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GEnie Outdoors Newsletter 1995 August
GENIE OUTDOORS NEWSLETTER
August/September 1995 Issue
edited by John Marshall (Paladin)
J.MARSHALL2 on GEnie
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COLLECTOR'S NOTES ON THE 1903 SPRINGFIELDS by John Marshall 9509A
NRA NEWS by the NRA Staff 9509B
QUOTES ON GUNS by the Founding Fathers 9509C
Forward:
Just as a comment! You may notice that this issue of the GEnie Outdoors
Newsletter is a bit abbreviated, and combines two months into one issue.
As many of you know, I've been in the process of moving into a new residence,
and it has been extraordinarily time-consuming. Finding time to write for
the newsletter has been difficult, but I hope that you'll bear with me. In
this issue, I've tried to give you another collector's item - the full scoop
on the many service variations of the Model of 1903 Rifle. For those of
you who love or may fall in love with this fine rifle, I hope you'll find
the text and the pictures of value.
Also, we have some scoop from the NRA, and some comments from the Founders
that leave no doubt where they stood on the subject of guns and the true
meaning of the Second Amendment to our Constitution. I hope you'll print
out these quotes and show them to those who feel that the Founders never
intended what they clearly meant in the Second Amendment.
I want to urge each of you reading this newsletter to consider writing an
article or two on a subject of interest to you - the deadline for submitting
articles is the 15th of each month for the following month, and I do welcome
any and all contributions. It's mighty lonely when you have to write this
newsletter all by yourself! You can upload your ASCII text file to me via
E-mail; I can format it to suit the newsletter style very easily once I
get it. Thanks for your support, and pleasant reading.
John Marshall
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9509A COLLECTOR'S NOTES ON THE 1903 SPRINGFIELD by John Marshall
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*1903 *SPRINGFIELD *U.S. MILITARY *LONGARMS *MILITARY RIFLES
Very few military arms have achieved the status of "classic," but
surely the U.S. Model of 1903 Springfield rifle stands head and shoul-
ders above most of its counterparts in this distinct grouping. Its
clean lines, accuracy and power are legendary, and it served this
country well from World War I right on through WW II, Korea, and in
its A4 version, even into the Vietnam war. It was the last of our
manually-operated battle rifles to remain as a standard service rifle
in one form or another even as semiauto and selective-fire weapons
became established.
Once ubiquitous and available on the surplus market cheaply, the 1903
Springfields have, in the last 10 years or so, seemed to have dried up
on the market. Pristine as-issued military specimens have skyrocketed
in price, and even arsenal-reconditioned examples are sought after and
command increasingly higher prices.
After WW II, when 1903s became very available on the surplus market,
tens of thousands of them were sporterized into excellent hunting
rifles. Restocked and scoped, 1903s served the nation's hunters and
target shooters quite well. The only problem was that these particu-
lar rifles were lost forever to future generations as collector's
items in their original military form. The present scarcity of prime
military 1903s is due in no small part to this sporterizing "blitz"
following the war.
Whole books (some excellent ones) have been written on the 1903, its
variations and accessories, and I won't attempt to match their de-
tailed information in this article. I do want to cover a bit of the
history of the 1903, its major battle-rifle variations, and then give
you a "quick reference" list of features to look for the next time you
spot one or more of these rifles on your dealer's rack or at a gun
show.
The 1903 had its beginnings in the fire and smoke of the Spanish-
American War, when the majority of our troops were equipped with
Krag-Jorgensens and Trapdoor Springfields. In this war, we faced
Spanish troops in Cuba who were equipped with the then-new Mauser
rifles, which could be reloaded with five rounds quickly via a strip-
per clip. Our Krags had to be loaded in an awkward manner by feeding
individual rounds into a side-loading magazine, and the old Trapdoors,
of course, were single-shot. The blistering firepower afforded by
the enemy's Mausers was a lesson not lost on our military, and they
soon sought a new rifle that could use the Mauser clip-loading system.
Several prototypes were fabricated at Springfield Armory in the early
1900s, and what finally emerged was the Model of 1903. The early
production rifles were equipped with a ramrod bayonet, reminiscent of
the one used on the Model 1888 Trapdoor Springfields. This didn't
last long after this device came to the attention of President Teddy
Roosevelt, who called it the poorest invention he ever saw. Practi-
cally as soon as these words left his mouth, the 1903 was redesigned
to accept a new 16" blade bayonet. At about the same time, the
original 1903 ammunition was redesigned to better fire the improved
spitzer bullets. Accordingly, almost all of the early 1903s were
recalled to be fitted for the blade bayonet, and their barrels set
back and re-chambered for the new .30/06 cartridge. Sights were also
re-calibrated at this time for the new round, which had a longer
effective range.
The Model of 1903 Magazine Rifle was our standard service rifle during
WW I, heavily supplemented by the Model of 1917 "Enfield" which was
actually used in greater numbers during that war. Still, the image
of the doughboy with a 1903 in his hands lingers on as an icon today.
It was interesting that in that war, we faced Mauser rifles again,
this time with a spin-off of that design, for which we paid the Mauser
company quite a sum of money in patent rights and royalties on their
clip design. Both Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal pro-
duced 1903s for the war effort.
Between the wars, the 1903 established itself as THE target rifle of
the '20s and '30s, and the Marine Corps, in particular, placed great
emphasis on training at extended ranges with this rifle. Marksmanship
was IN and all services made proficiency with the '03 a point of
pride. A new modification of the 1903, the 1903A1, with a pistol-
grip stock came into service, and many '03s were upgraded to the new
stock shape.
In 1936, the services adopted John C. Garand's semiautomatic rifle as
standard, but the 1903 remained in service in large numbers as produc-
tion for the new rifle was ramped up at Springfield Armory. When WW
II broke out, the old '03 was still in the hands of the majority of
our troops, and it went to war once more. As the war progressed,
Remington and the Smith-Corona Typewriter Company made many thousands
of "economized" 1903s, and a new model, the 1903A3, with a receiver
sight and many stamped components came into being. Remington also
produced the 1903A4, a sniper rifle based on the '03A3 with a scoped
sight.
That 1903A4 rifle had the distinction of serving our troops through
the Korean War and even, occasionally, during the Vietnam War. Thus,
the 1903 rifle lingered on in service through a span of well over 50
years officially, nearly 70 years unofficially. 1903s can still be
found in the inventory of service units even today, primarily for
drill units. However, the heyday of the 1903 is now over, gone into
the mist of distant battles fought, won, and lost. It served us
well, and it is now up those of us who collect to preserve those that
remain as relics of a bygone age for future generations.
As keepers of our military arms heritage, it serves us well to know a
bit about each of the major variations of the 1903, so that we can
identify and preserve original specimens. I'll first go through each
military variation in a little detail, and then at the end, I'll give
you a "pocket guide" that you might want to print out and keep for use
at gun shows, etc., giving the prime "look-for" points on each varia-
tion.
1. Rod-bayonet 1903 Rifle. The very first of the 1903 clan is one
that you will seldom encounter, because almost all of these were
converted to the later versions. The original 1903 outwardly resem-
bles its later counterparts, but is distinguished primarily by the rod
bayonet housed under the barrel. The forward band incorporates a
stacking swivel, but of course, no bayonet stud. The front sight has
two lightening holes drilled through it, and the rear sight is very
similar to late Krag sights, having a curved ramp and sliding open
notch. The smooth buttplate incorporated a slightly smaller-diameter
butt trap cover than later '03s, about the same size as used on the
Krag. All were chambered for the .30/03 cartridge, which featured a
200-grain Krag-type roundnose bullet at a velocity of either 2400 fps
or (later) 2300 fps. The cartridge case of the .30/03 is identical
to the later .30/06 except for a slightly longer neck. All early
complete 1903 rod-bayonet rifles were produced at Springfield Armory,
but it is believed that Rock Island Arsenal produced some early-style
parts. All metal parts except for the casehardened receiver were
blued; some early bolts were polished bright like the Krag bolts, but
this apparently was changed early in production. Rod-bayonet '03s
should have a script-initial cartouche in the left of the stock, dated
"1903" or "1904." A correct rod-bayonet rifle can be fired by push-
ing the trigger FORWARD; this was corrected in later alterations. The
stock had grasping grooves but no stock bolts; the upper handguard had
no rear-sight-protecting "hump," and extended farther forward than on
later models.
2. 1903 Rifle with modifications of 1905. This rifle was altered to
take a new 16"-blade bayonet. Interestingly, the 1905 bayonets will
fit the earlier Krags and the later M1 rifles. The first bayonets
made had a locking plunger like those on the Krag, but this was quick-
ly changed to the familiar under-handle pushbutton. The modification
was accomplished with a new front band with a bayonet lug and stacking
swivel. At about this time, a new rear sight was fabricated, the
Model of 1905, which replaced the ramped, Krag-type. It resembles the
familiar standard '03 .30/06-calibrated sight, except that it was set
for the .30/03 ballistics. The rod-bayonet model's distinctive two-
hole front sight was replaced with a pinned-blade front sight with no
holes. There were no recoil bolts in the stock. The handguard incor-
porated a "hump" to protect the rear sight somewhat. Interestingly,
a 1903 with the modifications of 1905 is even rarer than the original
rod-bayonet '03, because new modifications were forthcoming, and this
model was in production/revision for only a short time. These arms
were made at both Springfield and Rock Island.
3. 1903 Rifle with the modifications of 1906. When the new .30/06
cartridge was adopted, previous .30/03 rifles were recalled once
again, the barrels set back, and rechambered for the shorter-necked
cartridge. The rear sight leaf was changed; the one used with
the .30/03 was calibrated to 2400 yards, the new leaf was calibrated
for a maximum range of 2850 yards.
4. 1903 Rifle as made 1906-1908. These are rarely found today in
unaltered condition, due to the many rebuilding programs to which all
1903s were subject through the years. The main feature to look for is
a lack of any stock bolts (recoil lugs). Stock sides were flat
rather than rounded, and the handguard's hump was flat, with no
milled-out cut in the center. These handguards also lacked the inter-
nal metal clips found on later ones. Rear sight windage knobs were
smaller, checkered, and had a single groove. Receiver markings were
script style and were smaller than on later rifles. Finish from the
factory was blue. Serial number range runs from 270,000 to about
350,000 for Springfield, and up to about 65,000 for Rock Island. In
February, 1908, a single stock bolt was incorporated at its weakest
point, just behind the trigger guard area. Most Rock Island cartouch-
es contain dates, while no Springfield stocks after 1905 were dated.
There is an exception, and a weird one - "JSA/1899." Inspector J.
Sumner Adams stamped a few Springfield stocks with one of his old Krag
stamps for some unknown reason - perhaps he had misplaced the correct
one for a while, who knows? It's a bit of trivia that confounds
present-day collectors until it's known.
5. 1903 Rifles as made 1908-1910. As production of the 1903 Rifle
continued, a few more manufacturing changes were made, giving collec-
tors a new category to collect. The windage knob became larger (.575"
vs. .45"), still grooved and checkered. Receiver markings became
larger, and used block (no serif) letters, starting around 1908.
Serial numbers under 450,000 at Springfield and under about 180,000
for Rock Island. Single stock bolt. Not discussed here, but in this
era, some '03s were fitted with the strange-looking Warner and Swasey
Model of 1908 scopes, using a receiver mounting bracket, and a slight-
ly different stock configuration to accommodate the bracket. These
were the first "sniper" '03s.
6. 1903 Rifles as made 1910 - April, 1917. The stock, instead of
being straight-sided on the left side, dipped and sloped as it ap-
proached the receiver area. The handguard hump now had a milled-out
cut in its center, and added metal clips. The stocks had a milled-out
groove in the bottom of the buttrap, to accommodate a wooden spare
parts container which was to be issued in lieu of the oiler and thong
with every other rifle. In 1910, a checkered buttplate became stand-
ard. In 1914, the windage knob was no longer grooved. All rifles
were blued. An improved Warner and Swasey scope sight, the Model of
1913, was fitted to some rifles around 1916. This was to be the
standard "sniper scope" of WW I. In 1913, production of the 1903 at
Rock Island ceased, as well as production of 1905 bayonets there.
From 1914 to 1917, only Springfield was in production. Some rifles in
the 1915-1917 era will be found with the Ordnance "flaming bomb" mark
and the initials "N.R.A." stamped on the floorplate housing just
behind the front receiver screw. These were rifles sold to members
of the National Rifle Association through the Director of Civilian
Marksmanship. Beware of fakes. Rifles of this and previous eras
saw some use in the Philippines and in the Mexican expedition of 1916
carried out by Gen. Pershing.
7. 1903 Rifles as made during and a little after WW I, April 1917 -
1919. Production of the '03 began again at Rock Island in February of
1917. Springfield increased production. Early WW I troops had the
'03 exclusively, but as previously mentioned, soon began to get the
1917 Enfields in increasing numbers as production ramped up on this
rifle. Some production shortcuts were established on the '03. The
buttplate reverted back to the uncheckered style, and serrations on
the trigger were eliminated, also; previously-made parts were incorpo-
rated if on hand. A 1917-produced '03 can have checkering or not. In
early 1918, the straight-down bolt handle was swept to the rear a bit.
This is a good way to distinguish the early bolts from the later ones.
At almost the exact same time, an improved double-heat treatment was
applied to receivers. A second stock bolt was added in either late
1917 or early 1918. In 1918, the contour of the handguard hump was
changed slightly to a less concave shape. A most important change
was in the finish of the rifle. Early '03s up to this point were
blued (actually called "browning" in the service) by a rust process,
which was time-consuming. This gave way to Parkerizing sometime in
1918, which was a distinctive black color through the addition of a
black dye in the solution. Some parts were still blued, so a mixture
of blued and parkerizing parts may be correct on rifles of this era.
A gray or gray-green parkerized finish is definitely not of this era,
and was probably applied later in rebuilding/refinishing. Barrels
were marked either "SA" or "RIA" and with the month and year of manu-
facture. Barrels marked "AV" with a WW I date are replacements made
by the Avis company. In addition to the W&S 1913 scope sight, some
'03s of this era were equipped with Winchester A5 scopes by the Ma-
rines and the Army for sniping and training use. Serial numbers for
WW I rifles made at Springfield ran to about 1,050,000, while the RIA
rifles ran to about 347,000. The improved double-heat treatment
began at about serial number 800,000 at Springfield, and at about
number 320,000 at Rock Island. Firing early single-heat-treatment
rifles is not recommended today; blowups have occurred, and the re-
ceivers were considered brittle. While it probably can be done
safely with a properly-headspaced bolt, the risk is always there. For
those seeking an '03 that served in the "Great War" of 1917-1918, it's
probably best to seek a rifle produced no later than the middle of
1918; rifles made after that date probably didn't make it overseas
until the Armistice of November 11, 1918. A quick way to see if the
rifle was refinished is to inspect the bolt hole in the receiver. It
was reamed after finishing on original rifles - those that have been
reparkerized will show parkerizing in the bolt hole.
