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GEnie Outdoors Newsletter 1995 July
GEnie Outdoors Newsletter
July, 1995
Edited by John Marshall (J.Marshall2/Paladin)
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
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9507A CAST BULLET ALLOYS by Kenneth Mollohan
9507B CONCEALMENT HANDGUNS by John Marshall
9507C THE HATCHER SCALE by John Marshall
9507D NRA NEWS by the National Rifle Association Staff
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9507A CAST BULLET ALLOYS by Kenneth Mollohan
*BULLETS *CASTING *ALLOYS
Permission is hereby granted to Genie (General Electric
Information Services) for a one-time usage of this copyright protected
document in their outdoors newsletter. All other rights reserved.
This document, or any portion of it, may not be otherwise reproduced
by any means without the written consent of the author, who may be
contacted at (412) 573-1183.
This is NOT a public domain document.
Cast Bullets
Chapter Three
Cast Bullet Alloys
Kenneth Mollohan
Copyright April 1995
ALLOY SELECTION
If I were to list every lead alloy that has been used for cast
bullets, the types of loads they were used with, how they worked in
one man's gun, but not in another, ad nauseam, chapter three would
could go on forever . In truth, the differences are easier to
understand and deal with if you examine them from a performance
standpoint instead of considering every minute variation of
composition. Actual alloy composition ... as such ... isn't really
important. Your world won't come apart if you find out that the alloy
you are getting good results with has 15 % antimony instead of 12 %
like you wanted it to. Nor does it matter whether the hardness you
are getting good results with comes from high antimony content, or
from quench hardening. The alloy properties are what count, not the
alloy composition. No matter what metal blends and processing are
used to get them, the properties important to bullet casters are
hardness, cost, the ability to cast well, and the ability to
reproduce your results.
The hardness of cast bullets is a primary factor in determining
how well they will perform in high pressure loads. The harder bullet
is better able to withstand the compressive forces of firing and the
abrasive effects of bore fouling. This translates into less damage,
which translates into increased uniformity and accuracy in high power
loads. Note that this is also true of low power loads, in that the
alloy must still be strong enough to withstand serious deformation.
But many people believe that an alloy that is just BARELY strong
enough is best for light loads. Their reasoning generally runs that a
slight base upset is important to good obturation or sealing of the
bore, which reduces the lead fouling that hurts accuracy. In other
words, they think that losing a tiny bit of accuracy because of
marginal bullet strength is better than losing a lot of accuracy
because of leading. Wherever the truth may lay, light target loads
with cast bullets can deliver extraordinary accuracy. I've seen a
group fired in competition that would have hit your thumbnail ten
times in a row at two hundred yards!
Good results require good bullets. If you are getting good
bullets from your alloy, that's fine, and you can go on to the next
section. If not, here are a few tips you can try to correct it..
If your bullets come from the mold wrinkled, with folds and
rounded edges, your groups are going to be poor no matter how
carefully you prepare them afterwards. The ability of an alloy to
pour well is usually called castability, and is mostly determined by
two things: The fluidity of the molten alloy and the lack of
contaminates. In other words, an alloy that cast well will have low
surface tension and be free of dirt and incompatable materials.
One way to reduce the surface tension is to add tin. It is
frequently possible to salvage poor metal by adding two or three
percent of tin, but do not add more than this, because the improvement
in castability from tin tapers off very quickly above this level. If
tin is used, it would be best if the salvaged metal is used for
relatively low velocity rifle and pistol loads. The hardness probably
will not be consistent enough for reliability in heavy rifle loads.
The traditional remedy for poor flow is to just add tin until it DOES
cast well. And this will still work, but as noted above, this can
lead to other problems. Adding antimony will also improve the
fluidity of the alloy, but not as much as the tin will.
Depending on their nature, contaminates can form inclusions to
damage the balance of a bullet, or they can make the alloy "slushy",
so that it does not pour well. Inclusions can be handled by cleaning
and fluxing your alloy properly. But slushy alloys are more difficult
to deal with.
A number of metals like zinc or aluminum are not soluble in
molten lead to any extent, and an alloy contaminated with them will
have a slushy consistency that will not cast well no matter what the
temperature, or how much tin you add. There are two other things you
can do to salvage such metal. The first is to turn down the
thermostat and let the alloy cool until it is just barely liquid. At
lower temperatures, solubility of many contaminating metals in lead is
at a minimum. At lower temperatures, the sludge will frequently float
slowly to the top of the lead alloy, and most of it can be carefully
skimmed off. This can do a great deal to clean up your alloy, and
then raising the temperature again will put some of the residues that
you could not skim off back into solution. Now try to cast your
bullets again, and you should see a big improvement. If not, just
fall back on plan two: Pour the darn stuff into a coffee can with a
big eye-bolt, and present it to your brother-in-law as a boat anchor!
The easiest, and fastest way to reduce surface tension is to
just turn up the thermostat on your lead furnace. Everyone knows that
a hotter alloy will cast better, but not everyone knows that's because
the surface tension is lower at higher temperatures. This will also
keep your mold hotter and make the lead more fluid, so it will take
longer for the lead to crystalize (harden), and it has more time to
fill out the mold cavity. The hotter your alloy is, the better it
will flow. Small additions of antimony may help lower the surface
tensiion too.
Since a major attraction of cast bullets is inexpensive shooting,
cost of the lead is a major consideration. Type metals like linotype
and monotype are hard to find, and they are expensive when you do
locate a source. Fortunately, lead weights used to balance vehicle
tires ("Wheelweights") are common, and they make good bullets. Used
Wheelweights are inexpensive, and sometimes free. But be careful to
to focus TOO well on economy. Col. Harrison said that while economy
is a worthwhile goal, when it leads you to use materials that
guraantee failure, you may wish to re-examine your system of values.
In other words, just because a big pot of soft lead was given to you
free doesn't make it a suitable for cast bullets, any more than a wax
candle being free makes it a good material. Soft lead will have to be
hardened somehow for most cast bullet applications.
Reproducability is also important. If you develop a load that
works well, you will want to make it again and again. This can be
pretty rough to do if you're using a batch of scrap alloy with unknown
composition and hardness. If you have a good supply of salvaged
metal, one solution is to melt down as much as possible into a single
batch, which you will KNOW is uniform. But you can carry the trick
one step further too: Just make up as many batches as you can, and
label the ingots "A", "B", etc to mark each batch. Then when you go
to fill your pot, use one ingot from each batch. The effect will be
the same as if you had melted all those batches into one big batch.
This trick can be used to make a uniform supply of alloy that can last
for a year or more.
Sooner or later though, you will run out of your favorite alloy,
and have to make more. You can fiddle with witches brews for years,
adding a pinch of this and a little of that, and going to the range
too test every one until you come up with something that does as well.
But you can sure save yourself a lot of work by investing a few bucks
in some way to measure the hardness of the alloy. If you reproduce
the hardness, you will also reproduce the accuracy potential, with a
99.9 % guarantee! There are a lot of commercial hardness testers,
ranging from laboratory Rockwell and Brinell testers costing thousands
of dollars, to a simple set of art supply pencils. All will do for
the simple measurements you will need.
Another question of reproducability occurs with the use ot tin in
lead alloys. As noted below, alloys with tin will soften with age,
and you can get startling differences in hardness even from the same
batch of metal. The trick here is to use an alloy hard enough that it
is still adequate after it has softened a bit. Just let the softening
take place before you use them. The rate of softening slows down
rather sharply, after the first week or so, and almost all the
softening occurs within a couple of weeks. And while it doesn't seem
to ever quite quit softening, it may take years for noticeable
softening to occur after that.
ALLOY BLENDING
THE METALS
Only four metals make up the useful range of ingredients in
modern lead alloys. They are lead, tin, antimony and arsenic. Oh, it
is possible to use other metals. Some early alloys had a few percent
of copper, and alloys can contain other trace ingredients without
serious harm. But most of metals are either like copper, and unusable
because you just cannot dissolve enough at ordinary melt temperatures
to affect the properties much, or like zinc, which not only is poorly
soluble, but it increases the surface tension until it makes the
alloys almost impossible to cast good bullets with. Others present
special problems, like the metals salvaged from modern automobile
batteries, which can react with moisture to form toxic gases in your
home.
Lead is really a poor choice for a bullet metal from a technical
perspective. It has many drawbacks that include staining of clothing
and hands, as well as being toxic. It's far too soft and it presents
a serious bore contamination problem (leading). It has only three
properties that are desirable for bullets: It is dense, easily worked
and it's cheap. The density provides for adequate bullet weight to
retain high energies after the bullet passes through the air, and
gives the greatest energy on the target for a given bullet size and
shape. Well, that's not QUITE true. There are denser and harder
metals that would do a better job. Two that spring to mind are Gold
and Uranium. However, these introduce other minor problems like cost
and availability: Believe it or not, I HAVE seen bullets cast out of
gold (not MINE, you can be sure), but not many of us can afford
bullets of gold or uranium, no matter how much better they may be in
theory. Sometimes reality rears its ugly head and roars!
Tin was once THE alloying metal of choice. Not only will it
provide useful increases in hardness over pure lead, but even small
amounts of tin will vastly reduce the surface tension of lead alloys,
which improves the fluidity of the molten metal and makes it easier to
get good, uniform bullets that are well filled out, and have no
wrinkles or similar defects. Tin is expensive, but not so dear that
casters can't use a few percent to improve the castability of their
scrap lead alloys.
However, modern metallurgy has shown the use of tin in lead
alloys has some serious disadvantages. Alloys with significant levels
of tin will not quench harden vary well. And whether quenched or not,
they will soften badly with aging. The amount of softening they will
undergo is worse as the level of tin increases. The use of tin in
historical bullet alloys is probably a major reason why cast bullets
have been long regarded as an arcane black art, where only experts
could obtain good results, and even then, only after many years of
experience in memorizing the proper incantations. In actuality,
bullets from the same pot of high tin alloy might shoot well when
fresh and hard, but do poorly a few months later after age softening
had set in. Naturally such a lack of consistency from exactly the
same components would get pretty discouraging. I'm not sure why tin
does this, but it seems to act as a solid solvent that weakens the
bonds between crystals in the solidified alloy.
Antimony will also improve the castability of lead slightly, but
it's major contribution is to harden lead alloys. It has long been a
major component in hard type metals that need to cast well and be hard
for wear resistance in printing presses. These same qualities made
antimonial type metals well adapted to far more powerful loads than
were ever achieved with lead/tin alloys, and was fully as important as
proper bullet design in ushering in the new wave of popularity that
cast bullets are experiencing.
Arsenic is a relative new-comer to the list of desirable alloying
ingredients. It was little used in the past, largely (I suspect)
because of its lethal reputation. However, arsenic is not much
different from lead (whose toxicity is notorious) and antimony, which
got it's name because a medieval cleric / alchemist was investigating
the interesting new metal, and by way of testing its properties, he
fed it to a number of his fellow clergymen. When they all died in
excruciating agony, he concluded that it was "Anti-Monk" metal. In
time, the term became corrupted to the "antimony" metal we use today.
Or so I've read. At any rate, adding arsenic to these metals does not
greatly change the overall toxicity of the alloys. All of these
metals have to be treated with respect and caution, but all of them
can be used with safety.
Arsenic will also harden lead, but not like antimony or tin
hardens it. The mechanism is discussed below, but its use is limited
to less than one percent in most lead alloys. Arsenic hardening is at
the heart of quenching, which is a leading edge of cast bullet
technology today.
THE ALLOYS:
The number of possible lead alloys is almost infinite. Even the
number of alloys developed for printing is large, but only a few are
common enough to be of particular interest. most common metals can be
classified as monotype, linotype, wheelweights and soft lead or
miscellaneous scrap or salvage. Monotype and linotype are usually
used to harden scrap lead or for casting by those who want to avoid
the minor hassle of quenching alloys, but they are quite expensive.
Wheelweights are probably the most versatile lead alloy available
for bullet casting. Their composition is not standardized, but they
are usually about 2 or 3 % antimony, 0.5 % arsenic, and the remainder
lead, with no more than traces of tin or other metals. This will
serve well for light loads just as it is, without quench hardening.
Or they can be dropped from the mold into a bucket of water for a
substantial increase in hardness that will let them serve very well in
magnum pistol and midrange rifle loads. Or they can be quenched from
the oven to rival or exceed the hardness of print metals for a tiny
fraction of the cost. Soft lead can be almost anything from range
salvage to plumbers lead, but it will not often be hard enough to be
very useful, unless it is used "as is" for muzzle-loaders.
Despite their cost, type metals are just as good as they ever
were, and that is very good indeed. They will serve in the heaviest
loads, and of course cast superbly. Also, the loss of hardness with
aging that all tin-bearing alloys are subject to is minimized by high
levels of antimony, so the hardness change is not important except at
high performance levels.
Tin is a very common ingredient. Some formulas used quite a bit,
and "Ten to One" (ten parts lead to one part tin) used to be a widely
recommended alloy. Even today, five percent tin and five percent
antimony is still recommended as Lyman # 2 alloy. Despite the
problems that tin can cause, Lyman # 2 is still popular for the same
reason that the 10 to 1 alloy once was: It is notably harder than pure
lead, and casts superbly. However, as the disadvantages of tin become
more widely known, I think such alloys will join the 10-1 blend in the
archives.
Automobile batteries used to be another popular source of scrap
lead, but the alloys used in modern batteries is very unsuitable to
cast bullets. The other ingredients will actually form intermetallics
with the antimony in preference to antimony. The new intermetallics
are not soluble in the lead, and will be removed as dross, leaving you
with an alloy that is actually softer than it was before you added
antimony to it. The total yield is very small, and of very poor
quality. Leave car batteries to the recycling centers.
Another class of alloys is sometimes used for casting bullets.
