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NY: Boy's death becomes tragic ammunition in the war on firearms (view from Australia)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "In the US, where the constitutional right to bear arms has spawned a society not only addicted to guns but grotesquely tolerant of the carnage they cause, another gun fatality ... doesn't normally rate much attention."

"But occasionally there is a killing so mindless it shines a spotlight on just how gun sick the country really is. David Pacheco's freakish death is one of those."

"David was just two years old ... the toddler was heading with his mum and two sisters to his grandma's house for dinner."

"As the minivan passed through an intersection ... a standoff between rival gangs ... erupted in gunfire. In the chaos a stray bullet pierced the ... minivan and went straight into the little boy's chest." ...

Review: Para-Ordnance Tac-Four
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"There seems to be a mystique that surrounds the 1911, wrapping her cold steel in an aura of spectacular beauty that could make even the most die hard 'combat' handgun proponent break down in tears. I must admit, I'm one of these people. I�ve fallen for the 1911�s fatal attraction which forces me to cast aside my composite framed brethren, and take up her steel frame, and worship it."

"Such is the story behind my acquisition of a Para-Ordnance Tac-Four."

"I walked into the local shop one day, and there, coming off its holding period, was this beaut. ..."

"... The gun was specifically designed for tactical carry, and she shows it. With a 4 inch barrel, it comes with all the accoutrements of such a weapon ..." ...

Going Over To The Dark Side -- The Springfield XD-9 Tactical Review
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"That I, a long-time and highly visible champion of John Browning�s masterpiece, the M1911, would even consider a piece of combat Tupperware is all but unthinkable, but here I am doing just that. ..." ...

"... Suppose also, just for the sake of discussion, that you have been suffering from persistent back pain, some arthritis, or carpal tunnel syndrome, and the hard recoiling .45�s have been leaving you feeling battered and sore. Suddenly you see the XD-9 Tactical in a whole new light. You have strayed from the straight and narrow path of the Cooperites. You have been seduced by the Dark Side." ...

Sharps rifle is good single-shot gun
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"One of the best-known single shot rifles of the early west was the Sharps Rifle. This rifle, designed by Christian Sharps (1811-1874), was to make its mark in the Civil War, as well as the settlement of the American West. Kansas abolitionist John Brown and his followers were said to have been armed with Sharps rifles when they captured Harpers Ferry Arsenal. The Sharps Rifle was the choice of the buffalo hunter. Many people first saw a Sharps Rifle in the movie 'Quigley Down Under' where some fantastic shooting was done." ...

"The cartridge version of the Sharps Rifle was the favored rifle of the buffalo hunters when Congress decided the great herds of American Bison should be wiped out. ..." ...

TX: 6 Branch Davidians to Leave Custody
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Thirteen years after the Branch Davidians' armed standoff with federal agents ended in an inferno that killed nearly 80 people, six sect members who were sent to prison are about to be released from custody."

"Most of those who will be freed over the next two months escaped from the compound near Waco as it burned to the ground on April 19, 1993 _ 51 days after a shootout that erupted when federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to arrest religious leader David Koresh for stockpiling guns and explosives."

"The six men went to federal prison for manslaughter, weapons offenses or both in connection with the shootout, which left four federal agents and six Davidians dead." ...

CT: Homeowner fires gun at invaders
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Police were searching for two males Saturday who fled the scene of a home after an occupant of the home fired a gun."

"The two men, whose names were not known, and a third man, broke into a house on Cleveland Street around 10 a.m. Saturday and used force on an occupant, Danbury Det. Capt. Mitch Weston said."

"The home's occupant managed to grab a hand gun and fired several shots."

"Police are not sure if any bullets hit the two men that fled, Weston said."

"The occupant of the home was not injured, and the third man was caught and taken into custody. Police would not release his name Saturday until after he was booked." ...

MI: Attempted Carjacking Takes A Turn
Submitted by: Michigan Gun Owners
Website: http://www.migunowners.org

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

An attempted carjacking took an unexpected turn Friday morning when the driver of a car produced a gun instead of handing over the keys.

A man with a gun attempted to steal a vehicle in the parking lot of a party store located on the east side of 7 Mile and Sherwood roads.

When the gunman approached the driver of the vehicle with his gun, the driver also produced a gun and shots were fired.