8. 1903 Mark I Rifle. This was the first "official" variation of the
1903 rifle, and was made for the then-secret Pedersen device, which
was intended to convert '03s into semiautomatic rifles firing a .30
caliber pistol cartridge very similar to today's .32 ACP. The Mark 1
incorporated the following changes from a standard '03: A slot was
milled in the left receiver to act as an ejection port. The receiver
of the rifle was marked "Mark I" on the line above the serial number.
The stock had a slight dip under the ejection port on the receiver. A
special cutoff was utilized which locked the device in place, and
which had a slot in the end of the cutoff's spindle. The trigger and
sear were also unique to the Mark I, having a lever to trip the Peder-
sen device's sear. This variation was only made at Springfield
Armory, and barrel dates can be found from late 1918 to early 1921.
The Pedersen devices were never used in WW I, and were almost all de-
stroyed in later years. Most of the Mark I rifles were converted
back to normal '03 configuration with standard parts, but still re-
tained the ejection port and special receiver marking. Original Mark
I rifles with all the parts and retaining the original black parkeriz-
ing are quite rare today. I'm fortunate to have one in my collec-
tion; wish I had a matching Pedersen device!
9. 1903 Rifle as made post-WW I, 1921 - 1939. Very few rifles were
produced during this period, as the vast stocks left over from WW I
were sufficient for the reduced-size services. Most produced were
practically identical to WW I-era rifles. Some Rock Island receivers
were used, although Rock Island ceased production in 1919. You may
find RI receivers with SA barrels which are correct for this period
and which are not "parts jobs." During this period, most early
single-heat-treat receivered rifles were recalled, to be replaced with
later receivers. In 1928, Springfield switched to nickel steel re-
ceivers, abandoning the double-heat-treatment process. Not all early
single-heat-treat receivers were replaced, so there are still a few
around, but they are rare.
10. M1903A1 Rifle, 1929 -1939. This was the second "official" varia-
tion of the 1903 rifle, and it was simply a 1903 rifle with a pistol-
grip stock replacing the "Type S" straight stock. This improved
"Type C" stock had no finger grooves, but did have two stock bolts.
Very few rifles were originally made as A1s, but the A1 stock was
applied to a number of earlier rifles. During WW II, an A1 stock was
produced which could be applied to either the 1903 or the 1903A3
rifles; these were cut for the 1903 handguard ring in front of the
receiver. This stock was originally intended for National Match
rifles. The handguard's hump was not nearly as pronounced as the
earlier '03 stocks. Technically, any '03 with a Type C stock is an
M1903A1, but very few were originally made this way. Original 'A1s
will have an inspector's cartouche in the stock, a serial number above
1,285,000 and a barrel date of 12-29 or later. Most original-rifle
stock rifles will have the "SA/SPG" cartouche of SA inspector Samuel
P. Green. WW II type C stocks are fatter, and as mentioned, have the
cut for the A3 handguard retaining ring.
As a sidebar, the Marine Corps developed an improved type of front
sight blade, and which was manufactured at Springfield right after WW
I. It's higher than the standard sight, and required a special sight
cover. It was interchangeable with the standard sight blade. The
Marines fitted many rifles with this blade, particularly for match
use. Since these are so easily interchanged, it's difficult to tell
if a particular rifle was in the Corps or simply later fitted with
this sight.
11. National Match 1903 Rifle, 1921-1940. While not strictly a
service rifle, this variation bears mentioning if only because of the
interest it has generated among collectors over the years. In 1921,
it was decided to produce a specially-tricked rifle built from scratch
to be a superb target arm for the National Matches. The NRA and DCM
had to lobby Congress for the modest funds to do this! There were
28,907 of these rifles made, and 25,377 rifles refurbished to NM
specs. The impending threat of war stopped the use of skilled manpow-
er necessary to make them. I can't begin to cover all of the hand-
work involved in making these rifles, but here are some of the high
points: Polished bolt with serial number engraved on top of bolt.
Bolt hole and feed ramp polished in the receiver. Checkered butt-
plate. Serrated trigger. Star-gauged barrel (carefully inspected
with a precision gauge in the form of a star) with a small "star" mark
like an asterisk stamped on the muzzle. Type C stock after 1929, with
drawing numbers in the stocks and handguards. Closely-fitted parts.
Specially-tuned trigger. Some NM rifles may have been drilled and
tapped at the Armory for Lyman No. 48 receiver sights. NM parts were
available for years, including polished bolts, so beware of fakes.
Best bet is to have a documenting government bill of sale for the
rifle.
12. Remington 1903 Rifle, 1941 - April 1942. As WW II began, it was
determined that the old Rock Island '03 tooling might be taken out of
storage and used once again to produce the '03. Remington Arms pro-
cured the tooling, and made preliminary designs to produce the rifle
for the British, with certain changes made at the request of the
British government. However the Brits soon found other sources of
rifles, and these modified guns were not needed. In late 1941, the
U.S. government asked Remington to start producing '03s as the need
for weapons looked to be increasing. The first Remington '03s made
on Rock Island machinery came off the line in September, 1941. The
first few were blued, but production models had the standard black
parkerizing of WW I. Serial numbers of Remington '03s began at
300,000,000 so as not to duplicate Springfield or Rock Island numbers.
The old RI tooling was very difficult to use, as it had become quite
worn, and did not accommodate production changes made since the end of
WW I. These first Remington '03s were virtually identical to the
Springfields of the '20s and '30s, and had very high quality in spite
of the problems with the tooling. While this was fine, the govern-
ment wanted production to outweigh cosmetics, so some non-essential
finishing was soon eliminated, and certain tolerances were widened.
13. Remington 1903 Rifle (Modified) Dec. 1941 - December 1942. As
production ramped up on the Remington '03, many production shortcuts
began to be taken. Most noticeable was the elimination of the light-
ening cuts in the rear sight base. Some stamped components began to
replace earlier milled/forged ones. Newer parts were interchangeable
with older ones through careful Ordnance Department monitoring. In
March of 1942, this rifle was designated officially as the "U.S.
Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903 (Modified)." Some other notable changes
were undished windage/elevation knobs, the elimination of the gas
escape hole on the right of the receiver, the elimination of the bolt
stop and its seat in the receiver, the drilling through of the rear
guard screw hole in the receiver tang, different milling of the cut-
off seat, a stamped lower barrel band, a stamped band spring, a
stamped lower sling swivel, a stamped upper sling swivel, magazine
follower and extractor, and finally, a stamped trigger guard assembly.
All of these changes took place gradually, so 1903 (Modified) rifles
may be found with or without any or all of the changes. Stock finger
grooves were eliminated. Some rifles were fitted with the so-called
"scant" pistol-grip stocks. It seems Remington had some 1/2 million
stock blanks left over from the aborted British contract, but had a
mandate from the Ordnance department to produce pistol-grip stocks.
As made from the straight-stock blanks, there just wasn't enough
material to make a full pistol grip, so a smaller, rounded one was
devised - as such, these "scant" pistol-gripped stocks were officially
M1903A1s in the service. They were ugly, but utilitarian. Some
collectors refer to these bastardized stocks as "the warthog stock."
The black dye in the Parkerizing was eliminated, giving a nondescript
pale parkerizing which was functional but ugly, and the polishing-out
of machining marks was soon dropped, also. The cost of production
was a drop in cosmetics and quality, and these rifles were far from
the finely-made original 1903s as made by Springfield and Rock Island.
14. Model 1903A3 Rifles as made by Remington and Smith-Corona, Dec.
1942 - Feb. 1944. In 1942, it was determined that no further produc-
tion shortcuts could be taken with the standard 1903 rifle, and that
to speed production, a new model might be necessary. The main item
that could be speeded up was the complicated rear sight assembly of
the 1903. It was replaced by a receiver sight very similar to that
used on the later M1 carbines. The new weapon was designated as the
"U.S. Rifle, caliber .30, Model of 1903A3." The first of this breed
was delivered by Remington in December of 1942. Only 23 parts of the
original pre-1941 '03 remained unchanged in this rifle. For some
unknown reason, the receiver was stamped "U.S. Remington/Model 03-A3."
This did not match previous practice which included the full "Model
of" designation, and used a hyphenated A-designation which did not
match official nomenclature. Model numbers in U.S. service rifles
are never hyphenated (1903A1, M1, M14, M16A1, etc.). By the way, the
1903A2 was actually a subcaliber device used as an insert in artillery
weapons; it was not a service rifle. The requirement for a pistol-
gripped stock was soon dropped, and Remington developed a modified S-
style straight stock without finger grooves for this rifle, although
you can find original A3s on occasion with original "S", type "C" and
"Scant" stocks. This later 1903A3 stock was also inletted for the
original '03 rear sight assembly as well as the handguard ring, so it
could be used as a replacement stock for any '03 rifle. Early ones
had pins instead of stock bolts, but these were found wanting, and
later ones had the bolts. A stamped and welded buttplate assembly
was utilized, with pressed-in checkering. In mid-1943, a larger
trigger guard was used, for better use with gloves. In late 1942,
two-groove rifling was authorized rather than the standard 4-groove
rifling. This cut barrel production time by 50%, and accuracy was
considered satisfactory.
In 1942, negotiations were underway with High Standard Manufacturing
Company to produce the 1903A3 as an additional source. High Standard
wanted to manufacture only barrels, and contract out the rest of the
components to the L.C. Smith & Corona Typewriter Company, because High
Standard was already up to its neck in war production. It was then
decided to let the contract directly to Smith-Corona, and in February,
S-C was given a contract for 100,000 '03 (Modified) rifles. As the
'03A3 became de jour, the contract was changed so as to call for
production of the '03A3. S-C was given a separate serial number block
to use to distinguish its rifles from those coming from Remington.
Both firms received additional contracts, and production from both
firms reached over 1 million 'A3s. High Standard made most of the
barrels for Smith-Corona, even though most were marked "S-C." Most
Remington parts were marked with a small "R," but S-C did not mark any
of its smaller parts with a letter. The rifles as made by Smith
Corona and Remington were virtually identical in every respect.
Smith Corona only made the 1903A3 rifle during its tenure as an arms
manufacturer. The last M1903A3 was made in February of 1944.
15. Model of 1903A4 (Sniper's), as made by Remington. As WW II
began, the Army didn't have a standard sniper rifle, although some
work was beginning on attaching a scope to the M1 rifle. In order to
fill this gap, the War Department asked Remington to design a scoped
weapon based on the 1903A3. This they did, and the resultant rifle
was essentially a 1903A3 with no iron sights, fitted with a Redfield
"Junior" mount and a Weaver 330C scope. This scope soon acquired the
military designation M73B1. Later in its service life, after the war,
some M84 scopes were utilized on this rifle. The bolt handle was
altered to clear the scope, and the otherwise standard "C" stock had a
bolt handle clearance cut in it. Interestingly, although the rifles
had the designation "Model of 1903A4 (Sniper's)," the receiver rings
were marked with a left-offset "U.S./Remington/Model 03-A3" designa-
tion, visible when the scope mount was installed. This was so that
'A4s judged not sufficiently accurate for sniper use could be re-
converted to '03-A3s. The milling cuts for a front sight were
present in the barrels, but the barrels had no front sights. The
M903A4 was about the only sniper rifle used during WW II, as the M1C
sniper weapon was introduced very late in the war and was used in very
limited numbers only in the Pacific Theatre. The 'A4 was also used
in Korea, and even in Vietnam. As late as December 1970, an official
Technical Manual was printed for this arm. It was the last of a long
line of proud rifles that served our nation well for about 70 years,
and is a prized collector's item today.
There were essentially 15 classifications of the 1903 service rifle
useful for collectors to recognize, but only six "official" types, the
1903, the 1903 Mark I, the 1903 (Modified), the 1903A1, the 1903A3,
and the 1903A4. As promised, here is a "thumbnail" reference list
for your use as you prowl the gun shows, giving the primary identifi-
cation points. I suggest you use your word processor to make a copy
of this text, delete all the foregoing, and then print out this quick
reference.
**********************************************************************
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE 1903 SPRINGFIELDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
compiled by John Marshall, Aug. 1995
1. ROD-BAYONET 1903. Rod bayonet, curved rear sight, two-hole front
sight. Straight full-length handguard. Caliber .30/03. Serial num-
bers to about 74,500, beginning with #1. Almost all later converted.
Very rare in original condition. Value good - fine $10,000 to
$20,000. Restored-to-original condition specimens $1,500 - $4,500.
2. 1903, with alterations of 1905. Rear sight graduated to 2400
yards. Ramrod channel plugged. Still in .30/03 caliber. No stock
bolts. Flat handguard hump. Straight bolt handle. Serial below
270,000. Value good - fine $3,000 to $9,000.
3. 1903, with alterations of 1906. Rear sight graduated to 2850
yards, Barrel set back and rechambered to 30/06 caliber, no stock
bolts, straight bolt handle. Length 43.25". Serial below 269,000.
Value good - fine $700 - $2,750.
4. 1903/1905, with alterations of 1906. Altered from previous 1905
configuration. Barrel set back and rechambered or replaced with date
of 1906. .30/06, rear sight graduated to 2850 yards, no stock bolts.
Serial below 270,000. Value good - fine $600 - $2,000.
5. 1903, Made 1906 - 1908. Serial number 270,000 - 350,000, to
65,000 for Rock Island. Case hardened action. Blued barrel and
parts. Straight bolt handle. Flat-top handguard. Single stock bolt
introduced 1908. Value VG - fine $700 - $2,250.
6. 1903, Made 1908 - 1910. Large windage knob, measuring .575".
Block lettering on receiver. Serial numbers 350,000 to @ 450,000;
65,000 - 180,000 at RI. Flat top handguard. Single stock bolt.
Value VG - fine $700 - $2,250.
7. 1903, Made 1910 - 1917. Handguard has milled cut, straight bolt
handle, one stock bolt. Stock curved on top on left side rather than
straight. Serial numbers @ 450,000 to 635,000, above 180,000 at RI.