Zinc alloys are sometimes used to cast light-weight, high velocity and
non-expanding bullets for target practice and general experimentation
by the curious. However, they are totally incompatible with lead
alloys. They will raise the surface tension of any lead alloy
containing more than a tiny trace of zinc. They have such a bad
effect on the castability of lead alloys subsequently used in the same
equipment that many who have tried it recommend separate pots and
molds for zinc and lead alloys. Since this chapter is devoted to lead
alloys, their existence is noted for the record, and their potential
will not be dealt with here.
ALLOY HARDNESS
The primary question in selecting lead alloys for casting bullets
is "How hard should it be?". The answer of course, is "At least hard
enough to give good results!". This is may be a cute evasion, but
it's also the only possible answer. If you are shooting light target
loads at close range, you can probably use almost anything that will
melt and cast reasonably well. If you're shooting deer at 50 to 100
yards, then something in the 15 to 20 Brinell range will be the
minimum that will probably work well for you. And if you're
interested in shooting a .300 Magnum in 1000 yard competitions, you'll
need paper patched bullets with hardness in the range of 22 to 30
Brinell. In all cases, the ONLY test of acceptability is on the
range. If it shoots well, it's hard enough. If it doesn't, the
answer may be a harder alloy (though it could also be as simple as
cleaning your bore!). Note that except for muzzle-loaders, there are
very few cases where a cast bullet can be TOO hard. Like gasoline
octane, enough is good, and too much seldom hurts. When in doubt,
make it a little harder than you think it needs to be.
If you find you need a harder bullet, you have several options.
You can buy a harder alloy (expensive), you can make your current
batch of metal harder by adding antimony, or you can try quenching it.
Quenching is the least expensive choice, but it is extra trouble, and
it may be easier to just harden your current batch of metal by adding
a little antimony. At one time, the recommended procedure was to
pre-blend the antimony into an equal weight of lead to make the mixing
easier. Trouble was, blending the antimony and lead was not easily
accomplished! One recommendation was to have the local metal shop to
melt the antimony with an acetylene torch so you could then stir the
lead into it before it cooled. I also recall a RIFLEMAN article that
gave detailed instructions on how to construct your very own small
backyard blast furnace fueled with charcoal from your barbecue and
driven by the exhaust from your vacuum cleaner!
This is one more proof that if one grips the bedpost, grits his
teeth and grunts hard enough, he can make ANYTHING into a hard job!
In truth, blending antimony into lead or lead alloys is NOT difficult,
nor does it take a torch or a blast furnace. All it takes is a little
time and enough heat to melt the lead. Antimony is soluble in lead
just like sugar is soluble in water. If you pour the sugar in the
water and stir it from time to time, it will dissolve in the water
just fine, and so will the antimony dissolve into the lead. The only
difference is that the antimony is lighter than the lead, and it will
float if you just pour it in the lead pot. This is not a good idea
because you can evaporate small quantities (and antimony IS toxic),
and you also limit the contact with the dissolving lead to the bottom
of the antimony, a condition guaranteed to slow things down. The best
procedure is to go down to the kitchen department of your local store
and get a STEEL strainer. Don't get a strainer made with aluminum,
because aluminum will raise the surface tension of the lead alloy, and
make it cast poorly. Now bend or trim the strainer ears and handle
until you can insert it upside down into a pan you can use to melt
lead in. Crush your antimony with a hammer to pulverize it: Salt
granules dissolve a lot faster than a salt block. Now put a pile of
antimony on the surface of the molten lead, and use the strainer to
push and hold it completely below the surface of the lead. Use a
heavy iron bar to keep it there if you need to. It will not dissolve
as fast as sugar in water, but give it time and it will go in fine.
This immersion will not only prevent any evaporation of the antimony,
but it will also maximize exposure of the antimony, and shorten the
time needed to dissolve it. Ideally, you should weigh both the lead
and the antimony, so you will know how much you have added.
Tin is unique among the common alloying materials in being
soluble in both molten and cold, solidified lead. It is fairly hard,
and hardens lead by adding it's hardness to that of the lead. It is
alone among the common alloying materials in being soluble in both
molten and cold, solidified lead.
Antimony hardens lead alloys in two ways. The first is by
precipitating as the alloy cools and forming many tiny crystalline
inclusions that reinforce the lead alloy much like struts reinforce
the roof of your house. The second is by forming an intermetallic
compound with tin which functions in much the same manner, but is more
effective in hardening than tin alone. This intermetallic is 50% tin
and 50% antimony. Any tin or antimony in excess of this will just act
as if it is present alone. In other words, if an alloy has 3% tin and
8% antimony, the cooled bullet will actually consist of 6%
intermetallic crystals and 5% antimony crystals imbedded in a lead
matrix. If the percentages are reversed to 3% antimony and 8% tin,
you will still have 6% intermetallic crystals, but they will be
imbedded in a lead/tin alloy, and there will be no crystals of pure
antimony at all. The famed Lyman # 2 alloy is really not 90% lead, 5%
tin and 5% antimony, even though that's what you put into the pot. If
you want to be really accurate, it's 10% intermetallic compound
crystals imbedded in 90% lead! Now someone is sure to ask why an
alloy with the tin all reacted into an intermetallic compound is still
able to cause age softening of alloys. The answer is easy (though not
helpful): Durned if I know! But I can at least put my ignorance to
good use with the comment that this is a good illustration of my
earlier comment about the ever expanding complexities and fascination
of cast bullet technology. There is always something new to be
learned!
I haven't covered half of what there is to say about lead alloys,
but that's a good start, and this makes a good place to stop. I find
that I have already blabber-mouthed far beyond what most people will
want to read at one sitting anyhow, so I'll cover quenching of lead
alloys to harden them later. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to
access Genie services, and have little choice but to postpone such a
discussion for the foreseeable future. However, someone who
understands Genie software (I don't) will wander by someday, and I
hope to resume this series at that time if I haven't bored you to
death with it by now. Until then, please be patient with your friend
... Molly
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9507B CONCEALMENT HANDGUNS by John Marshall
*HANDGUNS *CONCEALED CARRY
It's no secret that the concept of legal concealed weapons carry is
spreading like wildfire across the country. From New Hampshire
(state motto: "Live free or die") where no permit at all is required
and anyone may carry concealed, to Texas, where a concealed carry law
was recently passed and signed by a new governor pledged to do so, the
trend is there. The National Rifle Association has campaigned long
and hard for concealed carry permits with considerable success. In
spite of dire predictions of high-noon shootouts and vigilantism, such
occurrences rarely if ever happen among the law-abiding cleared for
concealed carry. And the stats show that the violent crime rate
often goes down after passage of a concealed-carry-permit law. It
certainly did in Florida, and that state's experience with their law
has been used as an example for others to follow.
Here in Phoenix, murders are already down 10% from last year; Arizo-
na passed a concealed-carry-permit law for the first time late last
year. The word is definitely out on the street that if you intend to
committing mayhem, you'd better be damn careful, because the citizen
you assault might be fully capable of stopping you in your tracks with
a legal concealed weapon.
So because your state might have or soon have a concealed-carry-
permit law on the books, it's worthwhile to examine the choices of
firearms that might be suitable for such duty. Certainly the selec-
tion of a CC handgun involves a lot of personal preference, but there
are definite advantages and disadvantages to most of the guns that
might qualify for such duties. In this article, we'll examine some
of the more popular choices and give both fact and opinion on each.
Before we begin, it's wise to remember that each of us differs in our
physical configuration and manner of dress. What may be suitable for
a 6 foot-3 man built like a football tackle may not be the best choice
for a 5 foot-2 woman of slight build. Also, what may be a good
choice in the summer might not be the optimum selection for winter,
and vice versa. Casual clothing permits options that would not be
socially acceptable in office or formal garb, and so on. In short,
there probably isn't any one best choice for a concealed defensive
firearm, but there are plenty of options to suit the particular situa-
tion.
Let's look first at deep concealment firearms. Typically, such guns
are intended for situations where your manner of dress is not going to
permit anything bulky to be packed for concern over being spotted as
obviously armed. Tiny arms suitable for this role have a terrible
history as "manstoppers," but they have often proved to have a deter-
rent effect when some gun is better than no gun at all. Here in
Phoenix in the summer, my typical office wear is a pair of dress
slacks, a dress short-sleeve shirt, and a tie. This particular
combination of clothes does not permit a normal-size handgun to be
packed on the body. However, a tiny "pocket pistol" can be slipped
into a pocket, and properly done, be undetectable. Another option is
a small handgun stowed in an ankle holster. For ladies, a garter or
bra holster or a handbag can be the resting place for a small unobtru-
sive handgun.
Here are some "deep concealment" handguns you may wish to consider.
The Hi-Standard double derringer. Now out of print since the High
Standard Manufacturing Company went bankrupt, these diminutive
little .22 double-action derringers are still available on the used
gun market, and are often seen at gun shows. These little guns were
chambered for either .22 Long Rifle or .22 Magnum. They feature a
stiff double-action-only trigger pull (no trigger guard), and a very
flat configuration. They don't weigh much, and can be almost forgot-
ten about once secured on the person. They give you two quick
shots, and then must be reloaded like a break-open shotgun, The
double action design and the crude sights mean that they aren't going
to be very accurate much beyond a few yards, but they can serve as a
deterrent nonetheless. I've owned one of these in .22 LR since the
middle '60s, and have found that with care and a controlled trigger
pull, I can hit an object the size of a gallon milk bottle out to
around 20 yards or so. The little gun was never designed to be shot
at this distance, but it can be done with practice. The best way to
hold this little number, with its rounded vestigial grip, is to lay
the index finger alongside the barrels, and use the middle finger to
manipulate the trigger. Thus employed, shooting it can be as in-
stinctive as pointing your finger.
The North American Arms Mini-Revolvers. These little five-shot sin-
gle-action revolvers are about as tiny as a revolver can get. You can
find them chambered for .22 short, .22 LR, and .22 Magnum. The .22
short and LR handguns are small enough to be carried in the watch
pocket of a pair of Levi's, and the .22 LR version can be fitted with
a folding grip which envelops the gun when folded, and which extends
out to give a far more comfortable hold than is afforded by the stand-
ard small bird's-head grip. This folding grip adds very little in
bulk to the handgun when closed up, and it does serve to conceal the
shape of the gun when it's inserted into a pants pocket. This grip
has a belt clip, which can also be used by the ladies to hook the
little revolver onto a bra, for example. With the grip, the gun can
still fit into a Levi's watch pocket, and becomes invisible when a
shirt is worn over it tail out. It's one of the most comfortable
little guns to wear. Sadly, the .22 out of a short barrel isn't going
to be much good except as a deterrent, or if used, for a head shot.
The mini-revolvers do offer a 3 to 4-shot advantage over a derringer,
as they can fire 5 shots without reloading. Reloading is best done
away from a stressful situation, as it involves removing the cylinder
pin and then the cylinder, poking out the empties with the cylinder
pin, single-loading five fresh rounds into the cylinder, replacing the
cylinder in the frame, and reinserting the cylinder pin in the cylin-
der and frame. It's slow and cumbersome, and the gun is in pieces
while you do it. As a safety factor the little revolvers must be
carried hammer down either on an empty chamber (making them 4-shots),
or with the hammer resting fully down in one of the safety notches in
the cylinder, which are located between cylinders. One must take care
to do this right, as it's definitely playing with fire to leave the
hammer down on a live cartridge. If this is done, a blow to the
hammer could set off a round to go who knows where.
.25 ACP pocket pistols. These little semiautos, not much bigger than
the firearms mentioned above, offer the advantages of increased fire-
power and quick reloading. They are typified by the "Baby Browning"
and the little Colt .25, both John Browning designs. Since these are
hammerless designs, they are best carried with the firing pin down on
an empty chamber, and a full magazine. Employing them requires
jacking the slide to chamber a round. Carrying them with the chamber
loaded and the safety applied is not recommended for two reasons; one,
the firing pin spring may take a set, and two, the safeties are not
really positive enough to give a margin of comfort. These pistols do
offer a flat configuration and small size. The .25 ACP is not much
better, if any better, than a .22 LR for defense purposes, and such
guns are best employed as potential deterrents than actually used.
The little Beretta .25 DA/SA semiauto does offer an alternative to
carrying the chamber empty, because it employs the traditional
double-action first shot method. However, it seems to me that the
Beretta pistols, even the smallest ones, are bulkier than they need to
be across the frame as compared to others.
The Seecamp .32 ACP pocket semiauto pistol. This little pistol is in
a class by itself. It is designed around the .32 ACP Winchester
Silvertip HP round specifically, and is little bigger than the
typical .25 auto. It is a bit of a cult item, and there's a waiting
list to get one from Seecamp. Although the Winchester round is recom-
mended, it will also feed, chamber and fire the high-performance
Glaser Safety Slugs and the Magsafe .32 ACP loads were recently re-
designed to function in this pistol. It has no sights, which is a
turn-off for many shooters, and is double-action only. It does offer
a more effective round than the .25 ACP, but it's still not up to
the .380 ACP or .38 special class.
Now, let's look at handguns a little higher up on the size scale,
which will serve comfortably for concealed carry. Typical employment
will be in an inside-the-pants holster with the shirt worn out, in a
shoulder holster beneath a vest or open shirt, in an ankle holster, or
in a handbag.
Perhaps the minimum cartridge recommended for actual employment in a
defense situation is the .380 ACP, or as it's known in Europe, the 9mm
Kurz (German for "short"). This is a rimless cartridge employing a
9mm bullet at relatively moderate velocity. In hardball configura-
tion, the round is not a reliable stopper, but with certain hollow-
point loads, the cartridge can do some damage to an assailant. Arms
chambered for this number can be fairly compact in size and light and
weight. The pressure of the cartridge is low enough to permit blow-
back actions, fixed barrels, and simplicity.
Pistols for the .380 cartridge are all over the place, so I'll stick
to some personal recommendations, both for and against a few specific
pistols.