The driver of the vehicle has a concealed weapons permit. The two fired shots -- one from each gun -- and both men were hit.

The carjacker and his would-be victim are hospitalized.

WI: Logger tells of 'running gun battle'
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Authorities have released new information about a shooting in the town of Tomahawk Wednesday ..." ...

"According to Van Meter, a logger ... for years, a black SUV pulled up to his work site at approximately noon on Wednesday and a white male ... exited the vehicle and began shooting."

"Authorities say Van Meter told them he hid behind his truck during the first volley of fire but eventually retrieved his own pistol and returned fire." ...

"The driver, a taller man with dark hair, exited the vehicle with a long rifle and started shooting, Van Meter said."

"Van Meter returned fire and believes he struck the driver of the SUV during the exchange but the driver was able to get back to the SUV, climb in and drive off." ...

AZ: Retired teacher accused of murder insists he shot hiker in self-defense
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A retired high school teacher who insists he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot a man on a hiking trail north of Payson is now on trial for murder."

"Prosecutors allege that Harold Fish, 59, is guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 43-year-old Grant Kuenzli ..."

"Fish told investigators he acted in self-defense after two of Kuenzli's dogs attacked him and then an enraged Kuenzli rushed him and ignored his pleas to stop. Fish shot Kuenzli three times in the chest." ...

"The original investigator on the case, Scott Feagan of the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, said he believed Fish acted in self-defense. The County Attorney's Office then said the case hadn't been adequately investigated."

NC: Death of teen ruled self-defense
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A shooting Tuesday night that left a Durham teen dead has been ruled as self-defense by investigators." ...

"Investigators identified the shooter -- a 21-year-old male -- and interviewed him and several witnesses. The 21-year-old ... told officers he was working on a vehicle in the 1600 block of Holloway Street when Anderson approached him and attempted to rob him. During the attempted robbery, the 21-year-old was pistol-whipped, according to investigators. The 21-year-old then pulled out a gun and fired several shots, striking the victim in the head, according to investigators."

"Investigators corroborated the 21-year-old's version of events and recovered a firearm they say was used by Anderson. No charges were filed."

SC: Inman man calls killing self-defense (last story)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Police are investigating a fatal shooting that one man claims was self-defense.

David Lamar Staggs, 54, of Inman, called police Friday to report that he had shot a man.

Deputies found Garland Samuel Simpson III, 55, of Campobello, dead in Staggs' driveway.

Staggs told deputies Simpson attacked him with a knife, said sheriff's spokesman Maj. Dan Johnson. Staggs said he shot in self-defense.

Johnson said Staggs had wounds on his right hand and that Simpson was shot several times.

The case is still under investigation.

"We're not even close to determining what happened," Johnson said.

FL: Pistol-packin' florist helps nab bank robbery suspect
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Dale Sellman is a wholesale florist who wears a 10-gallon white hat and legally packs a revolver."

"So, when the 63-year-old Texas native spotted a suspected robber running out of The Bank on U.S. 1 on Friday afternoon, Sellman didn't hesitate to use his Nissan Titan to chase the man down and corner him in a backyard until Melbourne Police arrived."

"Sellman, who once worked as a deputy sheriff and served in the Army, was waiting in his truck outside the bank for a teller to retrieve birthday flowers for a co-worker when he said the suspected robber ran out a side door and dashed past."

"'I thought, 'That can't be right. He's gotta be a robber,' Sellman said with a Texas twang." ...

FL: Three schools locked down as police investigate gunfire
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Three schools were locked down for about an hour Friday afternoon as sheriff's detectives investigated a report of gunshots in Newtown Estates."

"Dismissals at Booker High School and Booker Middle were delayed for about 45 minutes."

"Students at Emma E. Booker, which was also locked down, were dismissed on time. The lockdown affected nearly 3,300 students, and the school district advised their parents with a recorded message."

"The shots were fired at about 1:15 p.m. at a home in the 3200 block of King Boulevard, according to the sheriff's office. Two sheriff's deputies on bicycles were patrolling the area and heard two shots fired as they passed one of the homes, said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Chuck Lesaltato." ...

NM: Governor gets license to pack
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Legislators and lobbyists beware � Gov. Bill Richardson has just received a license to carry a concealed handgun."

"Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said the governor picked up his license at Friday�s dedication of expanded facilities at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy on the city�s south side."