Value VG - Exc. $750 - $2,000.
8. 1903, made 1917 - 1921. World War I-era rifles serial numbered to
1,050,000 at SA, 347,000 at RI. Uncheckered buttplates became stand-
ard, unserrated triggers, also. Parkerizing introduced with blacken-
ing. Double heat-treating above serial 800,000 at SA, 370,000 at RI.
Bolt handle bent rearward at about 800,000 serial #. Blued, not
parkerized lower barrel band. Two stock bolts. Value 1917-1918
dated VG - Exc. $875 - $2,500, 1919 - 1921 dated $600 - $1,850.
9. 1903 Mark I Rifle. Made for Pedersen Device. Look for ejection
port in left of receiver, Mark I receiver stamping. Most refitted
with standard 1903 parts. Look for screw slot in cut-off spindle for
original Mark I cutoff. Black Parkerized (can be smooth from wear).
Found in serial number range 1,030,000 - 1,200,000. Barrel dates
usually 1919 or 1920. Rare in unaltered condition. Value, as issued,
VG - Exc. $475 - $1,250, altered to 1903, $275 - $650.
10. Post-WW I 1903 rifles, 1921 - 1939. Parkerized. Checkered
buttplates and serrated triggers found again. Swell of handguard
longer and larger, barrels dated 1921 to 1927, mostly. Two stock
bolts. Serial numbers past 1,050,000 are post WW I, 1921 production
on from about 1,200,000 to 1,300,000. Most rifles in later period
made from on-hand parts, little actual production. Excellent quality
in this era. Value VG - Exc. $700 - $1,850.
11. M1903A1 Rifle, 1929 - 1939. Full-pistol-grip stock with no
finger grooves. Original A1 production rare, most were 1903s retro-
fitted with A1 stocks. Original A1 stocks were not cut for the
1903A3 handguard ring; later WW II jobs were. Original A1s, Value VG
- Exc. $425 - $1,400. WW II restocked A1s bring somewhat less, $350 -
$1,000.
12. 1903 Rifle as made by Remington, 1941 - April '42 - Identical to
late RIA manufacturer, black parkerized, made on RIA tooling. Look
for Remington receiver marking. NO stamped parts, lightening cuts in
the rear sight base. Value VG - Exc. $400 - $900
13. 1903 (Modified) Rifle, made by Remington, 12/41 - 12/42. Numerous
production shortcuts, most noticeable being lack of lightening cuts in
rear sight base. WW II-style non-black Parkerizing. Some stamped
parts, increasing in number as production continued. Value VG - Exc.
$350 - $850.
14. 1903A3 Rifle, as made by Remington and Smith-Corona, 12/42 -
2/44. Economy version of '03, stamped parts, receiver sight, stock
can be pinned or bolted, scant or straight grip; Remington parts
marked with "R", S-C parts unmarked except for barrel, barrel actually
made by High Standard. Value VG - Exc. $275 - $650.
15. 1903A4 Rifle, as made by Remington. Receivers marked as 'A3s,
offset to the left, scopes Weaver 330C/M73B1, later rifles had M84
scope. Redfield Jr. mount, no front sight. Full-pistol-grip "C"
stock with bolt clearance cut. Value VG - Exc. $650 - $1,800.
************************************************************************
In reflection. I did a quick check (not completely accurate, I'm
sure) of the major categories and the number produced, and here's how
it breaks out:
Springfield '03, total receivers made: 1,592,563
Rock Island '03, total receivers made: 445,000
Remington '03 and '03 (Modified): 348,085
Remington 1903A3s: 707,629
Remington 1903A4s: 28,365
Smith-Corona 1903A3s: 234,580
----------
Total: 3,356,222
Rough Rarity:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Total Springfield: 47.5%
[Total Mark I 101,775] ( 3.0%)
Total RIA 13.3%
Total Rem. '03/'03 Mod. 10.4%
Total Rem. '03A3 21.1%
Total Rem. '03A4 .8%
Total Smith-Corona '03A3 7.0%
Figures don't total 100% due to rounding...
If you are interested in learning more about the classic 1903 series
of rifles, I can heartily recommend several books:
"The Springfield 1903 Rifles" by Lt. Col. William S. Brophy
"A Collector's Guide to the '03 Springfield" by Bruce N. Canfield
"The '03 Springfields" by Clark Campbell
"Flayderman's Guide, 6th Edition" by Norm Flayderman
--------------------------------------------------------------------
9509B NRA NEWS by the NRA staff
~~~~~~~~
*NRA *RKBA *SECOND AMENDMENT
STANDING GUARD
by Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice-President
National Rifle Association of America
To confuse you about NRA's leadership and fiscal health, some in
the national media have circulated distorted, deceptive and
downright false stories about the NRA's finances. So before they
peddle any more misleading statistics and malicious theories, let's
set the record straight.
When the Board of Directors elected me to the helm of the NRA in
1991, our Association faced severe problems that genuinely
threatened our future:
* Lack of support for our members' interests in the defense of
our Second Amendment rights in legislative and political
arenas.
* NRA membership had plummeted, even while millions of dollars
were being spent to recruit members.
* Millions more had been squandered to replace NRA's inadequate,
obsolete computer system with yet another system that
literally never worked.
* Our overcrowded, crumbling 40-year-old Headquarters building
- which was built to serve 250,000 members, not twelve times
that number - was in danger of being shut down for asbestos,
life-safety and disabled access code violations.
* And our Association had fallen victim to a bureaucratic
mindset and lack of vision that threatened to make us
irrelevant to American gun owners.
In short, NRA stood at the crossroads of its very existence. With
the guidance and backing of the NRA Board of Directors, we set out
to arrest and reverse that disastrous course. Today, I'm proud to
report our Association has been revitalized and rebuilt from the
ground up.
Since 1991, we've undergone the fastest, longest sustained growth
period in our history, gaining more than a million members to set
an all-time record in paid memberships. Instead of relocating for
two years while our Headquarters was gutted and rebuilt - only to
relocate again - the Association bought a new Headquarters which
will serve NRA members well into the next century, all for about 30
cents on the dollar.
We've strengthened and streamlined our entire infrastructure, with
a computer system that works, and an inspired, visionary and
professional staff that works even harder. And we've added
nationally-acclaimed programs like CrimeStrike, Eddie Eagle and
Refuse To Be A Victim . . . programs that answer the needs of
Americans today.
Did it cost money? Yes. Investing in the future always does.
Will it break the bank? Not by a long shot.
Today our Association has $52 million in cash and investments, plus
some $25 million in other net tangible assets. We have a balanced
budget. We're operating in the black. And by whatever yardstick
you choose - politics, programs, fiscal integrity, membership or
resolve - we're stronger, more viable and better prepared to
protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms than we
have been in decades, if ever.
Look at our phenomenal, unprecedented success in the 1994
elections, and all our state legislative victories since then.
President Clinton said it all when he blamed the NRA for changing
the face of Congress. Look at all the new NRA programs that are
touching the lives of millions of Americans. Or listen to the
passionate support from the thousands of new members who join us
each week.
All of this momentum came with a price tag, and we paid it. Today,
that sacrifice has been made. Because the alternative was
unacceptable. Stagnation means weakness. And momentum lost is
very expensive to regain. But growth means strength, as members
like you are our greatest asset. Now we must stay the course. Our
Second Amendment demands no less.
=+=+=+=+
RIGHTS, RISKS
AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES
OF A FREE PEOPLE
A Speech by
Mrs. Tanya K. Metaksa, Executive Director
National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action
before the 17th Annual National Conservative Student Conference
Young America's Foundation
Friday, July 28, at 4:00 pm.
As many of you know, my father was John Chamberlain, one of the
founding fathers of America's conservative movement. This man,
someone who William F. Buckley, Jr., and Whittaker Chambers
called the dearest of friends, passed away this Spring ... but
not without leaving all of us a legacy.
It was in the 1940s when world events showed my father that
individual rights were increasingly important -- all important --
in a world dominated by statism and "political" solutions. In a
book review, he wrote an aside about this new conviction of his:
"I have simply lived to see at least four major brands of
statism tried out," he wrote.
He mentioned Stalinism, of course, and Nazism. But he also wrote,
"I have also been a witness (sometimes on the spot) to the
destruction of vitality and initiative forced by socialist
statism in Britain. And I have lived through eighteen years
of New Deal and Fair Deal governments."
He described his central values -- his politics -- as a movement,
a constant struggle to, quote, rescue us from domination by the
state-worshipping intellectuals and restore decentralized rule by
the intelligent man.
That was written decades ago -- I'm sure today that he'd include
intelligent women! -- but that was his core sentiment -- his
legacy to the American conservative movement -- his legacy to all
of you.
You young conservatives are all part of this never-ending
movement, the constant swell of an ocean of people who want to
protect freedom, limit government, safeguard rights and advance
moral responsibility.
That is what the 3.5 million members of the National Rifle
Association of America are all about -- protecting freedom and
safeguarding rights.
But too many of your elders in the conservative movement are
forgetting the simple arithmetic of our rights, so take out your
mental pens to make an important mental note.
This is the simple arithmetic of our rights:
Rights plus responsibility always equal risks.
Let me state the formula again: Rights, even when coupled with
responsibility, always equal risks.
NRA and gun owners nationwide exercised our rights last fall, and
we took responsibility for our country's future by changing the
face of our nation.
NRA backed 276 U.S. Senate and House candidates. Of 276, 221
won.
Of all candidates elected to the U.S. House, 224 were A-rated by
the NRA.
In over ten thousand races at the federal, state and local
levels, 82 percent of NRA-backed candidates won.
Does the name "Foley" ring a bell?
Not anymore.
Thanks in large measure to NRA, the first U.S. Speaker of the
House to be unseated in 138 years lost. And today, a new man
wields the gavel in the U.S. House of Representatives.
On January 13th, one politician made it perfectly clear. He told
the editorial board of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, and I quote,
the NRA is the reason the Republicans control the House, unquote.
That was probably the first and the last time I will ever agree
with the man who uttered those words, President Bill Clinton.
We exercised our rights. We did so responsibly.
So, where's the risk?
The risk is that you don't incur the admiration of your
adversary, you incur his wrath. The risk is that our association
-- and I hope that includes most of you -- have been under
constant, sustained attack by Clinton, his agencies, his clones
in Congress and his allies in the media elite.
By exercising our rights with responsibility, we have incurred
the wrath of what my father called "state-worshipping
intellectuals."
When you favor good government properly limited in power, you run
the risk of being labeled anti-government. It happens to us, so
it will happen to you.
But the so-called anti-government charge is a dog that just won't
hunt. And unlike Bill Clinton, I know, because I'm a real
hunter. Consider:
* NRA was involved in over ten thousand elections impacting
every single level of government! That's not just pro-
government. That is government!
* Consider also that the majority of our members serve, have
served or have a family member serving in the U.S. Armed Forces!
That's a record I'll compare with the members of the Democratic
Leadership Council any day.
Anti-police? That's another non-sporting dog. It was NRA who
invented police firearms training in 1916, and it's NRA whose ten
thousand certified law enforcement instructors today work with
over four hundred and fifty thousand law enforcement officers --
local, state and federal.
NRA also buys a $25,000 life insurance policy free of charge for
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 -- some law enforcement
agency loses an officer, an agent, a sheriff or deputy every
other month -- and so does NRA.
NRA is more than firearms safety training. NRA is more than the
fight to safeguard our rights. NRA is also about putting
criminals behind bars. NRA is perhaps the only citizen
organization that has worked for tough criminal justice reform
and victims' rights in fifteen states in the first six months of
this year alone -- from "Three Strikes You're Out" in Vermont to
"Hard Time for Armed Crime" in Washington state.
But remember the arithmetic of our rights. Even with
responsibility comes risk. And the risk we've been running in
the last few months is the steady rush of ridicule, innuendo and
hatred pouring out of the White House and from the lips of
politicians who want our rights and want our power all to
themselves.
To the best of our ability, NRA will not let that happen, not
this year, and certainly not on election day in 1996.
Rights plus responsibility yields risk. Have your elders learned
that simple arithmetic? I'm afraid the answer is not all of them
-- not yet.
We have seen the Republicans in the Government Oversight and the
Crime and Criminal Justice Subcommittees examine the tragedy near
Waco, Texas, in 1993 which claimed the lives of four federal
agents and more than eighty civilians.
There have been brilliant inquiries made by members of this
body -- by Bob Barr of Georgia, John Shadegg of Arizona, Ed
Bryant of Tennessee -- just to name a few.
Legally and ethically, independent of this panel, NRA conducted
its own fact-finding inquiry. We were perfectly within our
rights to hire the nation's foremost engineering analysis firm to
look into the Waco disaster objectively. That firm, Failure
Analysis Associates, is the team of Ph.D.s who uncovered the O-
ring problem in the Challenger spacecraft disaster -- and
discovered the ignitors placed on GM pick-up truck by NBC
Dateline.
Legally and ethically, through counsel, NRA asked the
Subcommittee that, if the opportunity presented itself, would a
firm, even if retained by an advocacy group, be permitted to x-
ray the fire-damaged guns retrieved from the ashes in Waco? The
Subcommittee queried the House ethics panel, and that panel's
leading democrat, Jim McDermott, co-signed a return letter saying
there was no ethical or legal problem.
Failure Analysis made the trip to Austin -- but was denied access
to the guns by an on-scene personal assistant to Attorney General
Janet Reno. Why?
This firm would have provided its scientific data for any other
expert to duplicate. They would have explained their findings,
whether they found one illegal gun or one hundred illegal guns.
X-rays employ photons. Unlike politicians, photons move in a
straight line and never, ever lie.
Why was access denied?
When the credentials of the Failure Analysis team were explained
to Reno's aide, the aide visibly trembled. Why?
The Democrats got away with murder in this hearing, allowing a
British expert to falsely claim that CS gas posed no problem.
Not so.
Much of his testimony was linked with a British report that
responded to criticism of British use of CS gas in Northern
Ireland, and many believe that report itself was a political
whitewash intended to soft-peddle gas effects.
The fact is, the Congress didn't call the nation's premier
experts on failures of a scientific nature -- like the use of
ghastly amounts of a gas at levels that threaten health and life
itself.
Let me give you just a glimpse of what they found ...
From the Model Five delivery systems on the tanks alone, the CS
gas concentration in some rooms ranged from two to ninety times
that required to deter trained soldiers on the first assault
alone. Anyone hit directly by spray from the Model Five system
would be affected immediately and potentially receive a dose
resulting in systemic shock and conceivably death.