Once upon a time, I purchased a .380 "Backup" pistol, made by AMT of
Pasadena, California. I was intrigued by the small size of the
pistol, and figured it could almost go where no pistol had gone be-
fore. The stainless-steel "Backup" is a single-action hammerless
design, meaning that it's best carried with a loaded magazine and an
empty chamber. That's OK. The quality control on the pistol is
definitely NOT OK. First off, the firing pin spring had taken a set
(no doubt from the previous owner keeping it cocked), and it had no
power to reliably ignite a primer. Secondly, the pistol was a jama-
matic - not reliable in its feeding, chambering, and ejection, even
with hardball ammo. Thirdly, the pistol is damnably difficult to
disassemble; it nearly requires three hands in addition to a block of
wood to hold the slide back, and a pin punch. I got rid of this
little number later at a gun show, with a note that it needed work.
This was honest, but an understatement. I would never again be
tempted by one of these little pistols.
A trifle bigger pistol is up next, and my recommendation regarding it
is a hearty "thumbs up." This is the famed Walther PP design, as
personified in the PP, PPK, and PPK/S pistols made both on these
shores and in Europe. The design of this pistol originated in the
late 1920's, and its (now) traditional double-action design set the
standard, both then and now. It's a blowback design, immensely
reliable, slim and handy. In .380, it's a serious hideaway defense
pistol. The first shot can be fired double-action, and it can be
carried with the safety off, as it incorporates a firing-pin block
that rises only when the trigger is fully back. Subsequent shots are
single-action. In the event of a misfire, the pistol reverts to
double-action so you can take another whack at the primer. Field-
stripping is simple; lock the slide back, pull down on the trigger
guard, press it to one side to keep it down, pull the slide all the
way back, lift its rear up, and slide it forward off the frame. This
leaves you the grip/barrel frame, the slide, and the recoil spring to
deal with. It's a slick system that's been widely copied.
There are basically three models of the PP design. There is the
original full-size PP pistol ("PP" stands for "Polizei Pistole," or
police pistol). There is the PPK variation (PPK meaning Polizei
Pistole Kriminal, or police pistol/detective model). Its barrel and
frame are shortened for better concealability for undercover work.
Then there is the strange-birthed PPK/S pistol, which is a combination
of the longer PP grip frame and the PPK slide and barrel. It con-
ceals almost as well as the PPK, but has the larger magazine capacity
and hand-filling feel of the PP. It came into being because the PPK,
due to the factoring points of the '68 gun control act, could not be
imported. So the Walther factory in Germany simply combined the two
pistols to make one that would pass importation criteria. The "S"
stands for "special" for the American market. Later, of course, the
small PPK was made in America, and import laws don't apply to it.
There are other small .380 pistols that have some merit, notably the
Colt Government single-action design and the Beretta double-action
pistols. The Colt is a dead-ringer for the 1911 .45, except it's
smaller. The Berettas look a lot like their big brother, the 9mm
92F, which was adopted as standard by our military. The
Beretta .380s are to me overly bulky, due to their double-stack
magazine design, while the little Colt is slim with its single-stack
magazine.
A step up on the power scale gives us some nice revolvers in .38
special for the concealment role.
Perhaps the most highly regarded of the "pocket" revolvers are the
little J-frame Smith & Wessons. This series actually began a long
time ago with the I-frame revolvers, which were chambered in .32
caliber and for the stubby .38 S&W cartridge. Later on, Smith decided
to chamber this little number for the longer .38 special, and this
necessitated lengthening the frame somewhat; this became the now-
standard J-frame. One of the best of the early J-frames was the
Chief's Special, or model 36. This was a blued 5-shot revolver cham-
bered in .38 special. It was an instant hit with police for a backup
revolver, and it became very popular as a concealed-carry piece.
Later on, this revolver was produced in stainless steel as the Model
60; it was the first commercial handgun to be made almost entirely of
stainless steel, and the factory couldn't make them fast enough. At
one time, S&W made a little number they dubbed the "Centennial" re-
volver, which had an internal hammer so it could be drawn quickly
without snagging on clothing. This revolver also featured a grip
safety along the rear of the grip frame, which had to be depressed
before the revolver would fire; this was reminiscent of the even
earlier "Safety Hammerless" revolver, which was a top-break design.
Thoughtfully, the factory provided a little pin which could be removed
when the grips were off the frame, and which could then be reinserted
so as to lock out the grip safety for more assurance of discharge when
the trigger was pulled. In recent years, the Centennial was re-
introduced in stainless steel as the Model 640, sans the grip safety.
This sleek little double-action-only revolver has become immensely
popular, and with a strengthened frame, it is chambered now in the
potent .357 magnum. As the Model 940, it is chambered in 9mm Luger,
and is intended to be fired with full-moon clips holding 5 rounds of
this high-pressure number. I have a Model 640 in .38 special, and
can attest that it packs easy, draws nicely, and within the limits of
the double-action-only design, is quite accurate when the shooter does
his or her part. The model 640 in .38 special is capable of firing
sustained doses of even +P+ high-pressure ammo. Taurus offers the
Model 85, which is very similar to the J-frame Smiths. These little
revolvers offer a lot of power with very compact size, but with full-
house loads, recoil can be vicious. Good hand-filling grips are
highly recommended. My 640 is dressed with a pair of Herrett's
Shooting Star checkered wood grips with a palm swell on both sides,
and this makes it very comfortable to shoot, adding only about 1/2" to
the depth of the grip. It enables me to wrap four fingers around the
grip easily. Smith now offers the "boot grip" as an option; this is a
checkered black neoprene grip that provides a bit more bulk but no
more depth; I find it awkward, and must curl my little finger under
the grip to grasp it right.
Colt is also in the snubby revolver fray. This began years ago with
the Colt Cobra, a small (D-frame) 6-shot revolver with a 2-inch barrel
in .38 special. This later evolved into the famous Detective Spe-
cial, which has recently been reintroduced with an ejector rod shroud
to prevent bending of the ejector rod in rough usage. Colt touts the
advantage of the extra round over the Chief Special and its cousins,
but that extra round does make the revolver marginally more bulky. In
this regard, you have your choice with Colt or S&W - an extra round or
less bulk and weight.
Next up in power level are the 'mini-autos' in 9mm caliber. As you
probably know, the 9mm Parabellum cartridge is a high-pressure number,
usually requiring a locked breech in semi-auto configuration. Fore-
most among the "chopped and channeled" 9mm concealment pistols is the
Smith and Wesson line, perhaps best personified in the Model 3913.
This is an alloy-framed stainless-slide pistol with a 3.5" barrel
(1/2" shorter than the standard 4" barrel), and a shortened frame.
It also has a bobbed hammer which cannot be cocked easily for single-
action fire; you have to move the hammer back a bit with the trigger
to thumb it back, not an easy task under stress. It's definitely
designed for double-action first shots. The single-stack magazine
holds 8 rounds, which with one in the chamber gives you 9 shots of
full-house ammo. The grips on this number are grey to match the
frame and slide, which is an advantage between a T-shirt and an outer
shirt, offering little see-through contrast. It's provided with a
finger-rest mag and an flat-bottomed mag, so you have your choice of
maximum control or minimum size. As the 3913LS, it's a Ladysmith
pistol, and so etched on the right of the slide. This pistol has a
tuned trigger which is a mite easier for arguably less powerful female
hands. The LS model has one slide-mounted safety lever on the left,
while the 3913 is ambidextrous with two levers, one on each side of
the slide. This makes it a bit bulkier for concealed carry; it's very
similar to the blued 3914 model. With the "NL" (no logo) option, the
3913NL is identical to the Ladysmith in configuration, but lacks the
Ladysmith logo on the slide. I have one of these, and suspect it
also lacks the lighter, smoother trigger, as I'd judge it about equal
to an old Model 59 I've kept around since the middle '70s. The
3913NL I have weighs just 25 ounces, is extremely compact, and is not
noticed at all when packed in an inside-the-pants holster. It's very
comfortable for all-day wear in the summer. All Smith 3rd-generation
pistols have a magazine safety, which means it's not possible to
discharge the pistol when the magazine is removed. The jury is out
on this feature, but it's there.
Competing with the Smiths are chopped Glocks and Berettas. Both are
somewhat bulkier than the single-stack-mag S&Ws, with their double-
stack magazines. The Glock, of course, has a polymer frame, which
does offer the advantage of less weight. The Berettas can be had in
traditional double action (TDA) or double-action-only (DAO). The
Glock has its weird (to me) trigger action which is a cross between
single- and double-action in feel; it has no safety, and negligent
discharges with the Glock are perhaps somewhat easier to achieve, if
you can call that sort of thing an achievement.
The 9mm mini-guns are to my mind the optimum combination of serious
power and concealability, and should be given serious consideration.
The represent one of the best possibilities for firepower, cartridge
effectiveness, and smallness. They do demand the best ammo possible,
and I highly recommend the Cor-bon 116 gr. +P hollowpoint for defense
work; it has an excellent street one-shot-stop record. My 3913NL is
my gun of choice for concealed carry in the summer.
Next up on the defense-power scale, it's a tossup between many medi-
um-frame .357 revolvers as typified by the Ruger SP101 design, the
Smith & Wesson Model 19 and its derivatives in stainless steel, and
the Colt Python-class revolvers. All of these revolvers are more
bulky than their junior counterparts, but give you increased control-
lability. With 2", 3", and 4" barrels, you're going to get some
muzzle blast and flash, and a LOT of noise when the gun discharges.
There is no question that these handguns are effective defense guns,
but the cylinder girth makes them harder to conceal and they may dig
into your flesh a bit, making them rough for prolonged concealed
carry. They are impressive, somewhat concealable, effective, but
heavier and less comfortable. They're pushing the concealability
envelope a bit.
For full-power handguns epitomized by those chambered for the time-
honored .45 ACP cartridge, you have a plethora of choices. Colt,
Smith & Wesson and Glock all offer bobbed semiautos for this car-
tridge, some with alloy frames for increased lightness. The small
width of the 1911 design allows flat packing, so much so that in the
winter, the full-size 1911 design can be carried with almost as much
comfort as the shorter Commander or Officer's Model pistols, with the
advantage of full velocity and power for the low-pressure round. I
myself prefer the full-size Colt in the winter, when it can be better
concealed in a shoulder holster under a jacket, rather than dragging
down my pants. It's believed that hollow-point bullets may clog with
fabric when fired through layers of winter clothing, and they may thus
not open up properly, lacking the necessary hydraulic pressure. If
this is the case, the .45 caliber makes bigger intrinsic holes, and
this alone makes it the caliber of choice in the winter. In the
summer, some may find them bulkier than optimum, and certainly heavier
than their 9mm or 40mm counterparts. There's no disputing the de-
fense capability of the .45 ACP; it's the standard by which all others
are judged.
OK, there's one category left - full-house handguns chambered for
the .44 and 41 magnums, the IMI .50 Desert Eagle, etc., and yes, Dirty
Harry did pack a Model 29 concealed. Of course, he was a skinny guy
with an oversize jacket, and Clint Eastwood only had to pack this
Smith & Wesson N-frame monster for the scenes in which he appeared in
the movie! I have a Model 29, and I have a shoulder holster for it,
but you can bet it's not my concealment handgun of choice in either
summer or winter. The shoulder holster is for packing in the field,
for hunting, and for packing for possible defense use against wild
animals. The .44 magnum is more of a hunting cartridge, harder to
control, and the possibility of over-penetration and danger to the
innocent is always there. It's not the optimum defense cartridge,
and neither is its first cousin the .41 magnum, or the monstrous .50
for which the Desert Eagle handgun is chambered. That goes for the
now-discontinued .44 Auto-mag, also. I suppose I could manage to
stuff my Model 629 8 3/8"-barreled revolver so as to conceal it in the
winter, but, I'd walk lopsided, that's for sure! Let's just laugh
and say "sure" in a derisive tone when you see this sort of thing in
the movies. It's not real world.
So there you have it - from tiny to monstrous; these are the choices
that are out there for concealed carry.
My choices?
Here in Arizona, I favor three handguns, each employed depending on
the circumstances. For deep concealment and effortless packing, my
little North American Arms .22 LR 5-shot mini-revolver with folding
grip slips into the watch pocket in my Levis, or slips into the side
pocked of my dress slacks. It's virtually unnoticeable, and it will
serve when any handgun is a better option than nothing.
For effective defense capability in the summer with optimum conceal-
ability and comfort, it's my 9mm Smith 3913NL in an inside-the-pants
holster. If I ever need it, it'll do the job, and meanwhile, no
one's tipped to the fact that I'm packing some serious ordnance. My
Model 640 .38 special revolver runs a close second for summer work,
with my Walther PPK/S in .380 bringing up the rear, James Bond not-
withstanding.
In the winter, I choose to use my favorite pistol - my early Colt
Stainless series 80 Government Model (full-size) in .45 ACP. It
rides in a shoulder holster under a jacket comfortably, and the bulk
of a jacket conceals it adequately. There's no question about this
gun's effectiveness, or mine when armed with it. Two extra mags
balance the other side of the shoulder rig, giving me 22 rounds of
fast and powerful firepower. There's no better deal around.
I hope this overview of concealment firearms gives you some food for
thought - I know I haven't mentioned all the possibilities, and I may
have left out some of your favorites. Let me know on the GEnie
outdoors forum roundtable what YOU think - there's plenty of room for
opinion there!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
9507C THE HATCHER SCALE by John Marshall
*HATCHER *STOPPING POWER *HANDGUNS *CARTRIDGE POWER
One of the truisms of handgunning is that all other things being
equal, a bigger bullet is going to do more damage than a smaller one.
And it is also true that bullet shape has a lot to do with how much
damage a bullet will do. Of course, there are always exceptions to
the rule, but by and large, the above rules hold pretty true.