"The governor successfully completed all the requirements for obtaining a license, including a criminal background check and a firearms-training course, Gallegos said. 'He aced the test,' the spokesman said."

"Richardson owns a GLOCK pistol, Gallegos said. But Richardson�s veto pen likely will remain his most dangerous weapon around the Roundhouse because the governor says he doesn�t plan to pack heat." ...

OH: Blackwell presses for reforms
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Last year, Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell spoke to a group in Naples, Fla. While in a restaurant the night before his speech, as Blackwell tells it, more people approached him than if he had been in his home state."

"'That�s how many Ohioans are living in Florida,' Blackwell told a crowd of nearly 500 ..." ...

"The story is in nearly every, if not all, stump speeches Blackwell gives ... It's also a brilliant representation of Blackwell, a Republican candidate for governor." ...

"His conservative economic policy is matched by his social beliefs. He is staunchly pro-life and pro-second amendment. ..." ...

MI: House should jettison Jones' 'no retreat' immunity measure
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"County prosecutors are generally accepted as law-and-order folks. When they're concerned that legislation grants sweeping immunity in self-defense cases, lawmakers would be wise to listen."

"Speaking Wednesday on behalf of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, Calhoun County Prosecutor John Hallacy told the House Judiciary Committee one bill in a four-bill package goes too far in granting immunity to someone using deadly force." ...

"But one bill ... extends the 'castle's' reach to any public area. When going beyond one's 'castle', it makes sense that the degree of immunity should lessen. Are a county fairground, a golf course or a city street all extensions of our homes? We don't think so." ...

MI: State House bills could clarify self-defense rights
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Legislation awaiting action in the state House includes a four-bill package that supporters say could strengthen and clarify self-defense rights in the state.
The bills are backed by the National Rifle Association but opposed by antigun groups including the Million Mom March."

"A key legal argument in the legislation is a presumption that someone who forcibly enters a home or a vehicle intends to harm the occupant. The legislation also would eliminate a requirement that people being attacked must retreat before responding." ...

"The law would cover only people who are not committing crimes and are in a place they legally have a right to be."

OK: Law Enforcement Voices Concern Over Self Defense Bill
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Oklahoma law enforcement officials are voicing concern over legislation they say could impede their ability to investigate deadly shootings in which the shooter claims he acted in self-defense."

"Officials at the Oklahoma Chiefs of Police Association, the state District Attorneys Council and the Department of Public Safety say the measure, which was passed in the House and is pending in the Senate, needs more work before it becomes law." ...

"Law enforcement authorities also said the bill will prevent investigators from arresting, detaining and prosecuting someone who uses deadly force unless they find there is probable cause that the force used was unlawful." ...
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Submitter's Note: So they have to presume he is innocent? What a concept.

FL: Two ideas to be stopped, one to support
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Property rights vs. gun rights ... issues we hope you will let the Legislature hear about from you as lawmakers enter their final two weeks of the regular session."

"In the first two cases, there's legislation that needs to be stopped. ..."

"The National Rifle Association may prove its power yet again if legislation it is pushing continues to make its way through the House and Senate. This is a struggle between two titans of Tallahassee: the gun lobby and the business lobby. We support reasonable gun rights, but the Second Amendment protects people from government intrusion. It gives no one the right to carry a gun on someone else's private property without their consent." ...
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Submitter's Note: Of course the legislation isn't about carrying a gun, it's about having one in your car.

NE: Council members slow to take sides on concealed-carry ban
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Four City Council members were hesitant Thursday to stake out positions on the concealed weapons issue until they had more time to study the state legislation."

"Only Councilman Dan Marvin was willing to say he�d likely support a Lincoln ban."

"He said he hasn't heard a clamor in Lincoln to allow people to tote guns. He joked it'd make more sense to make gun carriers reveal, rather than conceal, their guns." ...

NY: Former cop admits to lying about work history
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

A former New York City police officer pleaded guilty yesterday in a Hudson Valley court for lying about his work history.

Fifty-five-year-old Dominick Dellagrazie of Woodridge was a peace officer for the Sullivan County S-P-C-A from May 2001 to May 2005. He was fired from his job as a New York City cop in 1978 and convicted for possession of stolen property for a scheme that involved switching vehicle identification numbers.