In addition to tank delivery, a ferret round -- a gas grenade, if
you will -- was fired into every window of the center.
The methylene chloride used as a solvent in the gas reached 1.8
times the level immediately dangerous to life and health. The
concentration level reached by firing just one ferret round was
sixteen times the level required to deter trained troops.
And all this was the scientifically calculated result of just the
first of four gas assaults.
And we taxpayers were attacking pregnant women and children, not
trained troops. That gas led to incapacitation and death.
Why didn't Congress hear those facts?
Because Congress did not invite Failure Analysis to testify.
The reason: fear of risks.
These are our rights we're exercising; we're doing so
responsibly, and we accept the risks -- because we know that
America can keep score pretty darned well.
Even if we only provided information, the way every other
advocacy group provides information, we accepted the risk that we
would be falsely accused of running the hearings.
I'm here to tell you: If we really ran these hearings --if we
really orchestrated these hearings as White House spokesman
McCurry has accused, those hearings would be very, very
different.
What America had was an opportunity to put all the crazy
conspiracy theorists out of business with the results of this
hearing, but I'm afraid the crazy cottage industry will still be
in business.
What America had was an opportunity to discover that Waco was
never, repeat, never a problem with law enforcement officers, but
a problem of leadership -- and those leaders are still on the
job, still being paid with your tax dollars.
What America had was an opportunity on the order of Watergate --
only to end up with a tall glass of water.
America wanted sustained questioning by the committee, if not
counsel. But the five-minute rule was the best the majority
could do. Indeed, the words from these hearings that might be
remembered the longest are: "I think my time has expired."
America wanted the truth, cut boldly from fragments of reports,
lies, and cover-ups, but while the Republicans were the majority,
the Democrats ruled. If the Democrats had run the Iran-Contra
hearings like the Republicans ran the Waco hearings, Ollie North
would be president of the United States.
The problem was that the Republicans didn't understand the
arithmetic of our rights -- that rights plus responsibility
always yield risks. Always. So, when the risks started to
loom, too many buckled. They appeared to want to be regarded
more as ladies and gentlemen than truth seekers.
If they think the press is going to hand out "fairness awards,"
they better not be holding their breaths.
According to the Center for Media and Public Affairs, NBC Nightly
News three nights ago gave the Waco hearings a whopping fourteen
seconds of coverage. Fourteen seconds for the greatest loss of
life in federal law enforcement history since Wounded Knee in the
19th century.
The night before last was no better -- a few more seconds to
cover the largest use of CS gas against a single target in the
history of mankind.
Let me close to talk about another father of Republicans, from
whom we should all draw inspiration. Theodore Roosevelt was an
NRA member and a great Republican, a man with an unshakable sense
of ethics.
The NRA and the Republicans are accused of somehow undermining
law enforcement. In fact, we're just learning from Roosevelt's
experience that the best law enforcement is always the best-led.
Many of us think of Roosevelt as a great President, as a great
soldier, and even as a great sportsman. But Roosevelt was also a
law enforcement officer and leader. As a North Dakota rancher in
1886, Roosevelt served as a deputy sheriff and in arctic March
weather, led a legendary boat chase for a group of fleeing horse
thieves.
And, in 1895, Roosevelt became president of New York City's
Police Commission overseeing one of the most corrupt law
enforcement agencies in the country -- so corrupt that criminals
would return their booty to the Chief on request, because he
covered up most of their crimes for them. So corrupt that a
State Senate committee estimated the department raised twice as
much money from graft as from tax dollars. So corrupt that, as
Roosevelt said, "the New York police force was utterly
demoralized by the gangrene ... the ward politician, the liquor
seller, and the criminal alternately preyed on one another and
helped one another to prey on the general public."
Well, Roosevelt wouldn't take it. With reporters watching, he
began an investigation. Three weeks later, the Chief decided to
avoid the heat and light of Roosevelt's scrutiny. He resigned.
Have we had any resignations since the Waco hearings got
underway? Not a one, not yet.
Roosevelt kept on going. He shut down even more graft by
enforcing the city law that was supposed to keep the saloons
closed on Sundays. The public outcry was intense. And with
reporters in tow, he started prowling the streets at night,
throwing policemen out of saloons and waking them up from naps.
There were death threats, even letter bombs. Lots of risk, but
this leader kept leading.
He raised the department's physical fitness standards and
marksmanship scores, built new police stations, even introduced a
mobile "Bicycle Squad." In just two years, morale rose, and
crime rates plummeted until New York had arguably the best police
forces in the world. The best, because they were led by the
best.
Roosevelt was hated for what he started and loved for what he
finished.
Times change.
Principles don't.
Limited government is best. Freedom is worth protecting. Values
are worth safeguarding. Laws are worth enforcing.
And law enforcement deserves the best in leadership, so the
boss's wrongdoing never endangers the rank-and-file officers and
agents with a dangerous plan.
Law enforcement deserves the best in leadership, so the boss's
wrong-doing never tarnishes the badge of the rank-and-file
officers and agents as committed to constitution as they are to
the citizens they serve.
Remember what my father grieved over -- the destruction of
vitality and initiative by statism.
Let's rescue vitality, and rescue initiative by exercising our
rights and doing so responsibly.
When we do, all of us -- here in this room and on Capitol Hill --
all of us will begin to relish the risk that always comes with
the exercise our God-given rights.
Thank you.
=+=+=+=+
"Not for Praise, but for Principle"
An address to the
17th Annual NRA National Shooting Coaches
and Instructors Conference
by Thomas C. Wyld
Director, PR & Communications
National Rifle Association
Institute for Legislative Action
Fairfax, Virginia,
August 18, 1995
Thank you for being here for the 17th Annual NRA National
Shooting Coaches and Instructors Conference.
You, NRA-certified coaches and instructors, are the best kept
secret in the National Rifle Association of America. So, who's
keeping the secret?
Certainly not the NRA, not the NRA Institute for Legislative
Action, certainly not the PR staff of NRA.
* Thousands of competitions annually.
* More than thirty thousand certified instructors who reach
hundreds of thousands of Americans.
* More than ten thousand NRA-certified police trainers who
reach more than four hundred thousand peace officers
nationwide.
Those aren't secrets -- they're part of the stories we tell about
our Association every day.
Indeed we routinely tell your story at every turn -- and, just as
routinely, your story is turned down.
One example.
Just a few days ago, I was interviewed by, let's call it a
prominent Washington newspaper, about a shooting accident that
ended tragically in the death of a young man. In responding to
the press, I listed the three cardinal rules for safe gun
handling -- the same rules you, your competitors and your
students live by. By repeating those three rules, I was urging
the reporter to include them in the story.
* Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
* Always keep the finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
* Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
In this tragedy, the gun was not pointed in a safe direction, and
the gun was loaded even though it was not ready to use.
Tragically, a life was lost. But NRA's vital safety message was
lost in that story, too.
I told the reporter that if his readers believed that gun safety
training is vital, they should join the club. That club's the
NRA. That club's champions are you -- NRA- certified instructors
and coaches.
To this reporter and several others, we said, come to this
conference. Attend NRA's open house on Saturday. Come see NRA
Training Week.
In the words of one reporter I spoke to, that story would be, and
I quote, too sweet.
So we've come to this in 1995. Good stories are "too sweet." The
story about volunteers like you, working with people young and
old, teaching safety, discipline, respect of self and others --
building in Americans the very traits that make our nation a
great nation -- is a story that simply can't be told.
But you will press on with coaching and training regardless of
the press. Because you don't do it for praise or publicity. You
do it, because you know it's right.
And we in the NRA Institute for Legislative Action and all our
members will press on, too, securing our heritage, safeguarding
our rights, protecting freedom. We press on, despite the press,
because we know it's right. Not for praise, but for principle.
No presentation is
complete without a slide show, so I'm going to
show you some visuals.
Slide number one. It's a picture of people like you celebrating
on Election Night, 1994. I hope you see yourself in that
picture, because you had lots of company and lots to celebrate.
You and people like you were involved in over ten thousand
elections -- I said it right -- ten thousand elections at the
local, state and federal level. You and fellow NRA members
achieved more than eighty percent success in November of 1994.
This slide is not a picture of anti-government people. Getting
involved in ten thousand elections is not anti-government. It is
government.
Slide number two. As you can see, it's a map of the United
States. Since January of this year, you and your NRA have
radically altered this map with Right to Carry -- legislation
that enables law-abiding people like yourself to have a means to
defend yourself and your loved ones while outside the home. Even
TIME magazine tipped its hat to your NRA's enactment just this
year of Right to Carry in Virginia, Utah, Idaho and Arkansas.
A few months ago, it was signed into law by the governors of
Texas, Oklahoma and Nevada.
You've passed Right to Carry into law in North Carolina.
You have improved the existing law in Florida.
And you have extended Pennsylvania's Right to Carry law to the
good citizens of the birthplace of freedom, Philadelphia.
Because NRA protected freedom, NRA assured the safety of more and
more Americans -- because the threat of violent attack doesn't
end at our front door -- because, without freedom, there can be
no safety.
We're serious about freedom, you and I, and we're serious about
safety.
That's why, in the first six months of this year alone, NRA's
Institute for Legislative Action, through its CrimeStrike
Division, has worked toward criminal justice reform and victims'
rights in fifteen states -- from "Three Strikes You're Out" in
Vermont to the "Hard Time for Armed Crime" Initiative in
Washington state.
Think about that. Criminal justice reform. And victims' rights.
In fifteen states. In just six months. By one citizens' group.
Your's. The National Rifle Association.
NRA is working for -- and passing -- Two and Three Strikes laws
to ensure that repeat offenders are kept behind bars for life.
NRA is working for -- and passing -- truth-in-sentencing to
require violent criminals to serve eighty-five percent of
sentences imposed.
And we're working for -- and passing -- pre-trial detention of
dangerous offenders, so predators don't get back to the streets
before the arresting officer makes it home for dinner.
And that brings me to my next slide. Slide number three: the
revolving door.
Catch-and-release may be fine for trout fishing, but a catch-
and-release criminal justice system is no match for today's Billy
the Kid. That's why NRA is lobbying for juvenile justice reform
to ensure people who commit adult crimes do adult time.
Slide number four. A picture of the U.S. Capitol.
It was the scene last month of hearings into the tragedy near
Waco, Texas, in 1993 which claimed the lives of four federal
agents and more than eighty civilians. There has been a lot of
talk about this hearing, and we want to address that talk with
you today.
Legally and ethically, independent of the Congressional panel,
NRA conducted its own fact-finding inquiry. We were perfectly
within our rights to hire the nation's foremost engineering
analysis firm to look into the Waco disaster objectively -- and
provide that information to the nation.
That firm, Failure Analysis Associates, is the team of Ph.D.s who
uncovered the O-ring problem in the Challenger spacecraft
disaster -- and discovered the ignitors placed on a GM pick-up
truck by NBC Dateline. With those kinds of credentials, you'd
want that team on your side. And they were.
Legally and ethically, through counsel, NRA asked the
Subcommittee that, if the opportunity presented itself, would a
firm, even if retained by an advocacy group, be permitted to
x-ray the fire-damaged guns retrieved from the ashes in Waco?
The Subcommittee queried the House ethics panel, and that panel's
leading Democrat, Jim McDermott, co-signed a return letter saying
... no ethical or legal problem.
So, Failure Analysis made the trip to Austin to x-ray the guns
held in the Texas Rangers evidence locker -- but the firm was
denied access to the guns by a Justice Department representative.
Why?
Slide number five: a picture of Attorney General Janet Reno's
personal assistant, on the ground in Austin, the man who denied
access. As you can see, the picture's fuzzy, but it's not
because the camera was shaking. It was Janet Reno's assistant
who was shaking.
Because when the credentials of the Failure Analysis team were
explained to this man, witnesses said, quote, he visibly
trembled, unquote.
Why? Why fear the truth?
Because X-rays employ photons. Unlike politicians, photons move
in a straight line and never, ever lie.
This firm would have provided its scientific data for any other
expert to duplicate. They would have explained their findings,
whether they found one illegal gun or one hundred illegal guns.
Why was access denied?
When the CS gas plan was examined by the panel, Congressman
Charles Schumer was right when he criticized the credentials of a
Utah professor chosen to testify -- a man who had never made any
calculations. The data was available. Failure Analysis examined
that data and made those calculations.
But there was fault elsewhere. A British expert seemed to say in
his testimony that CS gas posed no problem. He, too, was wrong.
Much of his testimony was linked with a British report that
responded to criticism of British use of CS gas in Northern
Ireland, and many believe that report itself was a political
whitewash intended to soft-peddle gas effects.
The fact is, the Congress didn't call the nation's premier
experts on the scientific aspects of failures -- failures like
the use of ghastly amounts of gas at levels that threaten health
and life itself.
Let me give you just a glimpse of what this firm found, testimony
you never heard during the Waco hearings ...
On the first gas assault, from the Model Five delivery systems on
the tanks alone, the CS gas concentration in some rooms at the
Branch Davidian Center ranged from two to ninety times that
required to deter trained soldiers.
Anyone hit directly by spray from the Model Five system would be
affected immediately and potentially receive a dose resulting in
systemic shock and conceivably death.
In addition to tank delivery, a ferret round -- a gas grenade, if
you will -- was fired into every window of the center.
The methylene chloride used as a solvent in the gas reached 1.8
times the level immediately dangerous to life and health. The
concentration level reached by firing just one ferret round was
sixteen times the level required to deter trained troops.
And all this was the scientifically calculated result of just the
first of four gas assaults.
That gas led to incapacitation and death.
It's ironic that NRA was falsely accused of running the hearings,
when NRA and Failure Analysis wasn't even asked to provide that
information.
I'm here to tell you: If we really ran these hearings --if we
really orchestrated these hearings as my counterpart at the White
House, Mike McCurry, had accused, those hearings would be very,
very different.
America wanted sustained questioning by the committee, if not
counsel. But the five-minute rule was the best the majority
could do. Indeed, the words from these hearings that might be
remembered the longest are: "I think my time has expired." And
if the panel's leadership thought the press was going to hand out
"fairness awards," they were mistaken.
According to the Center for Media and Public Affairs, NBC Nightly
News one night gave the Waco hearings a whopping fourteen seconds
of coverage -- and minutes to the coverage of OJ Simpson's socks.