Way back earlier in this century, a fellow by the name of Julian
Hatcher sought to find out why these truths were so. He had a dis-
tinct advantage, because he was then Chief of Ordnance for the U.S.
Army, and had a lot of people and equipment to utilize.
He called in another fellow by the name of John Taliaferro Tompson,
whom you may recall was involved in another venture which became the
Thompson submachine gun. Thompson was then a Colonel in the Army
Ordnance Corps. Hatcher also engaged the services of Col. Julius A.
LaGarde of the Army Surgeon General's office. He asked the two of
them to collaborate on some empirical tests of bullet effectiveness,
and this they did. The results became the famous Thompson-LaGarde
study.
To his dismay, Hatcher discovered that he could not correlate kinetic
energy, to the observed results of the tests. He reasoned that there
must be something missing in that equation, and attempted to create a
mathematical formula which correlate to stopping power, or terminal
effectiveness.
For reference purposes, the quick formula for computing kinetic energy
in foot-pounds is:
W x (VxV) where W = bullet weight in grains, V = velocity,
--------- = KE and KE = kinetic energy in foot-lbs.
450,240
He next attempted to factor in bullet mass and shape, as well as its
weight and velocity, and the results started to more closely match
reality. He called this advanced formula's results the index of
relative stopping power, and the formula went like this:
1 WV
-------- x ----- x A x y = RSP
2(32.16) 7000
RSP = Relative Stopping Power
W = Bullet weight in grains
V = Velocity in feet per second
A = Cross sectional area of bullet in square inches
y = emperical shape factor, using a lead roundnose bullet for
a basis of comparison, with a factor of 1000, and a lead
semiwadcutter having a factor of 1250, or 25% greater effective-
ness.
For years, Hatcher's formula reigned supreme, as it closely approxi-
mated on a linear scale observable stopping power; any handgun car-
tridge could be compared to any other handgun cartridge in effective-
ness. Of course, back then they didn't have expanding HP bullets or
frangible bullets such as the Magsafe or Glaser examples, but we can
factor those in today with a close guess as to their shape factors.
All attempts in later years to come up with something better by way of
a yardstick on handgun stopping power have pretty well met with fail-
ure. A prime example was the Law Enforcement Assistance Administra-
tion's "relative incapacitation" study which used gelatin blocks, a
computer-generated "man," every example of ammo known at the time, and
computers to tabulate the data. The results were interesting, sound-
ed good if you said them fast, but they didn't relate to what was
happening on the street. A subsequent full report refuted the first
one, and the whole thing was declared a mess from the get-go.
This brings us back to Hatcher's scale. Included in this newsletter
is the program "HATCHER.BAS" which will run on most computers that
have a BASIC executable file (GWBASIC is what I use). You can exper-
iment with it a bit, feeding it your cartridge's velocity, weight,
cross-sectional area, and bullet shape. It will give you a reading,
which you can compare with pretty-well proved cartridges like the .45
ACP hardball ammo which is ubiquitous. It does all the hard work of
calculation for you. If you can use it, great - just don't bug me
for another version which will work in more modern permutations of
BASIC like QBASIC or Visual Basic. I just don't have the time or
inclination to learn to program them; I learned how to program in
BASIC, and that's all, folks! Oh, it also calculates foot pounds of
energy in the same breath, so you can have both figures at once.
Enjoy!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
9507D NRA NEWS by the National Rifle Association Staff
*NRA *SECOND AMENDMENT *RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS *RKBA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION:
JULY 7, 1995 NRA PUBLIC AFFAIRS
703-267-3820
RIGHT TO CARRY MARCHES ON AND ON AND ON...
Fairfax, Va-- This week, the right to carry movement
continued as Nevada and North Carolina joined the growing list of
states passing this lifesaving legislation this year. On Monday,
the Nevada legislature gave final approval to carry legislation
which was signed by Governor Bob Miller earlier today.
On Thursday, the North Carolina legislature gave its final
approval to carry legislation,
however unlike Nevada, the governor can neither sign nor veto the
bill.
"This is a national movement by the states to empower their
citizens," said Mrs. Tanya K. Metaksa, chief lobbyist of the
National Rifle Association. "Not only was the theme of empowerment
felt in the nation's capitol on election day, it was felt in many
state capitals as well. The right to carry movement is reflective
of elected officials heeding their citizens calls: Let us have the
ability to protect ourselves and our loved ones," she continued.
"With the addition of Nevada and North Carolina, eight states
have passed lifesaving right to carry this year," said Mrs Metaksa.
"With Justice Department studies showing that 88% of all violent
crime occurs outside the home, this legislation is long overdue."
28 states now allow law abiding citizens to carry firearms for
self protection. In the 20 states that had right to carry laws
prior to 1994, the crime rates are lower as compared to the states
without carry laws in all the major crime categories that the FBI
tracks (Shall Issue: The New Wave of Concealed Handgun Permit Laws,
by Clayton Cramer and David B. Kopel).
"NRA will continue to aggressively fight for citizen's self
defense. The few states that have rejected right to carry will not
be forgotten. And, as in Texas where then Governor Ann Richards
vetoed right to carry legislation two years ago, the NRA and the
voters will make the needed changes to secure the basic civil right
of self defense," she concluded.
=+=+=+=+
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For further information,
June 30, 1995 call: NRA Public Affairs
703-267-3820
THE RIDDLER?
NRA Comments on President's Visit to Chicago
Atlanta, Georgia -- President Bill Clinton's visit to Chicago,
Illinois, for a gun control fund-raiser was, from all
appearances, riddled with irony.
"The same Administration intent on banning guns by banning
bullets is soft on criminals with guns, and, according to a
Senate hearing, soft on criminals with drugs," commented Mrs.
Tanya K. Metaksa, executive director of the National Rifle
Association Institute for Legislative Action, during a visit to
Georgia.
"He has called on Congress to ban ammunition despite a 1986 law
that works flawlessly. Since 1986, when NRA helped craft and
support a law limiting certain ammo to police use, no police
officer in the United States has been killed with any projectile
fired from a handgun through the protective material of a soft
body armor vest. The number is _zero_."
"Our president also praised his ban on guns based solely on their
appearance -- in Chicago where handguns are banned regardless of
their appearance. Both prohibitions fail to stop criminals.
"And our president is praising a waiting period in a state that
employs the NRA-backed instantaneous criminal background check.
These ironies must be truly embarrassing."
On the President's ammo ban, Mrs. Metaksa cited a remark made by
a White House official who told the Associated Press that it was
not a "huge problem."
"Indeed, the `huge problem' that the president's scheme utterly
fails to address is that persons with prior criminal histories
are involved in the majority of homicides of law enforcement
officers," Mrs. Metaksa said. "During the last ten years, 73% of
those involved in officer killings had prior criminal arrests,
56% had been convicted of criminal offenses, and 23% were
actually on parole or probation when the officers were killed.
"That's the `huge problem.' It is the same problem that cost
officer Daniel Doffyn his life. He was tragically slain by three
suspected gang members -- drugs dealers who are suspects in
previous shootings, including murder.
"That's the `huge problem.' And that is why NRA has been working
for criminal justice reform -- from `Three Strikes You're Out' in
Vermont to the `Hard Time for Armed Crime' initiative in
Washington state. Thatþs the kind of work that keeps real
assault weapons and real cop killers off our streets."
Mrs. Metaksa noted that NRA currently has 10,000 certified law
enforcement instructors who work with 450,000 law enforcement
officers annually. "NRA also subsidizes vest purchases and buys
a $25,000 life insurance policy free of charge to every law
enforcement officer who joins. Since 1992, we have provided
$450,000 in payments to the survivors of our law enforcement
members who lost their lives in the line of duty.
"If you work out the figures, that means -- every other month,
some law enforcement agency loses an officer, an agent, a sheriff
or deputy -- and so does the NRA. Forty thousand Americans
joined NRA last month. Our survey of new members found that more
than 18 percent reported that they or someone in their household
has been or is currently in the field of law enforcement.
Members of the law enforcement family join NRA, because they know
where NRA stands on the most important issue of the day: their
safety."
The Clinton gun ban, Mrs. Metaksa said, impacts some 190 firearms
rarely used in crimes. "It is effective only in masking poor
performance in banning _real_ assault weapons -- namely, armed,
violent criminals. Federal weapons prosecutions have plummeted
23% his first two years in office. H.R. 1488 not only repeals
the Clinton gun ban. It requires the Attorney General to start
enforcing the laws that put armed criminals behind bars."
Mrs. Metaksa noted that the background check component of the
federal waiting period has been found void and unconstitutional
by five federal courts. She also noted that Georgia and
Pennsylvania have recently opted out of the waiting period scheme
in favor of the NRA-backed computer check for gun purchasers.
"Wait prompts flight, but the instant check prompts instant
arrest of the rare dangerous criminal who attempts a direct
commercial purchase. On passage of the federal waiting period
legislation, the NRA-backed check was employed by Virginia,
Delaware, Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois." Since then, Colorado,
South Carolina, Georgia, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,
Utah and Pennsylvania have adopted the
mandatory check.
Mrs. Metaksa also quoted yesterday's AP report: "The Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said, `Black Rhino' bullets, said
to be capable of piercing body armor, apparently do not exist.
The agency in January did approve the sale of the `Rhino-Ammo'
fragmenting bullet after firing tests showed that it was no
different from other hollow-point bullets that had no armor-
piercing qualities."
"His advisors should stop counseling the president to build laws
-- and campaigns -- on myths," Mrs. Metaksa said.
=+=+=+=+
CLINTON ATTEMPTING TO BAN GUNS BY BANNING BULLETS
On June 30, 1995, President Bill Clinton made the following
statements while receiving the Abraham Linclon Courage Award at
15th District Police Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.
Referring to the recent, fatal shooting of Chicago police
officer Daniel Doffyn, Clinton said "[A]s we remember Officer
Doffyn, I say there is at least one more thing we must do. Today I
am announcing support for legislation that will ban armor-piercing
bullets of all kinds. . . .
"[W]e do ban some kinds of armor-piercing bullets. . . but . . .
the law is written . . . in the wrong way. . . . based on what it's
made of. . . . (that's) not good enough because clever people have
figured out how to design ammunition made from common materials
that do just as much damage. . . . "This legislation will change
that. It will see to it that we judge ammunition not based on what
it's made of, but based on how much harm it can do. That should be
the test, and the test should be simple and straightforward. If a
bullet can rip through a bulletproof vest like a knife through hot
butter, then it ought to be history. We should ban it. . . . (I
ask you to help me) "oppose their (NRA's) efforts to keep us from
getting all these horrible police-killing bullets out of our lives.
. . "
POINTS TO REMEMBER
* Clinton's notion that the current "armor-piercing ammunition"
law, enacted in 1986 and added to in 1994, is too weak because
"clever people" have designed new ammunition with additional armor
piercing abilities, is sheer nonsense, as definitively demonstrated
by the recent, nationally-broadcast expose of the "Black Rhino"
hoax swallowed hook-line-and-sinker by anti-gun politicians and
their allies in the media. Indeed, Officer Daniel Doffyn, whose
death Clinton is shamelessly trying to use for his own political
purposes, was not killed because a bullet penetrated his protective
vest. According to a Chicago Police Department spokesman, one of
the bullets that killed Officer Doffyn struck him in the head,
while a second bullet entered an opening in his vest -- it didn't
defeat the material of the vest.
* President Clinton is attempting to resurrect an approach to
banning ammunition that the Congress considered and rejected in the
mid-1980s when it enacted the first "armor piercing ammunition"
law. The previously-rejected approach proposed today by the
president, would ban virtually all commonly used rifle ammunition,
and a great deal of handgun ammunition, commonly used by law-
abiding hunters and target shooters, and by people who own firearms
for self-defense against criminals.
In 1986, Congress adopted the approach that Clinton now
criticizes, an approach that the original sponsor of the "armor
piercing" ammunition legislation, Rep. Mario Biaggi, a highly
decorated police officer who had been wounded in the line of duty,
said "was no compromise on the part of police safety."
* Clinton's approach would ban virtually all rifle ammunition
used for hunting, target shooting, or self-protection in the United
States, such as .30-30 Winchester, .30-'06 Springfield, .308
Winchester, .300 Savage, 7mm Remington, .270 Winchester, .257
Roberts, .243 Winchester and .223 Remington, to name just a few.
* Clinton's approach would ban most handgun ammunition,
including that which is used for hunting, target shooting and self-
protection, such as .45 Colt and Auto Colt, .44 Remington, .44
Smith and Wesson Special, .41 Remington, .357 Smith and Wesson, 9mm
Luger, and many .38 Special loads, to name just a few.
* About the only ammunition that would not be banned is .22
Rimfire ammunition, several outdated rifle cartridges, such as .25-
20 Winchester and .32-20 Winchester, and several lower-powered
handgun cartridges, such as .25 and .32 caliber (which anti-gun
activists have for years claimed, albeit incorrectly, that
criminals favor.)
* The real problem is the criminal. During the last ten years,
73% of those involved in officer killings had prior criminal
arrests, 56% had been convicted of criminal offenses, and 23% were
actually on parole or probation when the officers were killed.
(Source: FBI, "Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted, 1993")
* The problem is not bullets that defeat the protective material
of body armor vests. During the last ten years, 70% of the police
officers who have been fatally shot were not even wearing their
protective vests, according to the FBI. In fact, less than 2% of
the officers feloniously killed in the line of duty during the last
ten years were killed because a bullet penetrated their protective
vests. A police officer is 30 times more likely to die in a motor
vehicle accident than be killed because of a bullet penetrating his
or her vest. (Source: FBI, "Law Enforcement Officer Killed and
Assaulted, 1993")
The Nat'l Institute of Justice has found that "many (officers)
who possess body armor do not use it routinely." ("Selection and
Application Guide to Police Body Armor, 1989)
NRA-ILA Research and Information Division, July 7, 1995
=+=+=+=+
Six Months of Progress ... For $17.50
A speech by
Mrs. Tanya K. Metaksa
Executive Director, NRA Institute for Legislative Action
to the
Outdoor Writers Association of America
Chattanooga, Tennessee,
June 28, 1995
I want to thank the Outdoor Writers Association of America for this
opportunity -- but let me begin with a viewers' advisory.