Dellegrazie swore on a pistol permit application in 2002 that he'd never been terminated from a job for cause. He also lied about the same thing on a firearms dealer and gunsmith permit application.

He's expected to get five years of probation when he's sentenced in July.

NJ: Court says no to law arming probation officers
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A state law allowing probation officers to carry firearms and receive law enforcement training was ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court on Wednesday."

"In their 6-0 ruling, the justices said that since probation officers are under the state's judiciary branch, the Legislature cannot pass laws that restrict the judiciary's authority to control its own employees."

"Two lower courts have also ruled the law unconstitutional."

"In 2002, the Legislature passed the Probation Officer Community Safety Unit Act, which creates a specially trained probation team to enforce warrants." ...
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Submitter's Note: Back to being disarmed like the rest of the peasants!

NJ: Doc Refutes Cop
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A medical expert who testified at the murder trials of O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake refuted a Weehawken police officer's claim that a teen's fatal injuries were caused by a fall."

"Dr. Michael Baden, who also hosts a series on HBO about how forensic science can be used to solve crimes, testified yesterday that multiple blows likely caused the skull fractures that led to the 17-year-old Union City boy's death three years ago."

"'A single impact can cause fractures with multiple fractures extending from the single point of impact,' Baden said, but 'in this instance . there are at least two points of impact that radiate out fractures.'" ...

CA: Upland Home Hid Cace of Guns (follow-up)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Authorities announced Tuesday that they discovered nearly 900 firearms hidden in secret panels, under floors and behind walls in an upscale home in the foothills of Upland."

"A team of federal, state and local police raided the house Friday as part of an investigation into a man accused of wounding his wife and a Glendora police officer during shooting incidents in February and last month."

"Inside the home, authorities found assault weapons, submachine guns, automatic rifles, explosive devices and other weapons ..." ...

"Authorities arrested the homeowner, Robert Ferro, 61, a retired Army Special Forces officer, accusing him of running a huge black-market gun business out of the home ..." [emphasis added] ...

TX: Scales of justice can swing wildly
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"First came the poor man, barely 17 years old ... He took part in a $2 stickup in which no one got hurt. He pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and was put on 10 years of probation."

"He broke the rules once, by smoking marijuana. A Dallas judge ... replaced the original sentence with a life term in prison." ...

"Now the flip side of the coin ... A well-connected man pleaded guilty to murder � for shooting an unarmed prostitute in the back � and also got 10 years of probation."

"The killer proceeded to break the rules by, among other things, smoking crack cocaine. He repeatedly failed drug tests. ..."

"Judge Dean has let this man stay free and, last year, exempted him from most of the usual conditions of probation. ..." ...

UK: First policeman to get Anti-Social Behaviour Order quits force
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A WELSH policeman is believed to be the first serving officer in Britain to be given an Asbo."

"Police Constable David Burrows, 43, was given the Anti-Social Behaviour Order at Swansea Crown Court yesterday, banning him from using his local pub ..."

"It follows an incident there seven months ago when the off duty South Wales Police officer used an extendable baton in a fight with two brothers ..."

"Burrows, who ... has been a serving officer since 1999, was cleared by a jury earlier this month of a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent ... Burrows was also found not guilty of possessing a lock knife as an offensive weapon. The jury accepted that the officer had acted in self defence ..." ...

Australia: Sniper first to die in Iraq
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"JAKE Kovco was one of Australia's most highly trained and respected snipers."

"The 25-year-old father of two was yesterday named as Australia's first fatal casualty in the Iraq conflict � dying from an accidental shot to the head while cleaning a 9mm Browning automatic pistol on Friday afternoon."

"He died in a US Army combat surgical hospital where he was surrounded by his mates, who draped his body in an Australian flag and with a paratrooper�s beret on his chest as they said the Lord's Prayer." ...

NY: New York fires back
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"It took 11 months and ended in a porta-potty on a construction site."

"... members of New York's Operation Tripod pounced as gun traffickers from Ohio sought to close the type of big-money deal that keeps the so-called Iron Pipeline humming." ...

"The pistols were purchased legally for less than $100 a pop in Ohio, which has much more lenient gun laws than New York." ...

"The prime suppliers of these weapons are known as straw purchasers � intermediary 'strawmen' who legally acquire guns, usually in states with lax firearms regulations, for resale on the black market." ...
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Submitter's Note: Actually a 'straw purchase' is a federal felony worth 10 years in prison.