Fourteen seconds for the greatest loss of life in federal law
enforcement history since Wounded Knee in the 19th century.
The next night's fare on NBC was no better -- a few more seconds
to cover the largest use of CS gas against a single target in the
history of mankind.
Take heart: Thanks to all of you, America learns gun safety from
the NRA. While America learns nothing from NBC.
But the Waco hearings have caused the Administration to move --
albeit slowly and grudgingly -- toward resolving another tragedy,
that of Ruby Ridge, Idaho.
I think it's quite clear that we wouldn't be seeing that movement
had the NRA not insisted on hearings into Waco.
Weaver's lawyer, Gerry Spence, summed up the government's 16
months of constant surveillance, 1.2 million dollar investment
and its 11-day siege of a log cabin when Spence said, "You had
federal agents come into a little county in northern Idaho,
suspend state law and then say they had the right to eliminate
anyone with a gun."
Last year, the Justice Department's own task force sharply
criticized the FBI's actions during the incident, immediately
after the incident and after court proceedings. This task force
concluded that the bureau's conduct, quote, contravened the
constitution, unquote, and that criminal charges should be
considered against those responsible.
Taxpayers who footed the 1.2 million dollar cost of the Ruby
Ridge tragedy must now fork over an additional 3.1 million
dollars. Soon, perhaps, the advice of the Justice Department's
own task force will be heeded, that criminal charges be brought
against those responsible.
Despite the savaging of NRA by the press, by the Charlie Schumers
and the Bill Clinton's, the hearings into Waco and, soon, Ruby
Ridge that NRA has called for consistently are starting to bear
fruit. Justice is being done. The truth is coming out. NRA did
the right thing -- not for praise, but for principle.
True, the Waco House hearings were not what they should have
been, but in anticipation of what they would reveal -- and
partially did reveal, FBI director Louis Freeh demoted his
deputy, Larry Potts.
America is discovering what NRA has suspected all along. Waco
and Ruby Ridge, fundamentally, were never, repeat, never a
problem of law enforcement officers, but a problem of leadership.
Maybe we think that way, because NRA and law enforcement go way
back. It was NRA who invented police firearms training in 1916.
It's NRA whose ten thousand certified law enforcement instructors
today work with over four hundred and fifty thousand law
enforcement officers -- local, state and -- you betcha --
federal.
NRA also buys a $25,000 life insurance policy free of charge for
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 -- some law enforcement
agency loses an officer, an agent, a sheriff or deputy every
other month -- and so does NRA.
President Bill Clinton told the Cleveland Plain Dealer earlier
this year, quote, The NRA is the reason the Republicans control
the House, unquote. We didn't earn Bill Clinton's love, we
earned his ire.
That's what you're seeing play out in the press, in the last
several months, and in the months to come.
Why?
Let's ask this man -- final slide of the morning -- a picture of
Henry Clay, a truly great lawmaker of the nineteenth century.
Let me paraphrase what Henry Clay said before the U.S. Senate on
March 14, 1834.
Those in power mark their victim and spread hatred of him -- to
conceal their own abuse of power and their own encroachment upon
liberty.
So if Henry Clay were here today, and talked in today's
vernacular, I think he'd tell us, don't be surprised when you see
the cheap shots being taken at NRA. Henry Clay would chalk it up
to human nature of those in power who see their power crumbling.
Don't be surprised, Clay might say, when Clinton's allies in the
media elite ignore the fact that, just last month, NRA recruited
enough new members to fill the Houston Astrodome.
Don't be surprised, Clay might say, when NRA has its most
successful legislative year in 1995, and our opponents respond by
slinging mud.
And don't be surprised when they ignore the positive story all of
you have written and continue to write in the hearts and minds of
thousands of competitors and other shooters.
We do it, because we know it's right.
We do it not for praise but for principle.
It was true on Election Day 1994.
It will be true this fall when the House of Representatives votes
to repeal the Clinton Gun Ban.
It will be true on Election Day 1996, when NRA and the
rest of America elect a President of the United States other than
Bill Clinton.
Thank you.
=+=+=+=+
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For further information,
July 24, 1995 call: NRA Public Affairs
703-267-3820
NRA ON CONNECTICUT COURT DECISION
A decision based on political correctness,
not constitutional correctness
Fairfax, Virginia -- "From a court, the people expect a decision
based on constitutional correctness. In Connecticut, they got a
decision on political correctness." With these words, officials of
the National Rifle Association of America criticized the
Connecticut Supreme Court's review of a ban on certain firearms
enacted last year.
"NRA has said for years that the right to bear arms is under
attack. The Connecticut Supreme Court decision removes all doubt,"
said Mrs. Tanya K. Metaksa, executive director, NRA Institute for
Legislative Action (NRA-ILA).
"The court, in the most cavalier fashion imaginable, simply ignored
the key arguments. To suggest, as the court did, that being able
to own some 'weapons' satisfies this right is bogus on its face.
That's tantamount to saying that one enjoys full First Amendment
protection, provided you say only certain things.
"Our argument was based on the Connecticut constitution which says
'every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and
the state.' It is clear language. But the court said, as long as
you have something, your right is intact. Not so," she said.
"That decision means, your rights are up for grabs."
Mrs. Metaksa continued, "No one should be surprised that certain
jurists have an aversion to certain rights. And no one should sit
back and say, because of that hostility, rights are not rights,
people are not people and arms are not arms. If we buy into that
illogic, we would have to agree with a Supreme Court which, years
ago, was hostile to the civil rights provisions of the 14th
Amendment and the idea that people of different races should be
treated equally by their government. From roughly the 1890s until
after the Second World War, the Supreme Court basically refused to
enforce the equal protection provisions of the 14th Amendment and
the voting rights provisions of the 15th.
"Rights do not depend on the whims of legislators or the hostility
of jurists."
Mrs. Metaksa cautioned that this decision should be reviewed in
historical context. As noted by Law professor William Van Alstyne
in a recent Duke University Law Journal article, First Amendment
jurisprudence did not begin in earnest until 1920. "No one would
argue that there were no First Amendment rights in 1919," said Mrs.
Metaksa, "so beware of those who claim that the Connecticut
constitution doesn't mean what it says."
In his article, Van Alstyne affirmed that the Second Amendment
guaranteed an individual right of the people and compared NRA's
work on Second Amendment issues today to ACLU's work on the First
Amendment in the early 1900s.
"At issue in Connecticut is a right exercised by half the
households in the United States and advanced through legitimate
political advocacy by millions of Americans," she concluded. "We
believe the people will prevail on a matter confirmed by a wide
array of legal scholars, that the Second Amendment guarantees an
individual right and that self-defense is indeed a civil right."
-- nra --
=+=+=+=+
August 22, 1995
Mr. Robert G. Streeter
Assistant Director - Refuges and Wildlife
US Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C Street, NW
MS 670 ARLSQ
Washington, DC 20240
Dear Mr. Streeter:
On behalf of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA),
I appreciate having the opportunity to comment in support of the
Service's proposed rule to add Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to
the List of Open Areas for Hunting in Ohio (RIN 1018-AD31).
The proposed rule states that this hunting program "is to be
used primarily as a management tool for balancing the white-tailed
deer population objectives with other wildlife objectives, thereby
inhibiting this species from impacting the quality of vegetative
habitat." It further notes that opening the refuge to hunting will
relieve the refuge of expenses incurred in "responding to deer-
vehicle accident and crop depredation complaints."
Although the proposed rule underscores the historical role of
hunting as a legitimate and viable wildlife management tool, we are
concerned that the Service is not addressing hunting on its own
merits as an acceptable recreational activity on wildlife refuges
(See attached copy of our comments on adding Cape May National
Wildlife Refuge to the List of Open Areas for Hunting in New
Jersey). The justification in the proposed rule leaves the
impression that the Service feels the need to apologize for opening
the refuge to hunting. Given the restrictions the refuge intends to
implement for the proposed hunting program, it would appear that
providing for recreational hunting on the refuge even when not
designed specifically to relieve an overpopulation/depredation
problem would be appropriate and feasible.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment and express our
support for this rulemaking.
Sincerely,
Susan R. Lamson
Director, Conservation, Wildlife and
Natural Resources
Enclosure
=+=+=+=+
For Immediate Release: For More Information:
August 24, 1994 NRA Public Affairs
(703) 267-3820
GOVERNOR FORDICE RECEIVES
NRA'S FIRST "DEFENDER OF JUSTICE" AWARD
Fairfax, VA -- "The National Rifle Association of America,
CrimeStrike division and 35,000 Mississippi NRA members are proud
to present the first "Defender of Justice" award to Governor Kirk
Fordice for his leadership in fighting crime in Mississippi,"
Elizabeth J. Swasey, CrimeStrike's Senior Counsel for Policy stated
today as she presented the award to the Governor.
In his first term as governor, Kirk Fordice helped pass a
landmark prison construction bill that adds 5,500 new prison beds
to the state's prison bed population. In addition to these new
facilities and rules, Governor Fordice is putting prisoners to
work, training them in construction and prison farming.
"Violent criminals in Mississippi prisons will no longer live
better than the law-abiding poor. There will be no TVs, no
stereos, and no weights -- unless they are gotten the old-fashioned
way, unless they are earned," said Ms. Swasey.
Governor Fordice has also joined with Louisiana and Alabama to
develop a criminal justice information system; he has abolished the
confidentiality of a juvenile's criminal record and established a
sex offender registry. Throughout the past two sessions of the
state legislature, Governor Fordice has made sure that citizens
will be protected from criminals by concrete and steel -- not mere
campaign promises.
"In establishing the "Defender of Justice" award, NRA
CrimeStrike sought to recognize state governors, attorneys general,
and legislators who understood the failures of the past, recognized
the need for tough measures in crime fighting, and who demonstrated
the political will to implement these measures now," stated Ms.
Swasey.
"Since its formation in 1992, CrimeStrike has identified 20
proven ways to cut crime in America. Mississippi has implemented
almost all of them, and plans to address many of the others very
soon," Ms. Swasey added.
In 1994, CrimeStrike was active in six states. Now
CrimeStrike is helping to make sweeping reforms in 18 states.
CrimeStrike has been instrumental in reforming the nation's
juvenile justice reform system, as well as being the first national
organization to push for and pass the "Three Strikes and Your Out"
initiative in Washington state. The CrimeStrike juvenile justice
reform package was recently adopted by the American Legislative
Exchange Council as model legislation for the 50 states.
##
=+=+=+=+
NRA & LAW ENFORCEMENT: Ties That Bind
By Craig D. Sandler, Director, NRA Law Enforcement Activities
and Ron Keysor, Senior Editor, NRA CrimeStrike
NRA's relationship with the nation's law enforcement community is
an enduring one, reaching back through generations of lawmen and
women. Thousands of officers belong to NRA, and they have held
every office in the organization, including the NRA presidency.
But self-serving political attacks on NRA have shaken many in the
law enforcement community, and some officers still aren't aware
of NRA's role, or its resolve in support of law enforcement that
has only grown stronger.
In the 1980s, NRA helped pass the landmark Law Enforcement
Officers Death Benefit bill signed into law by President Reagan.
And through the years, NRA has lobbied for forceful criminal
justice reforms that most street police officers support.
Annually, NRA honors a distinguished Law Enforcement Officer of
the Year with a cash award and recognition at NRA's Annual
Meetings.
Nowhere has the long and valued kinship between NRA and law
enforcement forged a tighter bond than in NRA's role as the
leader and partner in police firearms instructor training and
police competitive shooting. These are among the skills that
spell the difference between officer survival and death, skills
that save police lives.
Today, some 10,000 officers - local, state, federal, and private
security - hold NRA's nationally recognized certifications as law
enforcement and private security firearms instructors. They will
have contact with an estimated 450,000 other rank and file badge
wearers in their agencies during the year.
Thousands also hone their shooting skills in NRA-sanctioned
police shooting tournaments at every level right up to the annual
NRA-sponsored "World Series" of police shooting, the National
Police Shooting Championships held annually since 1962. That
event alone puts more than 500 officers, federal, state, and
local, in head-to-head competition, serving as a forum for
enhancing shooting skills and professionalism.
In any week, NRA's staff of handgun, rifle, shotgun and
submachine gun instructors fans out across the country, teaching
week-long schools to officers who in turn teach their agencies'
members safe and effective use of their arms. Experienced guest
training officers from major police agencies around the nation
supplement NRA's staff trainers.
NRA instructors don't teach students how to shoot. Their students
are designated by their departments as training officers, and
they know how to shoot. NRA's role is to give them the program
and teaching skills needed to teach fellow officers the skillful
use of some of their most vital equipment, their firearms.
The desirability of police training was a novel concept back in
1916, when Frank J. Kahrs penned a pioneering article in Arms And
The Man, the predecessor to NRA's American Rifleman. Declaring
the need for marksmanship training, Kahrs proposed a systematic
program that included live-fire "at least once a month" and set
forth a regimen that proceeded through slow- and rapid-fire
training with the service revolver on silhouette targets.
Just as NRA at its birth in 1871 faced inertia in efforts to win
support for national marksmanship training for the country's
soldiers and future soldiers - the very reason for NRA's creation
- police firearms training was slow to gain acceptance.
A 1920 NRA survey of cities with populations over 25,000 revealed
only 13 with firearms training. This prompted the Army's National
Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP), the body that
oversees the Civilian Marksmanship Program, to launch a "Special
Police School" in conjunction with the National Matches at Camp
Perry, Ohio.
NBPRP and NRA, with their long and collegial partnership in
marksmanship training, then put together a program as part of the
annual Small Arms Training School. It included a pioneering
tactical course of fire called "Hogan's Alley," a running target
course, and even judo instruction.
NRA enhanced this Camp Perry police program in 1924 by asking
police chiefs in every city of more than 10,000 to come Camp
Perry to compete in the National Matches pistol phase. Ten police
teams responded that year, the birth of NRA-sanctioned police
competitive shooting that continues to this day. Within a year,
Los Angeles Police Chief R. Lee Heath asked American Rifleman
writer E.C. Crossman to assist in designing the LAPD's pistol
range. In another landmark, LAPD introduced monthly pay bonuses
for qualifying officers. Top shooters got $12.50 extra each month
for their skills, a lot of money in 1925.
Police departments across the nation were beginning to recognize
the value of firearms training.
NRA's commitment got a boost in 1926 with introduction of NRA's
police qualification program that included indoor and outdoor
competition and ranked competitors in Marksman, Sharpshooter and
Expert classes. Shooting medals and brassards were offered to
boost interest.