This morning, you will hear facts, not fireworks.
You will hear about NRA benefits, not brimstone.
And you will hear about NRA progress ... not petty politics.
In public discourse filled too often with downright spitefulness,
we need more downright information ... information about benefits -
- about value -- about production.
So, this morning, I want to share with you the tangible benefits of
NRA membership -- the value of belonging -- and give you a sense of
what NRA produces because people join us -- for thirty-five
dollars-a-year annual dues.
Later today, you'll hear from our president, Tom Washington, about
NRA's education, safety and skill training programs. If you add my
words to Tom's, I believe you'll be convinced that NRA is
delivering real value to its members.
When Americans join NRA for thirty-five dollars, the NRA Institute
for Legislative Action invests in hunting and wildlife
conservation, invests in an education strategy about the Second
Amendment, and invests in meaningful criminal justice reform.
And in just the first six months of this year -- our members are
seeing a substantial return on their investment.
Let's examine the dividends our members have enjoyed.
Let's measure our return -- in just the first six months of this
year -- on seventeen dollars and fifty cents -- half the NRA annual
dues.
One of our greatest achievements this year has been our work with
other conservationist groups to restore the National Wildlife
Refuge System.
In order to understand the scope of our achievement this year,
you've got to understand a little of the history ...
We all know it was a hunter -- Teddy Roosevelt -- who first
established this system with the opening of Pelican Island,
Florida, in 1903.
We know that our excise taxes, duck stamps and entrance fees
represent the bulk of the funds used to acquire new lands.
And we know that, today, Roosevelt's vision touches nearly six
million anglers, more than a million hunters and over 90 million
acres.
But the National Wildlife Refuge System has deteriorated. Until
recently, Roosevelt's vision appeared lost.
* Biological programs were ignored due to lack of funding.
* Wildlife habitat was deteriorating due to lack of maintenance.
* Much needed work on those lands was postponed, year after
year, and now deferred maintenance is measured in the hundreds
of millions of dollars.
The symbol of Roosevelt's greatest domestic vision has decayed. So
too has the relationship between the refuge system and the hunters
who helped create it.
For years, wildlife-dependent recreation -- including hunting --
has been relegated to second priority, wrapped up and discarded in
the phrase, "secondary use." Since hunting is a "secondary use" of
the refuge system, it can be allowed only after a determination is
made that hunting is compatible with the purposes of the refuge.
Using "secondary use" as their primary target, environmentalists
filed suit against the Fish and Wildlife Service for permitting
what they alleged to be incompatible uses on refuge lands. The
lawsuit prompted the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a system-
wide review of ALL uses in ALL five hundred and four refuges.
On the heels of that system-wide review came a memo from the
director to field personnel to divert funding from "secondary
uses," if those uses could not pass some sort of test. If they
applied the test initially prescribed by Fish and Wildlife Service,
refuge managers would be forced to throttle all hunting, fishing,
wildlife photography -- in short, ALL wildlife-oriented
recreational uses in many refuge areas.
That was, at least, NRA's view.
Indeed, it must have been the feeling of many Fish and Wildlife
Service personnel, because several leaked the director's memo to
NRA and other conservation groups.
This under-funding of hunting -- I call it the unfunding of hunting
-- spoke volumes to me about the mind-set of the political
leadership of this agency. The Fish and Wildlife Service
leadership simply did not understand the significance to hunters
and anglers of the refuge system we hunters helped create and
maintain.
Essentially, the stewards of our nation's wildlife resource --
hunters -- were being asked to leave. We were upset when we got
our eviction notice, but the landlords just didn't get it.
So this was the history.
And soon after our successes in Election '94, NRA set about
reforming the refuge system.
This year, together with the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America
and the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies,
the NRA began working with the Congress to overhaul the refuge
system.
What did NRA-member-hunters get this year for their $17.50?
* The launch of Congressman Don Young's National Wildlife Refuge
Improvement Act of 1995 (H.R. 1675).
This bill opens the parachute to stop the free-fall in wildlife
habitat management.
Moreover, it recognizes the pivotal role played by hunters. How?
By making all wildlife-dependent activities, INCLUDING hunting, a
PURPOSE of the refuge system -- not a fund-it-if-you-can "secondary
use."
And NRA has done more than push pro-hunting bills the first six
months of this year.
Together with thirteen other conservation organizations, NRA formed
CARE -- the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement. CARE
helps the Fish and Wildlife Service overcome problems created by
the long-term throttling-down of funds.
CARE is key. Lawmakers are responding to the legitimate calls of
the people to eliminate questionable programs. But the ill health
of the refuge system is BEYOND question. CARE teaches lawmakers
that the refuge system has been resource-starved and
disproportionately neglected ... for years. CARE teaches that
what's needed is not the budget ax, but a resource injection.
That's a lot for seventeen fifty and six months -- but there's
more.
Americans have witnessed the positive message of lawful self-
defense generated by pushing Right to Carry laws across the various
states. Even TIME magazine tipped its hat to our enactment just
this year of Right to Carry in Virginia, Utah, Idaho and Bill
Clinton's home state of Arkansas. It has just been signed into law
by the governors of Texas and Oklahoma, and it is moving in Ohio,
Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina and California.
Some forty percent of the population can now apply for a permit to
protect themselves and their families.
That's not all. There's an education component in Right to Carry.
In following the Right to Carry movement, millions of Americans are
examining their views on the right of self-defense. Without ever
applying for a permit, millions of Americans are understanding,
perhaps for the first time, that the Second Amendment is anchored
in the right of self-defense -- and their right to defend
themselves does not stop at the front door.
Our CrimeStrike Division has advanced criminal justice reforms and
victims' rights in fifteen states and the U.S. Congress in the
first six months of this year -- from "Three Strikes" in Vermont to
"Hard Time for Armed Crime" in Washington state.
Let me repeat that -- criminal justice reform and victims' rights
... in fifteen states ... in just six months.
I don't think ANY citizen organization can claim such a record.
Don't let anyone tell you that NRA is not out there advancing
public safety for law enforcement and civilians alike. We're there
before the arrest is made, making sure the sentences will be tough,
inappropriate plea bargains are trashed and pre-trial release of
dangerous offenders doesn't put crooks back on the street before
the officers make it home for dinner.
The fact is, law enforcement and NRA have one thing in common, and
that's history.
We not only fight for the kinds of reforms cops need to do their
job, we've trained hundreds of thousands of officers nationwide,
thousands each year. NRA pays for free life insurance for every
officer who joins NRA, free life insurance worth $25,000. Each
year, NRA sponsors the Jeanne Bray Memorial Scholarship competition
to help the children of officers get the education their parents
want for them.
And your NRA is doing more than just talking to politicians on
Capitol Hill. We're educating America.
Americans have witnessed an unprecedented partnership between NRA,
the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader on the
right to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes. The first fruit
of that partnership was a comprehensive education strategy that is
well underway.
Our strategy has enabled witness after witness to tell the positive
story of their use of a gun in self-defense -- and most of those
witnesses, by the way, or their spouses are hunters.
Our strategy helped scholars speak to the true meaning of the
Second Amendment and social scientists debunk gun control as
ineffective.
And we crafted the most monumental educational conference in the
nation's capitol on the right to bear arms -- "The Second
Amendment: Right Under Fire?" -- a symposium featuring prominent
scholars, journalists, public health and criminology professionals,
leading presidential candidates and other leaders of the U.S. House
of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
If you're sighted in and your aim is true, you are forced to
conclude that members have got a lot for their seventeen-fifty.
NRA has helped safeguard hunting.
NRA has advanced the right of self-defense.
NRA has been a leader in criminal justice reform.
And, perhaps most important, NRA has helped teach the constitution
to an America that is souring on sound bites -- and hungry for its
history.
As we honor the father of America's wildlife refuge system by
working to recapture his vision, let's also honor the Founding
Fathers who left us a constitution and democratic institutions
through which we can advance our rights, build on scientific
wildlife conservation and preserve our outdoor cultural heritage.
And let's honor NRA members who, for seventeen dollars and fifty
cents, made possible all the successes you and I have witnessed for
the first half of 1995.
Thank you.
=+=+=+=+
History of Federal Ammunition Law
Restricting Projectiles Based Upon Construction
In 1966, Lorain County, Ohio, coroner Dr. Paul Kopsch,
Lorain Police Sgt. Daniel Turcus, Jr., and Dr. Kopsch's special
investigator, Donald Ward, began designing special-purpose
handgun ammunition for law enforcement agencies' use. The
objective was to provide police with handgun ammunition capable
of penetrating hard materials, such as automobile doors, cinder
blocks and walls. Previous efforts by major manufacturers at
producing ammunition of this general type had been only
marginally successful.
Most projectiles, constructed primarily of lead, a
comparatively soft metal, cannot consistently penetrate hard
materials when fired at handgun ammunition velocities. In the
1970s, Kopsch, Turcus and Ward began producing their "KTW" line
of handgun ammunition, featuring projectiles manufactured with
case-hardened steel cores capable of significant penetration,
even when fired at handgun ammunition velocities. In 1981, after
experimenting with various metals and alloys, they began
manufacturing their projectiles using brass as the primary
element.
To prevent damage to firearm barrels caused by firing hard
metal projectiles through them, KTW projectiles were coated with
Teflon. Many in the media, however, incorrectly claimed that
Teflon also lubricated the point of impact and significantly
increased the ability of the projectiles to defeat soft body
armor (often called "bullet proof vests") worn by many police
officers and other individuals.
Government tests proved otherwise. The Justice Department
determined that Teflon had "little or no effect on the
penetrating qualities of the projectile" when fired at soft body
armor, while the U.S. Treasury Department concluded that Teflon
was "little more than a cosmetic additive" to the ammunition.
In January 1982, NBC TV transformed KTW ammunition into a
political issue, by running a sensational, nationwide, prime-time
television spectacle titled "Cop Killer Bullets." The title of
the piece was as preposterous its message. KTW ammunition had
never been offered for sale to the general public; it was
originally intended for, and was marketed to, law enforcement and
the armed forces. Additionally, no police officer had been killed
with KTW or similar projectiles, a record intact to the present.
Law enforcement officials pled with NBC to discontinue its
sensational reports on KTW, lest criminals learn of the virtually
unknown ammunition. Placing its ratings and profits ahead of the
lives of law enforcement officers, NBC not only refused to drop
its coverage, but rebroadcast "Cop Killer Bullets" six months
later. Not to be undone, the print media soon joined in the hype.
Publicity-hungry anti-gun members of Congress soon
recognized that NBC's "Cop Killer Bullet" term was the most
exciting buzzword since "Saturday Night Special." Rep. Mario
Biaggi (D-N.Y.) introduced "a bill to stop the proliferation of
'cop-killer' bullets." Biaggi's bill proposed a performance based
prohibition, which would have outlawed any bullet that, when
fired from a 5" barrelled handgun, would be capable of
penetrating the equivalent of 18 layers of Kevlar, the tradename
of a fiber used in the construction of soft body armor.
Technical experts of the FBI, BATF, Secret Service and
police forensic labs throughout the country warned that a
performance based ban would be impractical and unenforceable. The
National Rifle associaition (NRA) warned additionally that it
would have affected more than 85% of commonplace, conventional
hunting and target shooting rifle ammunition, in addition to the
specialty handgun rounds that were the intended targets of the
bill. NRA joined many in law enforcement in opposition to the
bill.
Federal and local law enforcement experts could not think of
an acceptable approach to restricting the ammunition, but with
input from the NRA, the original performance-based concept was
discarded for one based upon the design and construction of the
projectiles themselves. In 1986, after a four-year battle,
Congress approved H.R. 3121, which prohibited the sale, other
than to law enforcement and the armed forces, of ammunition
manufactured with "a projectile or projectile core which may be
used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding
the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a
combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze,
beryllium copper, or depleted uranium," other than shotgun shot
required by federal regulations for hunting and other
specifically-described projectiles. Upon that bill's passage, the
original sponsor, Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-N.Y.), said "Our final
legislative product was not some watered-down version of what we
set out to do. In the end, there was no compromise on the part of
police safety." Despite NRA's help in writing the law, the anti-
gun lobby continues to claim that NRA opposed it.
In 1994, after the development in Sweden of another special-
purpose handgun round, one never introduced in the United States,
Congress again used a construction-based approach to restrict its
sale, by prohibiting sales of ammunition manufactured with a
"full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and
intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of
more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile."
Modern, lightweight Level A/IIA body armor vests typically
worn by police officers are capable of defeating conventional
handgun projectiles, which comprise the vast majority of rounds
encountered by officers in hostile encounters. According to
Second Chance Body Armor, Inc., the industry leader in the
manufacture of police protective vests, police officers' "chances
of encountering (threats) beyond Level A/IIA are REMOTE."
(Emphasis in the original)
Heavier, higher-performance vests capable of defeating more
powerful rifle rounds are also readily available to police
officers. However, higher-powered rifle ammunition accounts for a
small percentage of the ammunition officers face in dealing with
criminals.
=+=+=+=+
"Government, Citizens And Keeping The Trust"
"Do you think the federal government has become so large and
powerful that it poses a threat to the rights and freedoms
of ordinary citizens, or don't you think so?"
Shockingly, 52% of Americans answered yes to this Time/CNN
poll question posed a week after the terrorist bombing in
Oklahoma City. Such is the depth of the concerns of millions of
honest, hard-working, tax-paying citizens.