NC: Wayne NRA Banquet scheduled for May 2
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Wayne County Friends of NRA Banquet is scheduled for Tuesday, May 2, at the Wayne Shriners' Club on U.S. 117-A at Brogden, beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 and include a steak dinner, an auction, and special drawings of items available only to attendees."

"The National Rifle Association (NRA) of America, chartered in 1871, not only is the oldest sportsmen's organization in this country but also is an educational, recreational, and public service organization dedicated to the constitutional right of individual citizens to own and use firearms." ...

NH: It's time to talk turkey
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "If you are looking to increase your knowledge of reloading technique for all types of ammunition, come to the Kittery Trading Post on Route 1 in Kittery, Maine. An Introduction to Reloading seminar will be held on May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m., and Intermediate Reloading will be taught on May 22 from 6 to 8 p.m."

"Ammunition reloading seminars at the Kittery Trading Post are free and open to the public, but will be limited to 40 attendees for the Introduction to Reloading and 15 attendees for the Intermediate Reloading class."

"More and more shooting sports enthusiasts are reloading ... Less expensive than buying factory loads, reloading also allows a shooter to develop more accurate loads for specific guns." ...

TX: Women take to the shooting range
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Susan Renken no longer shakes when she loads her 9-mm pistol or her .45-caliber semiautomatic gun."

"Standing recently at one of the shooting stations at the Texas City Municipal Shooting Range, she held a gun with a firm grip, focused, aimed at the target and, without hesitating, pulled the trigger."

"'If you had a bad day or it�s been a bad week, it�s a good stress reliever,' Renken said. 'It's very rewarding when you look at your target and you see daylight through it.'"

"For Renken, it�s also comforting to know what to do in a life-threatening situation."

"'I know what to do if somebody breaks into my house,' she said." ...

ME: Six-shooters, cowboy duds and lots of ammo
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Craig Mitchell, alias Butch R Block, whipped out his pair of 1861 Colt conversion pistols, and, in a blur of smoke, shot a round of ammunition through a doorway of the Gem Saloon. He holstered his replica six-shooters, then picked up his 1892 model Winchester rifle that rested against a fence in an outdoor shooting gallery that resembled an old Western town. He aimed at steel targets off in the distance and pulled the trigger."

"Mitchell competed Saturday against 85 contestants who gussied themselves up as cowboys and took part in a fantasy sport that combines a heap of historical flavor with rapid-fire target shooting." ...

TN: Judge Still Can't Decide Whether To Muzzle Shooting Club
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Two months ago a shooting range in southern Bradley County was ordered to shut down but the shotgun blasts continue, as does the frustration by neighbors who did not get any help from a judge Friday."

"Right now lawyers are arguing the meaning of words written in the lawbooks. Some bigger issues are at stake like gun owner rights and whether Bradley County has the authority to enforce it's own regulations."

"But in the meantime the shooting will continue." ...

Malaysia: Steyr rifles to be phased out
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Malaysian armed forces� 15-year association with Steyr AUG A1 assault rifles could be coming to an end soon."

"Sources said the replacement for the Austrian-designed rifles will be announced at the biennial Defence Services Asia exhibition, which begins tomorrow at the Asia-Pacific Auction Centre in Subang."

"The replacement rifle is a tightly-kept secret."

"While several candidates for replacing the AUG A1 were considered, it is learnt that the choice was believed to have been decided based on a transfer of technology which will allow a local company to produce the weapon in Malaysia." ...

Canada: Story of a gun
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Danae Dalling fell in love with the baby Glock the minute she laid eyes on it."

"'It was so cute,' she said of the compact, jet-black 9mm pistol she purchased at a gun shop here as protection from a jealous former boyfriend. ... " ...

"Three months later, her baby Glock was in the hands of a Toronto street gang thug known as Ninja, who used it in the July 24, 2001 murders of two men ..." ...

"So how did the gun ... end up on the streets of Toronto?"

"The baby Glock's path from Dalling's hands into the waistband of a gang member is an all-too-familiar story, say police."

"Shortly after Dalling bought the Glock 26 it was resold to a gun merchant, smuggled into Canada inside a long-haul truck, and then resold again to Davis." ...