By 1929, the Camp Perry police school and pistol matches
attracted 140 officers and 17 four-man teams, and a police
classification system was in place. That growing interest
prompted NRA to establish a "Police Section" at headquarters the
following year.
The Camp Perry school and the spread of NRA-sponsored police
training and competition had taken hold, and the 1936 victory of
the Los Angeles Police Dept.'s team in the National Pistol Trophy
Team Match proved a milestone in police competition. LAPD
shooters were the first to wrest the team title away from the
dominant military pistol squads of the day, and an era of
widespread police competition arrived. It spawned the likes of
six-time National Pistol Champion Harry Reeves, a Detroit police
officer, and brought new vitality to police competition. The
LAPD, Detroit Police, and U.S. Treasury Dept. were fielding
top-flight pistol teams by then, as were other agencies.
World War II brought an end to civilian activity at Camp Perry,
and ammunition shortages curtailed competitive shooting. It
wasn't until 1956 that the "Special Police School" was
reinstated, with NRA staffers serving among the instructors.
In 1960, NRA made its greatest commitment to law enforcement
training, creating a completely new program, and for the first
time offering certification as NRA Police Firearms Instructors.
NRA was the only serious player in police training in those days,
and its certification was quickly accepted and has remained the
national standard. Then, as now, NRA trained only those
individuals who would train their department's officers, gaining
a multiplier effect with each trained officer sent back to his
agency. Changing department assignments, of course, insures a
continuous flow of new officers requiring instruction.
NRA added a new wrinkle that stuck, as well. It began sanctioning
police agency training and qualification programs, sharing its
expertise. NRA continues to review and register police courses to
enrolled agencies to this day.
To enhance recognition for trainees, NRA also introduced police
shooting brassards, insignia and uniform qualification bars. It
began sanctioning police competition over practical or
combat-type courses of fire on silhouette targets. By 1961, NRA
could count 613 newly certified instructors and a growing number
of officers firing over NRA-approved qualification courses and in
sanctioned combat matches.
The first NRA-sponsored National Police Pistol Championships
fired over the Practical Pistol Course (PPC) were conducted by
the Indiana University Department of Police Administration at
Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1962. A policewoman from
Columbus, Ohio. The following year, NRA introduced national
classification for police firing over a modified PPC. While it
was thought mostly small departments would participate, all of
the New York City Police Dept.'s firearms instructors applied for
credentials, among the 453 departments then enrolled with NRA.
By the mid-1960s, NRA could count more than 2,000 certified
instructors, and more strides were made in enhancing the police
competitive shooting program. Among those on the staff of what
was now known as the Police Firearms Instructor School at Camp
Perry in the summer of 1965 was New York City Police Lt. Francis
J. McGee, who over the next 25 years became the patron saint to
NRA's police training efforts.
NRA took a deep breath in 1967 and began offering instructor
ratings to training officers for private security firms, then as
now a major increment of the badge-toting community. The '60s saw
other developments, including a new "Police Firearms Instructor
Manual" and development of a training film.
The 1970s saw growth and innovation, too. The NRA Police
Distinguished Combat Badge was inaugurated in 1972, and the
number of police classified competitors soon stood at more than
6,000 officers. The number of certified police instructors topped
8,000 when the upgraded NRA Security Firearms Program came on
line in 1976 to enhance service to this growing need - there are
five times as many private security officers as there are public
law officers - and by the end of the decade there was a new
police shotgun program and the number of local and regional
instructor schools had blossomed to 18. NRA also began providing
assistance for the National Law Enforcement Explorer Scout Pistol
Championships, an involvement that continues today.
A consolidated NRA Police Activities Division was created in
1979, with G.W. "Eliot" Ness as director. In 1982, it was renamed
again, becoming the Law Enforcement Activities Division. The '80s
saw the security officer training program further enhanced, and
NRA added a rifle instructor development school. In 1987, NRA
took on the job of training all 179 of the U.S. Customs Service's
newly designated firearms instructors.
That landmark year also saw the introduction of the law
enforcement submachine gun instructors school. NRA also
recognized the rapidly developing police switch from revolvers to
semi-auto pistols by hosting several seminars on the conversion.
Beretta, Glock, Heckler & Koch, SIG-ARMS and Smith & Wesson
provided guns and ammunition for officers participating in the
seminars. Still another significant training program, long range
rifle, to help train special response or SWAT teams, came on line
in 1988.
As the 1990s have grown to middle age, the number of schools, as
many as 50 in a year, and the number of trainees and instructors
in all categories, grows. And rather than teaching "NRA's way" of
shooting, today's instructors present all of the many accepted
techniques. The police competition program, now with more than
6,000 competitors nationwide, continues to hone shooting skills
and offers lawmen professional recognition, including
"Distinguished" programs in both revolver and semi-auto pistol.
While many commercial trainers have joined the police training
field in recent years, NRA's cost for its week-long schools is
roughly half that charged by private firms. And with its 10,000
certified police and security instructors, NRA remains the only
nationally recognized certifying body. That certification is a
benefit for officers both in the field and in the courtroom, for
NRA enjoys a reputation as the authority in firearms training,
safe use and handling. Currently, 1,247 agencies are enrolled in
NRA's law enforcement program.
NRA's commitment to law enforcement is historical and growing.
NRA provides $25,000 in free insurance felonious death benefits
for families of NRA-member law enforcement officers killed in the
line of duty, with more than $400,000 paid out to date. It also
offers $1,000 scholarships for the children of member lawmen via
the Jeanne E. Bray Memorial Scholarship Fund, named for the late
Columbus police officer, shooting champion and NRA Director.
In 1995, the Law Enforcement Activities Division conducted its
first-ever tactical police shooting schools, "to enable the
officer not just to survive but to win potentially lethal
confrontations." The division also continues tried and proven
efforts like the police body armor discounts and its technical
information center, a clearinghouse and data base for information
on police equipment and firearms-related training.
=+=+=+=+
NRA-ILA CrimeStrike Bulletin
11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030
* August 22, 1995 * 1-800-TOUGH-11 *
`Thrill Killer' May Get Parole Unless Oregon Citizens Fight Back
NRA CrimeStrike seeks assistance from Oregon residents in
blocking the parole of convicted murderer Jeffrey Lee Spoonire,
scheduled for a hearing Sept. 14 before the Oregon Board of Parole
and Post-Prison Supervision. Oregonians wishing to sign or
distribute petitions may call Project Coordinator Molly Anderson at
1-800-TOUGH-11.
Thirteen years ago, from a bluff in Bend, Oregon, Spoonire
spotted a passing jogger, Mary Ann Thomas Hoser. Out of curiosity,
according to newspaper accounts, he shot her in the head. Mrs.
Hoser revived enough to crawl down the road, where her husband
found her dead.
Spoonire, now 35, was dubbed a "thrill killer," convicted of
Mrs. Hoser's murder, and sentenced to life in prison, with a 10-
year minimum sentence, the most severe penalty then available.
"He should not get out at all," said Deschutes County DA Mike
Dugan. He prosecuted Spoonire back in 1982. Family members are
opposing Spoonire's parole.
Spoonire is the 15th murderer whose parole NRA CrimeStrike is
seeking to block through a petition drive and news conferences with
the victims' families. All of these "Keep Killers in Prison"
projects have been successful except the case of Oregon's double
murderer, Russel Obremski, who was paroled in 1993 despite a
CrimeStrike lawsuit and petition drive, but who has since been
returned to prison.
"How can a system that even considers freeing a cold-blooded
murderer be called a criminal justice system? It can't," said NRA
Chief Lobbyist Tanya Metaksa. "We'll work with Mrs. Hoser's family
to prevent Spoonire's parole, and with the rest of Oregonians to
ensure this doesn't happen again," she said.
ALEC Honors Colorado's Rep. Epps; OKs Two CrimeStrike Model Bills
Colorado State Rep. Mary Ellen Epps was honored with the
American Legislative Exchange Council's Criminal Justice Award at
the non-partisan organization's annual meeting in San Diego earlier
this month.
Rep. Epps was cited for her leadership in sponsoring ALEC's
model criminal justice bills dealing with intermediate sanctions
and intensive supervision that were enacted into law in Colorado.
Vice chairman of the Colorado Criminal Justice Commission,
Rep. Epps also sponsored ALEC's model Citizens Right to Know:
Pretrial Release bill and co-sponsored right to carry legislation
that passed the Colorado House.
NRA CrimeStrike was also recognized by ALEC with the council's
acceptance of CrimeStrike drafts of model bills on violent and
habitual juvenile offenders and for the creation of neighborhood
restorative justice centers for non-violent juveniles.
What's Going On Behind Bars?
While some states are getting rid of weightlifting programs
and putting inmates on chain gangs, Maryland is taking another look
at live entertainment at state prisons after an Aug. 12 show by a
three-woman band that had inmates trying to scale a courtyard fence
in a "sexual frenzy." The incident occurred at the Maryland
Correctional Training Institution near Hagerstown.
Meanwhile, Connecticut State Sen. Kevin Rennie said he was
outraged that Natural Born Killers, an R-rated film about a pair of
lovers on a killing spree, was shown at a juvenile detention
center, reports USA Today. Among the film's scenes: a prison riot.
Death Penalty Fact Sheet Available
With the continuing controversy over the death penalty, NRA
CrimeStrike has available a fact sheet that puts the issue in
perspective. To receive "Capital Punishment in the United States,"
telephone 1-800-TOUGH-11.
Update: IL, CA Paroled Killers
The body of 10-year-old Christopher Meyer, the suspected
victim of paroled killer Timothy Buss, was recovered in Illinois on
Aug. 15. The child's disappearance was reported here last week.
Police said they would charge 27-year-old Buss with the murder.
Buss, an early suspect in the boy's disappearance, was paroled in
1993 for the 1981 molestation and murder of a 5-year-old girl.
In another case reported here earlier, a jury has recommended
the death penalty for paroled killer William Suff, 44, who was
convicted earlier for the stabbing and strangulation deaths of 13
California women. Sentencing is Oct. 10. Suff was paroled after
serving just 10 years of 70-year sentence for the beating death of
his 3-month-old daughter in Texas in 1973.
"While every state, indeed, every county, has its Buss' and
Suff's, the key is to get angry and fight for change, not give up,"
said CrimeStrike Senior Policy Counsel Elizabeth Swasey. "Nothing
about crime is inevitable. Bad policy choices got us into this
mess, and better ones can get us out of it," she said.
FOR INTERVIEWS WITH SPOKESPERSONS, CALL 1-800-TOUGH-11.
=+=+=+=+
NRA-ILA FAX NETWORK
11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 1-800-392-8683 * Fax: 703-267-3918
Vol. 2, No. 38 8/25/95
FREEH FALL AT FBI
FBI Director Louis Freeh, who came to Washington with a
reputation for integrity, is extremely pained over recent
allegations surrounding the FBI's mismanagement of the 1992 Ruby
Ridge raid. In an August 23, Washington Post story, Freeh noted
that above and beyond his personal torment over this situation,
his own distress "pales in comparison to the anger and sense of
frustration that something like this could happen." The "this"
that Director Freeh is referring to is serious allegations that
senior FBI officials involved in the Ruby Ridge tragedy covered
up the truth surrounding what occurred at Mr. Weaver's cabin
three years ago. Mr. Freeh has pledged "absolutely swift and
firm action" to restore the public's confidence in the
beleaguered agency. Additionally Freeh did concede that knowing
what he knows now, he would not have promoted Larry Potts to the
position of FBI Deputy Director earlier this year (Potts has
since been suspended from the FBI).
REYNOLDS UP THE RIVER?: On August 22, vehemently anti-gun
Congressman Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.) was found guilty of multiple
charges of sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice.
Reynolds was also convicted on multiple counts of aggravated
sexual abuse; solicitation of child pornography and obstruction
of justice. All told, the maximum penalty for conviction on all
charges is 75 years in prison. According to an August 25
Washington Post report, Reynolds plans to appeal the conviction,
and is desperately hanging on to his Congressional seat, despite
numerous cries from fellow Members of Congress to resign.
Members of Congress do not have to resign their seats when
convicted of a crime, but their colleagues can vote to oust them.
Whether they'll oust him or not is yet to be seen. Stay tuned!
A LOOK AT THE STATES: Mississippi: Primary runoff elections
will be held on Tuesday, August 29. In those runoffs, NRA has
endorsed Democratic Reps. Charles Waldrup in House District 30
and Joe Ellzey in House District 88, and Republican Sen. Brad
Lott in Senate District 52. We hope members in these districts
will make it to the polls on Tuesday and support these candidates
who support our freedoms. Voter turnout in runoff elections is
extremely low, so your votes will make the difference! SPECIAL
NOTE: you may only vote in a party's primary runoff if you voted
in that party's primary or if you did not vote at all in the
primary. For example, if you voted in the Democratic primary in
your district, you are not eligible to vote in the Republican
primary runoff.
HOT AIR ABOUNDS: On August 21, the California State Senate
passed a resolution lauding former President George Bush's
decision to resign from the NRA. The resolution was sponsored by
Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles) who claimed "the NRA
leadership was wrong and overstepped its bounds in attacking
federal agents." The measure was passed by a vote of 21-13. One
of the 13 Senators who opposed the proposal was Sen. Newton
Russell (R-Glendale) who noted "before we rush to condemn the NRA
in a blanket, we need to understand that the federal government
is no lily-white organization."
GUNS, CRIME & FREEDOM NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK & AUDIO TAPE:
This national best-seller by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne
LaPierre is now available in paperback and on audio cassette.
This sweeping defense of gun ownership explores and dispels the
popular myths about gun control, crime, and the Second Amendment,
and provides insight into the agenda of those who want to ban our
guns. Guns, Crime, and Freedom examines the so-called "studies"
and statistics often cited by gun control activists to back up
their claims, and exposes them for what they are: pure anti-gun
propaganda. Arm yourself with the facts - pick up your copy of
Guns, Crime, and Freedom in paperback or on audio cassette at
your local bookstore today.
NRA OPEN HOUSE A SMASHING SUCCESS: Over 5,000 people attended
the NRA's Open House on August 19! Members and their families --
from as far away as Alabama and Indiana -- were treated to a book
signing by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre as well as
a "Friends of the NRA" auction. The day's events served as a
great way for the attendees to see NRA's new national
headquarters and learn firsthand about many of the Association's
new programs. Our thanks and appreciation to all who attended!