Since the cowardly bomber murders, however, public attention
has failed to center on the critical question of why so many
citizens no longer trust their government. Rather, the focus has
been on a small number of people who form so-called "citizen
militias." These groups exist, we are constantly informed, in
defiance of governmental efforts to control firearms.
While the National Rifle Association, of course, opposes gun
control schemes, for decades it has followed an explicit policy
that condemns violent individuals and groups, including those
advocating the violent overthrow of the government of the United
States.
NRA defends the individual right of law-abiding citizens to
keep and bear arms for legitimate purposes, the individual right
guaranteed by the Constitution. This right is not dependent upon
the Second Amendment's militia clause, nor does participation in
a citizen militia organization make that right any more valid or
strong. Consequently, NRA has never been involved in the
formation or support of so-called citizen militia units.
It is the gun control advocates who advance the fantasy that
the right to keep and bear arms is a "collective right,"
contingent upon participation in a "citizen militia." As
constitutional scholar Stephen Halbrook says: "If anyone
entertained this notion in the period during which the
Constitution and Bill of Rights were debated and ratified, it
remains one of the most closely guarded secrets of the 18th
century."
On the other hand, one can cite, as just one example, famed
English jurist Sir William Blackstone, whose writing strongly
influenced the framers of our Constitution. Blackstone referred
to the right of the people to be armed as an "auxiliary" right
that serves "to protect and maintain inviolate the three great
and primary rights, of personal security, personal liberty, and
private property."
Following the Oklahoma tragedy, there have been calls to
expand the powers of federal law enforcement agents. Fingers of
guilt have been pointed at individuals and groups who bear no
responsibility for the terrorist attack but who do exercise their
right to express anger and frustration at what they feel their
government has become.
These are the voices of not only those who choose to join
citizen militias. For every militia member, there are hundreds of
thousands of Americans who are angered by a tax system that
penalizes rather than rewards hard work, angered by a regulatory
system that confiscates private property by transforming puddles
into "wetlands," angered by a criminal justice system that often
seems to treat criminals as victims, and, yes, angered by
politicians who seek to disarm them under the guise of fighting
crime.
These citizens spoke loudly last November in voting booths
across the nation, and they proved to any doubters that
government remains subject to democratic change. These citizens
became active participants in the debate about the proper role of
the federal government, about what power should be concentrated
within Washington, D.C. That debate, despite what some political
opportunists seem to suggest, is legitimate, is necessary and is
thoroughly American.
It is these same citizens who rightfully question BATF/FBI
actions at Ruby Ridge and Waco and feel that the government, in
its internal reviews, has stonewalled attempts to arrive at the
truth behind those disasters. It is these citizens who distrust
Attorney General Janet Reno's recent promotion of the censured
FBI official who oversaw both the attack at Ruby Ridge and the
assault in Waco. These citizens know that only the harsh light of
congressional hearings - hearings NRA continues to call for -
will bring out the truth.
Distrust of government now runs so deep in some Americans
that they see the menace of unmarked "black helicopters" flying
over their towns. They see U.N. troops occupying U.S. soil. They
fear intrigues to establish a "one world order." For their
concerns they most often are dismissed as paranoids, or worse, by
the cultural elite who claim that the citizens voting for change
last November 8 were, as ABC News anchor Peter Jennings
contemptuously suggested, angry two-year-olds acting out temper
tantrums, stomping their feet, rolling their eyes and screaming.
While the evidence supporting notions of global conspiracies
may be illusory, that doesn't mean NRA ignores threats to the
Second Amendment from the international quarter. In fact, NRA
assisted Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms
in investigating a Japanese gun control resolution introduced at
the recent Ninth U.N. Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the
Treatment of Offenders in Cairo.
Sen. Helms and Sen. Larry Craig addressed the issue of the
globalization of gun control in a letter to Attorney General Reno
as the conference was underway. "Japan's proposal may not be
binding on U.S. citizens," they wrote, "but it would be a serious
mistake for any U.S. administration to support any proposal
calling for actions that could ultimately be an infringement of
the U.S. Constitution and the rights of law-abiding Americans."
Sens. Helms and Craig pointed out that "as is usual with
such ill-considered proposals, it assumes that firearms, not
criminals are the cause of crime." The Clinton administration,
however, failed to heed the Senators' words, and the resolution
was passed without dissent.
Times have changed. But was it so long ago that a paladin of
American liberalism wrote: "Certainly one of the chief guarantees
of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and
respected, is the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms.
This is not to say that firearms should not be very carefully
used and that definite safety rules of precaution should not be
taught and enforced. But the right of the citizens to bear arms
is just one guarantee against arbitrary government and one more
safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in America,
but historically has proved to be always possible."
The nation has changed greatly since Sen. Hubert Humphrey,
whose unflagging optimism always saw and sought to summon the
best from his countrymen, wrote those words. Today law-abiding
gun owners are viewed with suspicion if not fear by a cultural
elite that seeks to demonize them. It is these gun owners who
some politicians increasingly seek to blame for the nation's
crime problem.
NRA will continue to insist that the traditional right of
American citizens to own and use firearms for lawful purposes be
respected. NRA will continue to support politicians who support
that right and seek to defeat those who do not.
NRA will also recognize that freedom and liberty are not
gifts that governments or politicians can bestow or take away.
Filling Congress and state houses with pro-gun legislators is not
enough. Gun owners also must not allow themselves to be demonized
and become false images in the hearts and minds of their fellow
citizens.
Attorney and author Jeffrey Snyder captured that truth in a
recent essay. "Ultimately, it is the support and esteem of our
neighbors that we must win," he wrote, "for it is upon them that
the continued enjoyment of our rights depend."
=+=+=+=+
NRA CrimeStrike
11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030
* July 5, 1995 * 1-800-TOUGH-11 *
Inmate Escapes -- Can the Numbers be Trusted?
On June 23, convicted killer Tyrone Bernard Diggs shaved his
head, beard and mustache and walked away from a work-release job in
Columbia, MD. That same week, inmate Derrick Washington also
"walked away" from a Maryland pre-release center. Neither convict
has been recaptured.
But according to Division of Corrections spokeswoman Maxine
Eldridge, these are not classified as "escapes" -- which are
violations of security -- rather, these are mere violations of
"trust." Approximately 70 of the 400 prisoners in Maryland's work-
release program -- nearly 20% -- "walked off" last year.
According to Robert Bidinotto, editor of the new book Criminal
Justice? and the award-winning author who brought the dangers of
weekend furlough for violent criminals to national attention
through Massachusetts' Willie Horton case during the 1988
presidential election, "in state after state, corrections officials
are playing Russian Roulette with innocent human lives.
Frequently," Mr. Bidinotto said, "the reporting procedures of state
departments of corrections mislead the public into thinking these
programs are safe, when in fact they represent a significant threat
to pubic safety."
To interview Mr. Bidinotto, call 1-800-TOUGH-11.
Do Clinton Campaign Ads "Lie by Omission?"
The unprecedently-early Clinton/Gore '96 $2.4 million campaign
ads, now running in swing states, have come under attack as pushing
the truth-telling envelope too far, even for political ads.
One tells viewers a Houston police officer was shot and nearly
killed by Wayne Bunch, then blames the tragedy on "assault
weapons." But it fails to mention that Bunch, a 42 year-old career
criminal, was able to kill the officer because he was freed from
prison on early parole.
Another Clinton ad retells the horror of November 23, 1994,
when two FBI agents and an District of Columbia homicide detective
were gunned down inside the police station, then blames the triple
murder on "assault weapons." The ad fails to say is the gunman,
Bennie Lee Lawson, Jr., was able to murder three law enforcement
officers because he was freed from prison on parole. The charge?
Weapons violation.
According to NRA Chief Lobbyist Tanya Metaksa, "The tragedy of
these killings of dedicated men in blue is that all four deaths
could have been prevented if we had simply required those convicted
felons to serve their time. Had they been behind bars, these
officers would be alive today." Focusing the crime debate on
"assault weapons" instead of criminals, she said, "is tantamount to
looking the other way."
FBI Agent John Kutcha, who survived the November shooting at
D.C. Police Headquarters, angrily told the crowd at this May's
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, "I would not be sharing
these words with you tonight [about the slayings]... had it not
been for a failed criminal justice system that gave an early
release to a violent criminal who destroyed such good lives."
Says Elizabeth Swasey, CrimeStrike Senior Counsel for Policy,
"every day in America, convicted criminals on parole like Bunch and
Lawson commit five murders, 14 rapes, 228 robberies and 163
aggravated assaults -- that's 59,495 violent crimes every year.
And amounts to nearly 60,000 criminal victimizations that could be
prevented every year if we would just start focusing on the real
`assault weapons' -- violent criminals -- by keeping them in
prison."
To interview Mrs. Metaksa or Ms. Swasey, call 1-800-TOUGH-11.
Home Detention Device Nets $5 at Pawn Shop
Broward County, Florida officials were stunned when a woman,
convicted of drug charges and sentenced to home detention monitored
by an electronic ankle bracelet, sold the $1,700 piece of equipment
for $5 at a local pawnshop.
Evelyn Davis, a.k.a. Michelle Williams, 27, reputedly nipped
off the monitoring device that connects with the "BI 9000 Home
Escort" electronic box, and then pawned the box. Ms. Davis now
faces a series of additional charges, including grand theft,
dealing in stolen property, resisting arrest and obstructing
justice.
State Reform Legislation
A listing of state criminal justice reform legislation will be
available next week through NRA CrimeStrike. Legislators and media
representatives may call 1-800-TOUGH-11 for pre-release data.
Do Prisons "Overflow" with Non-Violent Offenders?
State prison inmates in 1991, before incarcerated, killed
twice as many people as all Americans who died in the Vietnam War.
Sixty percent were convicted of at least one violent crime, 80% are
repeat offenders -- 45% serving at least their fourth sentence,
according to The Bessette Quarterly Report on Crime and Justice,
USA.
=+=+=+=+
NRA-ILA FAX NETWORK
11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 1-800-392-8683 Fax: 703-267-3918
Vol. 2, No. 28 6/30/95
CLINTON "GUN CONTROL" ADS: "IT'S NOT ABOUT POLITICS"
That's what President Clinton says about his new political
ads, glamorizing his 1994 gun and magazine ban. But truth be
told, the ads, which were unveiled on Tuesday, June 27th, are
nothing but politics. The President made the decision to sink
millions of dollars into this campaign venture despite the fact
that the election is a full 17 months away and at this time, he
doesn't even face a primary challenger! According to
presidential press secretary Michael McCurry, the 12 state ad
campaign highlights Clinton's determination "not to let the
National Rifle Association [get] the upper hand." It's all about
politics -- and poor performance. The Clinton gun ban masks
Clinton's poor track record in rounding up real assault weapons -
- armed criminals! Federal weapons prosecutions plummeted 23% in
the first two years of the Clinton presidency.
And Speaking of Politics: On Friday, June 30th, President
Clinton requested that Congress introduce a bill he authored to
ban bullets. His proposal is remarkably similar to Rep. Charles
Schumer's (D-N.Y.) failed bullet ban amendment to the House anti-
terrorism bill (see FAX ALERT No. 26). In an attempt to disguise
this legislation as a pro-law enforcement bill, Clinton entitled
it the "Saving Law Enforcement Officers' Lives Act of 1995."
This yet-to-be-introduced bill, coupled with the President's
campaign ads, represents nothing more than a transparent attempt
to garner the support of the law enforcement community for the
President's 1996 re-election campaign. Despite its benevolent
title, the Clinton proposal would ban bullets commonly used for
self-defense and target shooting while offering no protection for
police officers from repeat violent offenders.
PRESIDENT EQUATES BRADY FIVE DAY WAIT WITH DRUG TESTING:
Speaking in front of law enforcement officers and select members
of Congress on June 29, President Clinton alluded to a recent
Supreme Court decision upholding drug tests for high school
athletes as being analogous to the Brady Act's five day waiting
period. Referring to the "hassle" of drug testing for student
athletes, Mr. Clinton noted that like the Brady five day waiting
period, it's a "hassle" we must endure for the good of the
nation. The President also noted his disdain for law-abiding
citizens who opposed the Brady Act and the gun and magazine ban,
and get upset over being treated like criminals. The President
said that none of us can "go off in some sanctimonious huff,
saying that just because we don't do anything wrong, we shouldn't
be asked to contribute to our country [by] obeying these gun
laws."
THIS YEAR'S MODEL: On Tuesday, June 27th, Rep. Major Owens
(D-N.Y.) introduced his annual Second Amendment-bashing bill.
For the past two sessions of Congress, Rep. Owens has introduced
legislation calling for the abolishment of the Second Amendment.
This year, however, he's trying a new tact -- H.J. Res. 98 --
which, rather than calling for the end to our right to keep and
bear arms, calls for a constitutional amendment "clarifying" the
Second Amendment. In its entirety, the one sentence proposal
reads as follows: "The right enumerated in the second article of
amendment to the Constitution of the United States shall be
construed as a right of States and not of individuals." H.J.
Res. 98 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for
further review. Although it's doubtful this proposal will see
any action in the 104th Congress, we'll keep you informed of any
developments.
A LOOK AT THE STATES:
Indiana: The Johnson County Board of Commissioners approved an
ordinance prohibiting the carrying of firearms in certain public
places. However, language was deleted that banned gun shows at
county fairgrounds.
Louisiana: Governor Edwin Edwards vetoed SB 886, NRA-supported
right to carry reform legislation. The only way to pass SB 886
now is through a special veto session of the legislature.
Members: please call your State Representatives & Senators at
their district offices & urge them to hold a veto session!
Nevada: It appears as though the legislature will adjourn tonight
without passing SB 299, the NRA-backed right to carry reform
bill. We'll come back in future sessions and work to pass this
much-needed reform!
North Carolina: The Senate approved HB 90, NRA-supported right to
carry legislation. If the House concurs with the Senate
amendments, or if both chambers approve a conference report on
this measure, it becomes law without the governor's signature.
