spray I previously carried, but had familiar and intuitive operation. Aim, flip off the safety and press the button.

Did the Fourteenth Amendment Alter the Meaning of the Second Amendment?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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When proposing the Fourteenth Amendment to Congress in 1866, Senator Jacob Howard referred to "the personal rights guaranteed and secured by the first eight amendments of the Constitution; such as freedom of speech and of the press; � the right to keep and bear arms�." He averred that "the great object" of the amendment was "to restrain the power of the States and compel them at all times to respect these great fundamental guarantees." The design was not to change the nature of the rights, but to prevent the states from violating them.

Should Courts Appoint Historians as Experts in Second Amendment Cases?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Turns out that Michael A. Bellesiles, author of Arming America, fabricated sources, distorted facts, and committed fraud. The Bancroft Prize was rescinded and Emory University fired him. But some judges, professors, and activists had welcomed his thesis with open arms because he attacked America's "gun culture" and derided the right to bear arms. A Ninth Circuit opinion relied on him in support of its "collective rights" holding about the Second Amendment, but the embarrassing cite was removed after the scandal broke. Until then, Bellesiles would have been the perfect candidate for a court to appoint as an "expert" on history.

MT: Our gun problem is worse than you think
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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This past summer, I was at a garage sale and saw a person openly carrying a firearm. It struck me as incongruous that such an instrument was needed at an estate sale that also featured an amazingly good assortment of accordions.

I chalked this up to fluke and being in Montana.

The following week, I saw a nearly identical thing, albeit without the accordions.

I respect the right to carry arms and I don�t dispute that the folks who tote their guns to garage sale have every right to do so. It�s the worldview that I question.

RI: Judge upholds Rhode Island's high-capacity gun magazine ban. Here's what it means.
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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As the deadline approaches for gun owners to give up their high-capacity firearm magazines or face legal consequences, a federal judge on Wednesday upheld a newly enacted state law banning magazines that carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr.�refused to grant a request by a Chepachet gun store and several Rhode Island gun owners for a preliminary injunction blocking the law, which on Sunday will make possession of a large-capacity gun magazine a felony in Rhode Island.

DC: Club Q Shooting Survivors Press Congress to Act on Guns
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Survivors of last month's deadly mass shooting at a Colorado gay nightclub testified Wednesday to Congress about the onslaught of threats and violence against members of the LGBTQ community as they urged lawmakers to pass a law banning some semiautomatic weapons.

Michael Anderson, a 25-year-old bartender at Club Q, described how his place of work was a safe haven for him and many others before a 22-year-old shooter turned a drag queen�s birthday celebration into a massacre on Nov. 19. Five people were killed and 25 were injured before the shooter armed with an AR-15-style semiautomatic weapon was subdued by patrons.

Pelosi Passes the Anti-Gun Torch
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Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) has been in Congress since 1987. While she�s not retiring altogether, she is stepping down from her position of leadership. It is welcome news that such a staunch opponent of the Second Amendment is stepping down, but what of her successor?

The California congresswoman ascended to the position of leadership in 2003. She has also twice been Speaker of the House, having served under four different presidents.

Pelosi has been around long enough that she voted in favor of the improperly named Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994, saw it sunset a decade later, and recently tried to resurrect such a ban�something President Joe Biden (D) is also keen on doing.

OR: How court rulings could impact the future of Oregon's contested gun measure
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Measure 114 would establish permit-to-purchase rules and a ban on the sale and transfer of high-capacity magazines. It was set to go into effect last Thursday.

One of the main issues at play is the temporary restraining order granted by a Harney County Circuit Court judge. In a hearing Tuesday, the judge extended a pause on the permit portion of the measure, and on Friday he will decide whether to pause the limits on high-capacity clips.

Lewis & Clark Law Professor Tung Yin explained that a judge will issue a temporary restraining order to pause a law until they can hold a preliminary injunction hearing.

Next would come a preliminary injunction, which, if granted, holds the law through the rest of the litigation process.

Biden keeps calling for an 'assault weapons ban,' but is anyone listening?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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As the lame-duck session of Congress nears a close, President Joe Biden continues to repeat calls to ban assault-style weapons before Republicans take over the House of Representatives.

But whether he has the votes to get it done, and whether his work behind the scenes matches his public rhetoric, remains to be seen. Biden made his latest plea on the 10-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

NY: Maybe we should be able to carry muskets today?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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I would like to reply to the Rod Watson commentary of Nov. 17. He said the judge ruled that the law should be analogous to the rules in place when the Second Amendment was ratified. Does it not follow then that the only arms that should be allowed to be owned by the public are replicas of those in use at that time? If someone wants to carry a musket, powder horn, and a pouch with lead balls and patches in public, that is OK with me.