GRASSROOTS GEARING UP IN NEW JERSEY: On Saturday, September 16,
NRA-ILA will host a special grassroots/election seminar in an
effort to enhance our activities for the upcoming November
elections. The seminar will be held in East Brunswick, and is
totally free. The meeting will provide you with helpful
information on how you can help elect pro-gun lawmakers to
office. To register for the East Brunswick seminar, or for
additional information, please call Lee Maceira in the NRA-ILA
Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-8683. Special Note: similar
seminars will be held throughout the nation through the 1996
elections as well. Stay tuned!
=END=
=+=+=+=+
============================================================
N R A G R A S S F I R E !
------------------------------------------------------------
The Newsletter for NRA-ILA Volunteers
August 1995 Vol. 1, No. 8
============================================================
NRA-ILA INAUGURATES ITS
24-HOUR FAX INFO SYSTEM
NRA-ILA is proud to announce NRA-ILA FaxLine -- a 24-hour
information retrieval system, which will make most NRA-ILA
alerts, fact sheets and brochures available by fax. To use the
system, call (703) 267-3734 from your fax machine and follow the
voice instructions. Within minutes you'll have the printed
information you need! You pay only for the cost of the call.
Right now you can get daily updates on the U.S. Congressional
hearings on Waco via NRA-ILA FaxLine. So call (703) 267-3734
today and stay on top of the action! If you have trouble getting
through, or if you would like more information on NRA-ILA
FaxLine, please call NRA-ILA at 1-800-392-8683.
HOUSE HEARINGS SUGGEST
WACO COVER UP
Missing Treasury records, reports "filled with falsehoods and
distortion of the facts," and deception of the Department of
Defense by ATF to acquire military equipment and training --
that's what's been uncovered in the initial days of Congressional
hearings into the 1993 tragedy in Waco, Texas.
As Committee co-chairman Rep. Bill Zeliff (R-N.H.) stated,
"the truth is being sought and new facts are starting to come
out." Those facts included: (1) ATF agents testified that they
refused an invitation by David Koresh to come and examine his
firearms long before the deadly raid; (2) testimony by legal
experts showed that the search warrant needed to enter the
compound was filled with "inflammatory language ... sloppy
...[with] factual inaccuracies"; (3) while ATF's request for
military involvement hinged on a methamphetamine drug lab at the
Mt. Carmel compound, a deputy sheriff from the area testified
that "he had never seen and had no knowledge of any drug lab,"
and (4) an internal ATF document confirmed that pages of ATF's
surveillance logs on the Branch Davidian compound were "torn
out," and other documents attributed to an ATF agent fired for
his role in the Waco raid (and later reinstated) were
"destroyed."
And in the latest sign of a cover-up, a Friday, July 21
Associated Press report stated that Treasury Secretary Robert
Rubin called Rep. Bill Brewster (D-Okla.) and urged him, in
Brewster's words, "to not ask any questions that would make the
administration look bad." Former NRA Director Brewster spurned
the Secretary's advice, saying "I told him I would ask my
questions as I saw fit, probably a little more direct than
that....we'll let the chips fall where they may."
While these facts clearly prove the necessity of these
hearings, it's been difficult for co-chairs Zeliff and Rep. Bill
McCollum to keep the Committee focused, as the anti-gun crowd led
by Reps. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John Conyers (D-Ill.) are
doing their best to derail & discredit the investigation by
diverting attention from the true purpose of the hearings to a
non-stop NRA bash and blame session -- even going so far as to
demand that NRA officials be subpoenaed to testify before the
Committee! The hearings continue through Friday, July 28. For
more information, call the NRA-ILA FaxLine at (703) 267-3734 and
get your printed update in minutes! Or, for a complete
transcript of the hearings, call the Federal News Service at 1-
800-969-3677. Let them know you're an NRA member and you'll get
the complete transcript at a special rate!
And speaking of Waco, a July 14-17, 1995 Washington Post/ABC
News poll revealed that 56% of the public believes that the
Congressional hearings on Waco are being held to investigate
legitimate issues, while 67% believe the Whitewater hearings seek
to embarrass the Clinton Administration.
ATF UNDER SENATE SCRUTINY
On Friday, July 21, the U.S. Senate held hearings on ATF which
focused on racism within the organization, namely the "Good Ol'
Boys Roundup," an annual lawmen's gathering, plagued with racist
incidents, founded by a former ATF agent and attended (by
invitation only!) by numerous federal agents. In a hearing which
featured top-level executives from the Justice and Treasury
Departments, very little was accomplished. FBI Director Louis
Freeh, Assistant Treasury Secretary Ron Noble, and ATF Director
John Magaw admonished those who attended the disgraceful event.
And although he did not testify at this hearing, a July 20,
Washington Times report stated that Treasury Secretary Robert
Rubin has ordered his department's inspector general to conduct a
"comprehensive and independent" investigation of the "Roundup."
He also said he wants investigators to "take all necessary steps
so that we can tell the American people this will not happen
again."
RUBY RIDGE STILL REARING ITS HEAD
On Thursday, July 20, The Washington Post reported that U.S.
Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Ut.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) will hold
hearings on the 1992 government raid at Ruby Ridge. Specter's
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Government Information
hearings will start on September 6, and will no doubt focus on
the amended rules of engagement drawn up by FBI officials that
allowed FBI snipers to shoot any armed adult on sight. Also,
renewed allegations of a possible FBI coverup resurfaced when a
senior FBI official admitted to destroying documents relevant to
FBI's activities in the Idaho siege. No word yet on when Hatch's
hearings will begin. Stay tuned!
CLINTON'S AMMO BAN -- STILL
LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR
President Clinton has yet to find a sponsor for his bullet ban
bill. But with the likes of Rep. Charles Schumer on the Hill,
there's little doubt that eventually he'll find someone to sign
on to this effort. Clinton's proposed ammunition bill calls for
the Secretary of the Treasury to establish regulations by which
to determine whether a projectile that may be used in a handgun
is capable of penetrating soft body armor. The Secretary of the
Treasury would also determine which body armor meets minimum
standards for protection of law enforcement officers. The
regulations would be promulgated after merely consulting with
representatives of law enforcement, organizations representing
the sporting use of firearms, ammunition and body armor industry,
and members of the ammunition and body armor research community.
This legislation also authorizes the appropriation of money
necessary to develop and implement performance measures for armor
piercing ammunition, and to issue regulations for performance
measures for armor piercing ammunition. We'll keep you posted as
to any new developments!
THIS YEAR'S MODEL
On 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 tack -- 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 the 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 posted!
ANTI-GUNNERS AMONG CLINTON'S
"CRIME COMMISSION" SELECTEES
On Wednesday, July 12, President Clinton announced the first
six members of his 10-member National Commission on Crime Control
and Prevention. Selected to chair the commission is Lee Fisher,
a former Ohio state legislator and state Attorney General with a
long anti-gun track record, now on the Board of Directors of the
Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, a wing of HCI.
Also named was Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Professor of Public
Health Practice and Assistant Dean of Government and Community
Programs for the Harvard School for Public Health, who wrote in
her 1991 book, _Deadly Consequences_, that firearms "make a
person grandiose. Carrying a weapon makes most people feel
important and strong. . . My own view on gun control is simple.
I hate guns and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to own
one. If I had my way, guns for sport would be registered and all
other guns would be banned." Other selectees include Dennis
Wayne Archer (mayor of Detroit), Paul Helmke (mayor of Fort
Wayne, Ind., a longtime supporter of restrictions on firearms),
Andrew J. Shookhoff (Juvenile Court Judge for Metropolitan
Nashville-Davidson Cty.), and Esta Soler (Founder and Executive
Director of the Family Violence Prevention Fund).
STATE ROUNDUP
Here is a quick summary of what's happened at the state level
over the past month. For an update on legislation currently
pending before your state, please call 1-800-392-8683.
In Louisiana, legislators rejected calling for a July special
session, during which they could have reconsidered bills which
passed this session that Governor Edwards had vetoed -- including
the NRA-backed right to carry reform bill. We'll look to come
back in 1997 and pass this critical measure, after NRA activists
work this year to elect a pro-gun governor who will sign right to
carry reform into law.
Two more states, Nevada and North Carolina, gave final
approval to NRA-supported right to carry legislation in early
July. This brings the number of states that have passed right to
carry bills this year -- either establishing a "shall issue"
system or reforming existing carry laws -- to 10. Now, a total
of 28 states are considered to have fair, non-restrictive carry
laws!
In Ohio, the Senate approved right to carry legislation,
sending it to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration
this fall. On the House side, NRA-ILA and state activists will
address amendments added to the bill which relate to training
requirements and restrictions on carrying by individuals with
permits. Meanwhile, the House approved instant check legislation
to replace the Brady Act waiting period in the state. Senate
Committee consideration will take place on this measure later in
the fall.
In Oregon, Governor Kitzhaber vetoed two NRA-supported reform
measures: a bill which would have clarified and strengthened the
state firearms preemption statute and shooting range protection
legislation. As this went to press, it appeared as though a
special session might be held at the end of July, during which
state lawmakers could reconsider bills which the governor had
vetoed. The governor did not veto legislation that will replace
the state's 15-day waiting period on handgun purchases with an
instant criminal records check system. It will become law with
or without his signature and is scheduled to take effect July 1,
1996. He also signed legislation that increases the offense of
hunter harassment from a violation (civil penalty) to a Class A
misdemeanor.
Attention NRA-ILA Volunteers! For your special preview copy
of the NRA-ILA Victory Report From The States, a feature article
that will appear in the September issue of NRA's official
magazines, please call 1-800-392-8683.
RIGHT TO CARRY: PRESIDENT CALLS
FOR CHANGE AND GETS IT!
President Clinton is always calling for "change," and you've
been giving it to him. Before Clinton took office, favorable
right to carry laws were in place in only 17 states with a total
population of about 65 million Americans, or 25% of the nation.
Since Clinton took office, 11 states have enacted new "shall
issue" right to carry laws, and several others have improved
existing "shall issue" statutes. As of today, right to carry
laws are in place in 28 states, with a total population of about
115 million Americans, 45% of the country.
NRA'S CREDIT RATING REALITY
On July 18, newspapers nationwide jumped on a report by Dun
and Bradstreet (D&B) claiming NRA is in dire financial straits.
Truth be told: the D&B report was issued based on erroneous news
reports and outdated information (1993). NRA does not routinely
furnish financial information to D&B because, unlike other
organizations, our business with banks and contractors is not
dependent on that agency's rating. Our attorneys may look into
the matter with D&B officials and possibly furnish current data
to set the record straight. In the meantime, our relations with
banks and contractors remains healthy, as one would expect from a
124 year-old organization, with some $49 million in cash and
investments, which pays its bills on time.
THE POLITICS OF CRIME OR
THE CRIME OF POLITICS?
On July 9, the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice
Statistics issued a report claiming there was a sharp increase in
gun-related violent crimes reported to the National Crime
Victimization Surveys (NCVS) between 1992 and 1993. Once again,
it appears that the Justice Department is using its resources to
further the Clinton Administration's political agenda. Although
the study's conclusion concerning guns that were actually used to
shoot victims is probably accurate, its results are most likely
tainted by victims' perceptions that criminals may have been
armed during the commission of a particular crime, since the
American public is subject to a pervasive message by the media
that all criminals carry guns. Since only a tiny fraction of the
NCVS data were released, precise analysis isn't possible,
however, it reflects ill on the validity of this "study" that the
FBI reports no similar increase in gun-related violent crimes.
PRO-GUN ELECTION ACTION
MANUAL NOW AVAILABLE
Attention all NRA-ILA Volunteers! There is no time like the
present to prepare for the 1996 elections. And to help you get
ready, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division has put together its 1995-
1996 Pro-Gun Election Action Manual. Find out what you can do
today to help elect pro-gun lawmakers to office, from
volunteering for a candidate's campaign -- to organizing your
club and fellow gun owners into an well-run political machine!
For your free copy, call the Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-
8683.
NRA OPEN HOUSE AUGUST 19th
Join us at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday,
August 19 for NRA's Open House! This free event offers guided
tours of NRA Headquarters, our new range, the Petersen Guns &
Ammo firearm collection, plus seminars and dozens of other
activities. For directions, or more information on the event,
please call 1-800-382-8683.
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H.R. 1488:
"Citizens' Protection From Violent Crime Act of 1995."
Violent crime in America has increased dramatically over the
past 30 years and has become shockingly brutal and random in
nature. H.R. 1488, "The Citizens' Protection from Violent Crime
Act of 1995," seeks to control crime by increasing penalties for
armed violent criminals and repealing restrictions on law-abiding
citizens. H.R. 1488 recognizes that "the Second Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States guarantees citizens the right
to possess firearms. This right is grounded in the need for self-
defense." H.R. 1488 will:
o Restore to citizens their ability to defend themselves from
violent crime by reaffirming their right to use firearms within
their homes for self-defense. It also repeals the ban on
so-called "assault weapons" which serves only to restrict
law-abiding citizens from obtaining the firearms of their choice
for defending themselves against violent predators.
o Strengthen federal law in several ways to ensure that
violent criminals who use firearms to threaten or harm others are
severely punished.
o Require the U.S. Department of Justice to establish a
national armed violent criminal apprehension program designed to
get the most dangerous offenders off the streets.
Summary of H.R. 1488's Provisions:
o Repeals the ban enacted in the 1994 Crime Bill on semi-
automatic firearms and so-called "large capacity ammunition
feeding devices" and extinguishes any liability, penalty or
forfeiture incurred under those Crime Bill provisions. It also
repeals references to semi-automatic firearms in federal gun
crimes.
o Reaffirms the right of a citizen who is not prohibited by
federal law from owning a firearm to use a firearm within a home
for self-defense purposes. Enables a person who is denied this
right to bring a civil suit in federal court, seeking both
damages, injunctive relief and attorneys' fees, against the
person or government responsible for denying this right.
o Creates a new federal crime for possessing, brandishing or
discharging a firearm while committing a "serious violent felony
or serious drug offense" punishable in state court. The
mandatory prison sentences for using firearms in these
circumstances, in addition to the sentence imposed for the crime
of violence or drug trafficking crime, are five years for
possession of the firearm, 10 years for brandishing it, and 20
years for discharging it. Second convictions carry penalties of
20 years for possession, 25 years for brandishing, and 30 years
for discharging.