Ohio: The House approved HB 336, NRA-supported instant check
legislation to replace the Brady Act waiting period. HB 266 will
likely be referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for
consideration after summer recess. The Senate Judiciary
Committee reported out SB 68, the right to carry bill. It now
moves to the Senate floor for consideration -- possibly during
one of two floor sessions to be held in July. If the Senate
approves the measure, NRA-ILA will work on the House side to
address committee amendments added to the bill which relate to
training and restrictions on carrying by individuals with a
permit. Members: please contact your State Senators & urge them
to support both HB 336 & SB 68.
Oregon: Governor John Kitzhaber is undecided on signing two bills
into law: SB 1096, a bill replacing the state's 15-day waiting
period on handgun purchases with an instant check system, and HB
2784, legislation clarifying and strengthening the state firearms
preemption statute. Both bills passed with overwhelming
bipartisan support! Members: please call Governor Kitzhaber's
office at (503) 378-3111 & encourage him to sign both SB 1096 and
HB 2784!
=+=+=+=+
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N R A G R A S S F I R E !
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The Newsletter for NRA-ILA Volunteers
July 1995 Vol. 1, No. 7
============================================================
HEARINGS ON FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT ABUSES THIS MONTH
A special U.S. House of Representatives' joint subcommittee of
the Judiciary and Government Reform and Oversight committees is
conducting investigations into the government tactics that led to
civilian and law enforcement officer deaths at Waco and Ruby
Ridge. Reps. Bill McCollum (R-Fla.) and Bill Zeliff (R-N.H.),
co-chair the joint subcommittee, and have scheduled hearings for
mid-July. According to Rep. McCollum, the hearings will be "an
exhaustive examination of the Waco tragedy so that at the
conclusion of the hearings, the American public will feel they
have all the answers." Echoing Mr. McCollum's sentiments, Rep.
Zeliff assured that Congress "will come to these hearings with an
open mind, yet we intend to be tough, credible and fair." The
House hearings are scheduled to last several days, and while
Senate hearings are also being planned, no dates have been set
yet. We'll keep you posted as to any hearing date changes or
other new developments!
SENATE PASSES S. 735 --
COUNTER-TERRORISM BILL
During the week of June 5, the U.S. Senate passed S. 735, its
version of anti-terrorism legislation, -- without the restrictive
"gun control" provisions proposed by President Clinton and his
anti-gun allies in the Senate. These proposals called for the
end of the Civilian Marksmanship program, ammo bans, and firearms
registration (just to name a few), and each fell by the wayside
or never even came up for a vote! While Senate Republicans
eliminated Clinton's anti-terrorism proposals that threatened
other civil liberties, the Senate later added in scaled-back
measures giving new "roving wiretap" authority to federal
agencies to monitor conversations of suspected terrorists on
different telephones, expanding the use of the military in cases
involving chemical or biological agents, and requiring tracer
elements in some explosives. Thanks to NRA, however, the Senate
voted 90-0 not to include these microscopic identifiers, known as
"taggants," in black and smokeless powder. We are outraged that
the consideration of this bill, that was supposed to focus on
terrorism, was used as an attempt by anti-gun Senators to take
away freedom, rather than protect it. Moreover, Senate Minority
Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) has promised that the defeated
amendments which threaten our basic gun rights will be
resurfacing in coming weeks. Rest assured NRA will be ready to
address all remaining concerns.
HOUSE GEARS UP FOR FLOOR FIGHT
ON ANTI-TERRORISM BILL
On Tuesday, June 20th, the House Judiciary Committee passed
H.R. 1710 -- its counter-terrorism bill. H.R. 1710 awaits final
floor action by the House, which will occur in the next few
weeks. Prior to the June 20th vote, the Committee rolled back an
attempt by Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to give the Attorney
General broad powers to ban bullets commonly used for hunting,
target shooting and self-defense. Make no mistake, however,
Schumer and Company will be back with their proposals and they'll
use every parliamentary procedure at their disposal to try to
include these previously failed measures in the final version of
the bill. What can gun owners expect? An attempt by Mr. Schumer
to insert the bullet ban back in the bill and possibly an effort
to place "taggants" in gunpowder.
And speaking of taggants: NRA's concern over taggants is
safety. The chemicals in these small plastic tags, when applied
to gun powder, can create an accidental fire hazard. Introducing
a fire hazard into the homes of millions of Americans doesn't
counter terrorism, it counters public safety. NRA takes no
position on taggants in explosives or fertilizer.
Like the Senate-passed S. 735, H.R. 1710 eases restrictions on
the placement of "roving wiretaps" and permits the military to
assist in terrorism cases involving chemical or biological
agents. Rest assured, NRA lobbyists are working hard to ensure
that no provision of H.R. 1710 negatively impacts the rights of
gun owners. We will keep you informed of any new developments.
Action Item: Please contact your U.S. Representative again and
urge him to oppose any "gun control" amendment offered to H.R.
1710 on the House floor. Encourage your family and friends to
call as well!
LOOKING FOR A FEW
GOOD CO-SPONSORS
Although debate on H.R. 1488 -- the bill to repeal the Clinton
gun and magazine ban -- isn't likely to occur until mid-fall,
NRA-ILA continues to recruit co-sponsors to the bill. The more
co-sponsors we get, the more we're guaranteed debate on this
critical measure this year! Action Alert: please continue to
contact your U.S. Representative and urge him to become a co-
sponsor of H.R. 1488. If your Representative is already a co-
sponsor, be sure to thank him, and urge him to lobby his fellow
lawmakers to do the same!
DE-FUNDING OF DCM ATTACHED TO
DEFENSE SPENDING BILL
An amendment by U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) to replace the
Civilian Marksmanship Program with an independent, non-profit
federal corporation was accepted to the House Defense
Authorization bill. This newly formed non-profit corporation
will be able to solicit funds from non-federal sources.
According to Gillmor, this will eliminate the need for federal
funding. More to follow soon.
REP. YOUNG INTRODUCES BILL TO
PROTECT HUNTING ON REFUGES
On May 18th, Rep. Don Young (R-Alas.), with 18 of his
colleagues, introduced H.R. 1675 -- a bill to safeguard hunting,
fishing and other wildlife-dependent activities on national
wildlife refuge lands. H.R. 1675 would amend the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act by elevating these
activities to a "primary purpose" of the system. Currently,
these activities are treated as "secondary uses" which has made
them vulnerable to budget cuts and lawsuits challenging the
legitimacy of hunting on refuges.
Upon introduction of H.R. 1675, Rep. Young stated that the
refuge system needs the "enthusiastic support of the American
people who finance the system not only with the payment of their
tax dollars, but also by purchasing Duck Stamps and paying excise
taxes on fishing and hunting equipment." NRA-ILA Conservation,
Wildlife and Natural Resources Director Susan Lamson recently
testified in support of H.R. 1675 before the House Subcommittee
on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. Full committee action on H.R.
1675 is expected in mid-July. Action Alert: Please call your
U.S Representative and urge him to sign on as a co-sponsor to
H.R. 1675.
IRS TO INVESTIGATE NRA
The IRS is preparing to undertake a major examination of NRA's
financial returns and statements. Unlike ordinary audits that
affect thousands of Americans every year, the NRA will be
subjected to a Coordinated Examination Program (CEP), that can
last between two and three years! During a CEP, IRS agents will
become part of the every-day corporate life of the Association.
Why the intense scrutiny? Whatever the reason, NRA is confident
in its reportings. And while the anti-gun media is again trying
to stir up controversy regarding this non-issue, we are certain
the IRS will find that NRA has complied with all laws and has
faithfully completed our tax returns.
CLINTON'S LINE IN THE SAND
On Thursday, June 22, President Clinton spoke at a $1,000-a-
plate fundraiser in New Jersey. When the President spoke of his
commitment to keeping his gun ban on the books, he alluded to
former New Jersey Governor, Jim Florio, who lost his 1993 re-
election bid in large part because of his own gun ban. Mr.
Clinton noted, "Jim Florio gave up his governorship for it (semi-
auto ban), and if I have to give up the White House for it, I'll
do it." Well Mr. President, we'll be glad to grant your wishes
in 1996 if given the chance!
CLINTON "GUN CONTROL" ADS:
"IT'S NOT ABOUT POLITICS"
That's what President Clinton says in his new political ads
(unveiled on June 27th) glamorizing his 1994 gun and magazine
ban. But truth be told, it's all about politics -- and poor
performance. The Clinton gun ban masks Clinton's poor track
record in rounding up real assault weapons -- namely, armed
criminals. Federal weapons prosecutions plummeted 23% in the
first two years of the Clinton presidency! Clinton is fighting
H.R. 1488 which not only repeals his gun ban, but requires the
U.S. Attorney General to do her job -- by establishing a task
force in every U.S. Attorney's office to prosecute criminals.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.) had some interesting words to offer
with respect to NRA members. But wait just a minute -- it's not
what you might think! In referring to a recent NRA fundraiser
that has received much attention recently, Sen. Biden noted, "The
NRA puts out an ill-advised letter, and all of a sudden everyone
in the NRA is a 'thug,' a 'bum.' The vast majority of NRA
members in my state are honest, decent citizens."
ACTION AT THE STATE LEVEL
Even as state legislative sessions wind down for the year,
pro-gun bills are becoming law in the states -- making 1995 one
of the most successful pro-gun years in history. Enclosed you'll
find a special NRA-ILA "Mid-Term Report," that will tell you
exactly what pro-gun bills passed, failed, and are now pending in
state legislatures across the country. For an update on
legislation currently pending before your state or local
governing body, please call NRA-ILA at 1-800-392-8683.
NEW SURVEY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR
RIGHT TO CARRY
A June telephone survey by the Tarrance Group has found that
support for gun rights remains strong, despite the media's
attempt to link firearms ownership rights to the tragic Oklahoma
City bombing. The poll of 1,000 registered voters found that 65%
support the right of law-abiding citizens to carry firearms for
self-defense. Further, 84% believe the individual criminal
should be held legally responsible for the misuse of guns -- not
law-abiding gun owners.
CDC AT IT AGAIN
Once again funded with tax dollars by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Arthur Kellermann has released
yet another "study" that concludes guns are not effective for
self-defense. If you'll recall, Kellermann is the author of the
much touted, yet highly suspect "study" that claimed for every
criminal killed with a gun in self-defense, 43 family members are
slain. Like his previous work, this so-called "study" was flawed
from the outset. First, even by his own admission, Dr.
Kellermann's sample of only 198 Atlanta households was too small
to yield any conclusive results. Additionally, Kellermann never
bothered to mention in how many of these 198 households a gun was
even present. Despite his attempt to discredit Professor Gary
Kleck's research showing that people use firearms for self-
protection more than 2.5 million times per year, Kellermann's
"study" actually found that in the instances where individuals
used firearms for self-defense, no one was injured!
Unfortunately, Dr. Kellermann's research will be published in
both the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New
England Journal of Medicine.
D.C. GUN CRACKDOWN
A special team of Washington, D.C., police officers and BATF
agents will begin a crackdown on illegal firearms activities in
the nation's capital. U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, who's
spearheading the effort, dubbed Operation Ceasefire, says these
special squads will be targeting vehicles that are in violation
of safety standards i.e., operating with improper lights or
heavily tinted windows. They will also target pedestrians who
may fit a specific profile of an individual likely to be carrying
a gun. BATF agents will enter any information about the seized
firearms into two different local and national databases that
track firearms. Could it be that officials have conceded that
DC's handgun ban, which has been in place for almost 20 years,
hasn't stopped the criminal misuse of firearms?
AMMO BUST A BUST
It seems the seizure of 75 million rounds of ammunition by
federal authorities last month has unravelled. According to U.S.
Customs officials, the May 3 seizure of 75 million rounds of 7.62
x 39mm ammunition was the largest impoundment of ammunition in
U.S. history. The only problem: the confiscation was made on the
grounds that the ammunition was illegally imported from China,
when in fact the ammunition was actually legally imported from
Russia! The 75 million rounds will be returned to Eagle Exim,
the importer of the ammunition.
DEATH KNELL FOR DEATH CLOCK
They've pulled the plug on the three-story tall "death clock,"
that adorned Times Square in New York City for the past year.
According to a June 21, New York Times story, the so-called
"death clock," which "tracked" the number of firearm fatalities
using a questionable statistical formula, has "quietly"
disappeared from its perch at Broadway and 47th Street.
Incidentally, the financier of the "death clock" project is anti-
gun activist Robert Brennan, who along with his brokerage firm,
was found by a Federal Court to have conducted "a massive and
continuing fraud" on his customers, and ordered to pay a $71.5
million restitution.
AUGUST GRASSROOTS SEMINARS
Help ensure a repeat performance of 1994's election successes
by attending an NRA-ILA Grassroots/Election Seminar! These
seminars discuss how we can elect pro-gun lawmakers, political
strategies for 1995 and 1996, and up-to-date information on
legislative activities in your state and the U.S. Congress.
We'll provide you with a variety of election-action materials and
free working luncheon. And best of all, each seminar is
absolutely free! Below, you'll find the seminar schedule for
August. For more information, or to register, call NRA-ILA at 1-
800-392-8683.
Saturday, August 12 Shreveport, LA
Shreveport Sheraton Hotel
1419 East 70th Street
LOOKING FOR LEADERS
The 1996 elections are right around the corner! As we proved
in 1994, the voting power of gun owners makes a world of
difference. Pro-gun candidates can only win if they have the
campaign support of local NRA members and gun owners who are
willing to volunteer a portion of their time to help elect pro-
gun lawmakers to office. These individuals, however, need a
leader to show them what's entailed when volunteering for a
campaign. The campaign needs a committed volunteer leader who
can get people to a scheduled event, and help get out the vote on
election day. And the gun lobby needs to make sure the candidate
knows who helped him win office. Enter the Election Volunteer
Coordinator program!
As the Election Volunteer Coordinator for your district,
you'll be the liaison between the pro-gun candidate's campaign
and his gun-owning community. You'll work directly with the
campaign to find out what needs to be done to get the candidate
elected, be it walking precincts, stuffing envelopes, or hosting
a fundraiser. You'll assemble individuals into an organized team
of volunteers, and utilize the resources right in your community
-- gun clubs, shooting ranges, and gun shops. You'll help
register voters and put together neighborhood events, and other
activities that need to be done to elect pro-gun candidates to
office. If this sounds like a lot of work, it can be -- but the
rewards can be monumental! If you have some campaign experience,
coordination and delegation skills, and the desire and interest
in developing a solid relationship with your lawmakers, this is
the volunteer assignment for you! For more information on this
program, please call NRA-ILA at 1-800-392-8683.
Copyright 1995 NRA Grassfire
NRA Institute for Legislative Action
Fairfax, VA 22030
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NRA-ILA MID-TERM REPORT:
STRIKING SUCCESS IN THE STATES
At the half-way point of 1995, state after state has
showcased an unprecedented level of pro-gun activity. Whereas in
previous years, gun owners struggled to prevent anti-gun bills
from passing, so far in 1995, gun owners have achieved a
startling success rate at either passing pro-gun measures, or
further advancing pro-gun proposals through the legislative
process. This success is directly attributable to your active
participation in the 1994 elections.
Listed below is a brief synopsis of the gains gun owners
have made from January to June this year at the state level.
Right To Carry Overview
In 1994, four states passed laws either establishing a
"shall issue" carry permit system or reforming existing statutes:
Alaska, Arizona, Tennessee and Wyoming.
Thus far in 1995, seven more states have passed right to
carry legislation either establishing a "shall issue" carry
permit system or reforming existing statutes: Arkansas (signed by
Governor Jim Guy Tucker), Florida (became law without Governor
Chiles' signature), Idaho (signed by Governor Phil Batt), in
Oklahoma (signed by Governor Frank Keating), Texas (signed by
Governor George W. Bush), Utah (signed by Governor Michael
Leavitt), and Virginia (signed by Governor George Allen). In
Louisiana, an NRA-supported right to carry reform bill passed the
legislature, but will be vetoed by the Governor. We'll be back
in 1997 to pass this critical measure!
Right to carry legislation is currently pending in seven
states -- Massachusetts (pending in Executive Committee),
Michigan (introduced in the House Judiciary Committee), North
Carolina (passed House, and Senate Judiciary and Finance
Committees, and will soon be debated on the Senate floor), Nevada
(passed Senate, pending in Assembly Judiciary Committee), New
York (passed Senate, pending in Assembly Codes Committee), Ohio
(pending in Senate Judiciary Committee) and Wisconsin (in
drafting stage, will be introduced this summer).
State Firearms Preemption Overview
In 1994, two states passed legislation clarifying and
strengthening state preemption of firearms laws: Pennsylvania and
Indiana. Indiana's law contained a grandfather clause which
allowed gun bans in Gary and East Chicago to remain in place.
Utah also enacted preemption for one year, establishing a
Governor's Task Force to study what, if any, authority local
municipalities should retain in the area of firearms regulation.
Both the Task Force and the legislature's Judiciary Interim
Committee recommended passage of permanent preemption legislation
that would wipe out waiting periods in Salt Lake City and other
municipalities.
Four states have passed legislation so far in 1995
establishing a state firearms preemption statute or clarifying
and strengthening existing law: Georgia (signed by
Governor Zell Miller), Oregon (awaiting signature of Governor
John Kitzhaber, who is currently undecided on whether to sign the
bill into law). In Utah, the state legislature passed
legislation making the one-year preemption law permanent. It was
signed by Governor Mike Leavitt. Preemption also passed in
Wyoming (signed by Governor Jim Geringer).
State firearms preemption legislation is pending in two
states -- North Carolina (passed House, pending in Senate
Judiciary Committee) and Wisconsin (pending in Assembly Criminal
Justice & Corrections Committee and the Senate State Government
Operations & Corrections Committee). In Illinois, preemption
legislation passed the House, but died in the Senate. We will
come back next year and work to pass this much-needed reform!
Instant Check Overview
In 1994, computerized "instant-check" systems were
implemented in five states, exempting prospective handgun
purchasers from the onus of the Brady Act's five-day waiting
period: Colorado, Idaho, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Utah.
So far in 1995, three states have passed instant check
legislation, overturning state or local waiting periods or the
Brady Act waiting period. Georgia (signed into law by Governor
Zell Miller; this law also exempts handgun purchasers from the
Brady five-day wait), Oregon (pending signature by Governor John
Kitzhaber, who is currently undecided on whether to sign the bill
into law) and Pennsylvania (signed into law by Governor Tom
Ridge).
Instant check is pending in two states -- North Carolina
(passed House Judiciary I and
House Finance Committees, and is
currently pending in the House Appropriations Committee) and Ohio
(passed House Judiciary Committee, pending on House floor).
Shooting Range Protection
In Maine, the Governor has signed into law NRA-backed
shooting range protection legislation. In Minnesota, NRA-
supported shooting range protection language was deleted from
another bill in conference committee just before the legislature
adjourned for the session. In North Carolina, a shooting range
protection bill has passed out of one House Committee and has
been referred to a second House Committee for consideration. In
Oregon, an NRA-backed shooting range protection bill has passed
the legislature and been sent to the Governor for his signature.
In Tennessee, Governor Don Sundquist has signed into law an NRA-
backed shooting range protection bill. In Washington, NRA-
supported range protection legislation passed the House, but was
killed in a Senate Committee. In Wyoming, the Governor has
signed into law NRA-supported range protection legislation.
Sportsmen's Protection
In Hawaii, the Governor has signed into law NRA-backed
sportsmen's protection legislation. In Nebraska, the Governor has
signed into law NRA-backed sportsmen's protection legislation
Now, all 50 states have a hunter harassment or sportsmen's
protection law on the books.
=+=+=+=+
The American Rifleman, July 1995
THE ARMED CITIZEN
Studies indicate that firearms are used over two
million times a year for personal protection, and that the
presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents
crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified
only where crime constitutes an immediate imminent threat to
life limb or in some cases property. Anyone is free to quote
or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: "The Armed
Citizen," 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030
Three young hoodlums thought their plan was fail-safe as
they smashed through the front door of Leo Wilburd's Little Rock,
Arkansas, home identifying themselves as police. Wilburd didn't
fall for the ruse, and instead traded shots with one of the
masked intruders as his wife and three young sons cowered in a
bedroom. As four errant shots struck the walls around the defiant
family man, at least one of the shots from his .38 found its
mark. The three intruders fled the home and were later arrested
after the wounded suspect appeared at a local hospital for
treatment and confessed to the crime, identifying his
accomplices. (Democrat Gazette, Little Rock, AR, 3/22/95)
An 82-year-old East Dallas, Texas, man one-upped an
assailant one-fourth his age during an attempted robbery, giving
the crook much more than he bargained for. Approached from behind
by the bandit while walking up the driveway to his home, Jack
Topletz whirled around and fired several shots, fatally wounding
the man. (The Morning News, Dallas, TX, 4/5/95)
Already wanted by police for an earlier break-in, a Tulsa,
Oklahoma, criminal found his way into custody via the hospital
after a homeowner's bullet cut another burglary attempt short.
Sam Horey was talking to his mother on the phone when the sound
of breaking glass alerted him to trouble. Grabbing a 9 mm, Horey
confronted the intruder in his living room, wounding him with a
single shot. (The World, Tulsa, OK, 3/29/95)
Awakened at the sound of breaking glass, Oktaha, Oklahoma,
storekeeper John Wyatt grabbed his .22 semi-auto rifle and ran
from the back room of his convenience mart. Discovering two
intruders, Wyatt exchanged gunfire with the men, striking one of
them. Both fled, with the injured crook making it just a short
distance from the store before passing out. It was the third time
Wyatt has been forced to use a firearm to defend himself at his
business. (Daily Phoenix, Muskogee, OK, 3/18/95)
Gastonia, North Carolina, resident Randy Watson confronted
the teenaged thief breaking into his vehicle and told him to sit
down until police arrived. Instead of complying with Watson's
request, the indignant juvenile charged Watson, striking him in
the head with a car stereo, knocking him to the ground. An
injured Watson returned the favor with three slugs from his .380.
Gastonia Police Capt. Mike Quilliams said the action probably
saved Watson's life. (The Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, NC, 4/12/95)
Describing his city as being fed up with crime, a
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, assistant district attorney
refused to bring charges against 52-year- old James Junior Lucas
for defending himself against two thugs. After a "parking tax"
was demanded from him as he sat waiting to pick up his wife from
work, Lucas saw one of his attackers reach behind his back as if
grabbing for a weapon. Concerned for his safety, Lucas fired
several shots through the window of his car, killing his
assailant. A knife was found near the criminal's body. (The
Citizen, Asheville, NC, 4/10/95)
It was like a case of deja vu when two Poughkeepsie, New
York, senior citizens found themselves being attacked in their
home by the same strongarm robber who had mauled them in 1987.
Struck in the head and bleeding, John Brennan managed to reach
his handgun, the sight of which caused the parolee, armed with a
stick, to flee the home. The criminal was later arrested and
returned to prison as part of a plea agreement that would keep
him there for 10 to 20 years. He had only served 6 1/2 years for
the earlier attack before being released. (The Journal,
Poughkeepsie, NY, 3/18/95)
Buckling his three-year-old daughter into a child restraint
seat, Dothan, Alabama, resident William Kenneth Long was
approached by three masked thugs demanding money. With the barrel
of a .38 jabbed into his back, the young father turned around,
and instead of handing over his wallet, delivered a single shot
into the head of the armed bandit, killing him. The other punks
fled the scene and were later arrested. (The Eagle, Dothan, AL,
4/19/95)
Despite being struck in the side by a robber's bullet,
Hartford, Connecticut, jewelry store employee Alex Keylin managed
to return fire with his .25 cal., protecting a fellow employee
and keeping the two bandits before him from taking any jewelry.
Keylin fatally wounded one of the criminals, who, with his
accomplice, fled in a vehicle that crashed just blocks away. The
dead man had a long criminal record dating back to 1982. (The
Courant, Hartford, CT, 4/14/95)
A Phoenix, Arizona, gang member thought he had the upper
hand as he trained a shotgun on his quarry. But the scattergun
was snatched from his hands by his intended victim. Despite aid
from another gangster, the first gangbanger was beaten senseless
and struck by gunshots, both from his own shotgun and from his
mark's .44 Mag. The attack cost the criminal both arms. (The
Republic, Phoenix, AZ, 4/2/95)
Awakened to the sounds of gunfire, Miami, Florida, resident
Manuel Lopez grabbed his own gun and ran into his living room to
discover four armed men herding family members into the house
from the front lawn. One of the intruders made the fatal mistake
of pointing a gun in Lopez's face. The householder shot him,
killing the robber instantly. The other men fled the scene at the
sight of their fallen accomplice. (The Herald, Miami, FL, 4/9/95)
=+=+=+=+
BULLET POINTS
VOL. 1, NO. 001
JUNE 28, 1995
"It's Not About Politics" ... say the political TV spots by
Clinton-Gore touting the Clinton Gun Ban. In fact, it's all about
politics -- and poor performance. The Clinton Gun Ban masks
Clinton's poor track record in rounding up real assault weapons --
namely, armed criminals. Federal weapons prosecutions plummeted
23% in the first two years of the Clinton presidency.
NRA Finances ... By any measure -- membership, programs, political
successes, infrastructure -- NRA has never been stronger.
Operating on a balanced budget, NRA in 1995 is more capable than
ever of fulfilling its mission to advance Second Amendment rights.
Who is the NRA ? ... Forty thousand Americans joined NRA in the
month of May 1995, and one of every six reported that they or
someone in their family had been the victim of a violent crime.
Crime victims join NRA, because they know where NRA stands on the
most important issue of the day: their safety.
NRA & Law Enforcement ... What does NRA do for law enforcement?
Trains and certifies a hundred thousand police firearms
instructors. Subsidizes body armor for officer-members. Buys a
$25,000 life insurance policy at no charge to every officer who
joins. Stands up to Time-Warner when the media giant
power-marketed "Cop-Killer" in 1992 -- the first national
organization to get involved. Advances criminal justice reform and
victims' rights -- in fifteen states and the Congress in the first
five months of this year. From "Three Strikes" in Vermont to "Hard
Time for Armed Crime" in Washington state. NRA is pushing public
safety and protecting police long before they make an arrest.
CrimeStrike reforms make sure sentences are tough, inappropriate
plea bargains are trashed and pre-trial release of dangerous
offenders doesn't put crooks back on the street before the officers
make it home for dinner. The fact is, law enforcement and NRA have
one thing in common: history.
Gun Bans Eroding Clinton's Base ... The Wall Street Journal reports
that labor's traditional support for Democrats has been eroded by
gun control issues. A recent AFL-CIO poll of 853 union members
found 29% are less likely to support a congressional candidate who
supports the Clinton Gun Ban. Americans agree: self-defense is a
fundamental right, and restrictive gun control is fundamentally
ineffective in controlling crime.
Self-Defense is Fundamental ... Right-to-Carry is sweeping the
nation, says Denise Griffin, analyst with National Conference of
State Legislators. "In a word, the issue is blossoming. We've
seen a remarkable increase." That remarkable increase is the work
of the NRA in helping making this vital self-defense measure the
law in Arkansas, Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Texas and Oklahoma -- this
year alone. Today, for 40 percent of the population, the NRA has
made sure that the right of self-defense doesn't stop at the front
door.
For more information on the above mentioned topics, please call
NRA/ILA Public Relations and Communications at (703) 267-1190.
=+=+=+=+
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