This section also brings the current penalties in the
federal law pertaining to the use of firearms in the commission
of certain federal crimes into conformity with the penalties
provided by this section. Finally, the section expresses
congressional intent that federal law enforcement should not
supplant state and local prosecutions of firearms related crime.
This section is only intended as a supplement to such state and
local efforts.
o Establishes new federal mandatory minimum sentences for
serious violent felons who possess firearms. Current federal law
contains a 15-year mandatory sentence for possession of a firearm
by someone with three prior convictions for serious crimes. This
section would add a 10-year sentence for someone who has two
prior convictions and a 5-year sentence for someone with one
prior conviction.
o Adds serious drug offenses committed by juveniles to the
list of prior crimes punishable by the 15-year mandatory sentence
for
"armed career criminals."
o Authorizes the federal government to detain prior to trial a
violent felon charged with possession of a firearm.
o Directs the Attorney General to establish within six months
after enactment of the bill an "armed violent criminal
apprehension program." Elements of the program include:
1) designating at least one federal prosecutor in every U.S.
attorney's office to prosecute federal laws pertaining to armed
violent criminals;
2) requiring that every U.S. attorney establish a task force
within his or her federal district to coordinate with state and
local law enforcement the apprehension of armed violent
criminals;
3) requiring monthly reports from U.S. attorneys concerning
the number of armed violent criminals arrested and prosecuted;
4) Congress summarizing the information received from the
U.S. attorneys. The Attorney General may waive the requirements
affecting U.S. attorneys in low-crime areas.
Although debate on H.R. 1488 probably won't occur in the
House until mid-fall, NRA-ILA continues to recruit co-sponsors to
the bill. The more co-sponsors we get, the better our chances
will be to pass this critical measure this year! Action Alert:
please continue to contact your U.S. Representative at 202/225-
3121, 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!
=+=+=+=+
The American Rifleman, September 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
Despite informing 69-year-old Mary Bradford that he didn't
want to hurt her, the 6-ft., 300-lb. intruder had forced his way
into the terrified woman's Indianapolis, Indiana, home demanding
money and was rummaging through her kitchen in search of a knife.
Bradford, who was able to retrieve her .38 from the living room,
confronted the man, who pointed a butcher knife at her. Bradford
fired a single shot, killing him. (The Star, Indianapolis, IN,
5/12/95)
The sound of a hunting rifle being loaded was all it took to
send a hungry intruder scurrying from a Brownstone, Pennsylvania,
home. Despite a well-lit house, somebody jimmied locks, slipped
through the garage, and made his way into Benny Pruden's kitchen,
while the homeowner worked on a computer upstairs. Pruden heard
the refrigerator open, but never had the chance to actually see
his unwelcome guest as the criminal or criminals instantly fled
at the sound of him loading his .308. A purse and briefcase taken
from the home were found in a neighboring yard. (The New Era,
Lancaster, PA, 4/6/95)
A would-be carjacker picked the wrong Columbia County,
Georgia, woman to victimize as she was preparing to go home after
a long day at work. Carol Randolph was getting into her car when
she noticed a strange man approaching her. She jumped in the
vehicle and locked the doors as the bandit drew a semi-automatic
pistol. Randolph had her own .38 and fired a single on-target
shot through the car's side window at her attacker. The injured
stranger fired one wild shot and fled the scene, only to be
arrested by police the next day after he attempted to enter a
home. (The Chronicle, Augusta, GA, 5/24/95)
It took NRA Life Member Earl Tiller. 67, to do what others
had been unable to as the Fresno, California, resident" actions
led to the arrest of one of California's most-wanted fugitives
Suspected of more than 15 home invasions and numerous robberies
in which elderly residents suffered severe beatings, the thug
dove through an open bedroom window and attacked Tiller and his
wife in his typical fashion. Untypical was the ensuing struggle
where Tiller shot the fugitive four times before the man fled the
home. The criminal later turned up in a hospital where police
arrested him in connection to the string of savage attacks. (The
Bee, Fresno, CA, 6/14/95)
When a teen bandit grabbed Mobile, Alabama, store owner
Harold Lambert's gun from beside the cash register and pointed it
at his head, the punk thought he had gotten the drop on him. The
crook's bravado turned sour, however, when Lambert's wife,
Marilyn, pulled her own .25 auto and aimed it at the gun-wielding
robber. Backing out of the store, the bandit joined his
accomplice standing guard outside, and fled, firing shots through
the window. Pursued by Lambert and two other business owners on
foot, the delinquents jumped in a car but were apprehended by
police just three blocks away. (The Press Register, Mobile, AL,
5/4/95)
"It was the easiest arrest I have ever made," said an
Indiana state policeman. A teenage runaway had already stolen one
four-wheeled ATV and hoped to steal a second from a Greenfield,
Indiana, gun club. But when the trooper arrived on the scene, he
found the young criminal begging 90-year-old club owner Dennis
Kingen to put down his gun. "It was quite a scene. Here is this
90-year-old man with his oxygen tank holding an 18-year-old kid
at bay with a handgun." (The Daily Reporter, Greenfield, IN,
6/5/95)
Awakened by the sound of her barking dogs, a Clinton,
Connecticut, woman inspected her house and found not only a
screen missing from a kitchen window, but also a heavyset
intruder standing motionless in her living room. The woman
returned calmly to her bedroom where she retrieved her handgun.
At the sound of her chambering a round into the pistol, the
intruder unlocked the front door and fled the property. (The
Register, New Haven, CT, 6/3/95)
A Norfolk, Virginia, pizza delivery driver was sent to a
high-crime neighborhood with another driver as a safety
precaution and was still forced to defend himself and his fellow
employee in a brazen robbery attempt. Overtaken by three
hoodlums, the armed driver fatally shot one of his attackers as
the other two scurried away at the sight of the firearm. (The
Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, VA, 5/20/95)
Wilmington, Delaware, shopkeeper Dalton Waterman, 70, was
shot during a robbery attempt two years ago and swore next time
he would shoot back--he did. When a man stormed into his store
and pointed a pistol at Waterman, demanding cash, the senior
citizen reactively ducked behind the counter, drew his .38, and
cut loose with a shot in the intruder's direction. Waterman
missed his target, but it was enough to send the crook bolting
from the store. (The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, 5/31/95)
The three intruders entered a Chicago, Illinois, home and
were stalking down the hall through the darkness when Robert
Brown heard one of the housebreakers say, "Somebody's here, let's
get him." Frightened but ready, Brown shot one of the thugs dead
and was forced to wound another after the criminal attempted to
attack the homeowner with a screwdriver. The wounded suspect and
his unharmed accomplice then escaped the house. The injured crook
was later arrested. (The Sun-Times, Chicago, IL, 5/9/95)
The intruders should have heeded 71-year-old Kenneth Struhs'
warning to leave after kicking in the door to his Emigration
Canyon, Utah, home. Instead, the two men continued toward Struhs,
forcing him to shoot one of them in the leg with a .22 cal.
rifle. At the sound of the shot, both men tried to flee, but the
injured crook collapsed on the porch where he remained until
police and paramedics arrived. The arrested criminal had a
lengthy criminal record that dated back six years. (The Tribune,
Salt Lake City, UT, 5/24/95)
=+=+=+=+
The NRA Education Loan Program
Affordable Student Loans:
The NRA Education Loan Program makes it easier and faster
than ever for you or any family member to get education financing
up to $25,000 annually. This is a private, credit-based loan
program for undergraduate, graduate and professional students
enrolled in accredited universities and colleges, as well as for
students enrolled in private secondary schools.
You or any member of your family can borrow $1,500 to
$25,000 a year, up to a total of $100,000, for tuition and other
education-related expenses, including $3,000 for a personal
computer to use for school.
Quick & Easy:
A 15-minute phone call is all it takes to pre-qualify for a
NRA Education Loan.
* Your complete application is processed in just 48 hours.
* Your application is accepted any time during the year.
* You pay no application fee.
* Disbursements are immediate or can be delayed up to 90
days to meet your requested disbursement schedule.
Low Monthly Payments:
In addition to our competitive rates, you can repay the loan
over 15 years or prepay early without penalty.
Repayment of the loan principal can even be deferred up to
four years while still in school.
The NRA Education Loan Program can be used alone or in
combination with the federally- guaranteed Stafford (subsidized
and unsubsidized) and PLUS loans that we also offer.
One Simple Phone Call:
Our toll-free customer service network is staffed by Loan
Service Specialists committed to helping students and families
find the most affordable solution to their education financing
needs.
In just 15 minutes you'll find out whether or not you
pre-qualify for the loan. Our Loan Service Specialists will guide
you through the application process and will provide premier
customer service throughout the life of the loan.
To pre-qualify, please have the following information
available for all parties to the loan:
* Date of birth
* Social Security number
* Annual salary
* Rent or mortgage payment
To apply, call: 1-800-659-6771, ext. 640.
The NRA Education Program:
The purpose of the NRA Education Loan Program is to make
education affordable to the families of our members.
This program is available exclusively to current members of
the National Rifle Association. The NRA Education Loan Program is
one of the many benefits of membership.
=+=+=+=+
FRIENDS OF NRA EVENT SCHEDULE
Come join your friends at the next Friends of NRA event. Support
your Second Amendment rights while having a great time meeting
other gun enthusiasts and supporters. It's an event the entire
family can enjoy.
These fund-raising events begin with a banquet, followed by a
live and silent auction for unique NRA merchandise, as well as
other merchandise donated by local businesses. Half of all net
proceeds raised stays within the state where raised to fund such
vital projects as youth education classes, firearms training,
range development, and wildlife conservation. The other half
supports similar national projects.
To get involved, contact the local person listed below. Or, you
can call the Event Services Manager at (703) 267-1354. Don't
miss out!
ALABAMA
Alabama (Lafayette) 8/12/95--Rockfence Cmte.--Branch McLendon,
(800) 627-2006
Alabama (Enterprise) 8/17/95--Coffee County Cmte.--Brent
Underwood, (334) 598-0014
Alabama (Eufala) 8/18/95--East Alabama Cmte.--Rodger Kott, (912)
334-7009
Alabama (Birmingham) 10/5/95--Central Alabama Cmte.--Shep Jones,
(205) 870-9675
ARIZONA
Arizona (Yuma) 9/22/95--Yuma Cmte.--Bill Baumbeck, (520) 726-1877
Arizona (Prescott) 9/23/95--Yavapai Cmte.--Dean Hall, (602)
949-5007
Arizona (Tombstone) 9/30/95--Tombstone--Big Ed Douglas, (520)
457-3616
Arizona (Flagstaff) 10/6/95--Northern Arizona Cmte.--Gene
Schroeder, (520) 527-0968
Arizona (Tucson) 10/13/95--Old Pueblo Cmte.--Eugene Burns, (602)
326-0834
Arizona (Alpine) 10/14/95--Alpine Cmte.--Terry Concannon, (602)
339-4912
Arizona (Phoenix) 10/19/95--Old West Cmte.--John Doherty, (602)
944-1014
ARKANSAS
Arkansas (Jonesboro) 8/24/95--Northeast Arkansas Cmte.--Steve
Skillern, (501) 933-6479
Arkansas (Magnolia) 8/26/95--Southwest Arkansas Cmte.--Steve
Rogers, (501) 234-2277
Arkansas (Springdale) 9/14/95--Northwest Arkansas Cmte.--Charles
C. Farmer, (501) 751-4577
CALIFORNIA
California (Palmdale) 8/4/95--Antelope Valley Cmte.--Fred
Harkins, (805) 948-2304
California (San Bernardino) 8/5/95--Inland Empire Cmte.--Tom
Miklesovic, (909) 889-9440
California (Fairfield) 8/8/95--Solano County Cmte.--The Shooting
Gallery, (707) 449-4867
California (Buena Park) 8/12/95--North Orange Cmte.--Hayden Heal,
(714) 282-8345
California (Bakersfield) 8/19/95--Kern County Cmte.--Daryl Amble,
(805) 833-9438
California (Simi Valley) 8/26/95--Simi Valley Cmte.--Paul Mole,
(805) 527-1090
California (Weaverville) 9/9/95--Trinity County Cmte.--Rene
Mitchell, (916) 623-2843
California (Stockton) 9/13/95--Stockton Cmte.--J.P. Nelson, (916)
878-1133
California (Victorville) 10/20/95--High Desert Cmte.--Chuck Wolf,
(619) 948-1817
California (Yreka) 10/28/95--Yreka Cmte.--Joe Ayers, (916)
842-4837
California (Madera) 10/28/95--Fresno-Madera Counties Cmte.--Dick
Zachary, (209) 226-3280
COLORADO
Colorado (Grand Junction) 10/7/95--Western Slope Cmte.--Robert
Dyer, (970) 245-3142
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut (Vernon) 9/29/95--Eastern Connecticut Cmte.--Leonard
Bach, (203) 875-8355
Connecticut (Stamford) 10/26/95--Fairfield County Cmte.--Stan
Siegel, (203) 853-0085
DELAWARE
Delaware (Milton) 10/13/95--Sussex County Cmte.--Charlie Steele,
(302) 645-8350
FLORIDA
Florida (Brooksville) 8/5/95--Nature Coast Cmte.--Bill Gerland,
(804) 796-7706
Florida (Orlando) 8/11/95--Central Florida Cmte.--Tim Alexander,
(407) 299-4077
Florida (Jacksonville) 8/22/95--First Coast Cmte.--Thomas R.
Ascher, (904) 731-3446
Florida (Gainesville) 8/25/95--North Florida Cmte.--Jeff Dissell,
(904) 378-9231
Florida (Pensacola) 9/7/95--Florida Panhandle Cmte.--Boswell
Smith, (904) 447-4807
Florida (Ocala) 9/14/95--Silver River Cmte.--Richard Irimia,
(904) 486-4409
Florida (Pinelli's Park) 9/21/95--Bay Area Cmte.--Kent Dils,
(813) 461-1892
Florida (Melbourne) 9/22/95--Space Coast Cmte.--Carolyn Scrosati,
(407) 777-1395
Florida (Winter Haven) 9/30/95--Florida Ridge Cmte.--Doug
Bohannen, (941) 293-5335
Florida (Ft. Myers) 10/3/95--Greater Ft. Myers--John Grgurich,
(813) 936-6968
Florida (DeLand) 10/5/95--Volusia Area Cmte.--John N. Gregory,
(904) 734-3044
Florida (Morriston) 10/14/95--Williston Dove Hunters Cmte.--The
Quail Den, (904) 528-0557
Florida (Miami) 10/17/95--South Florida Cmte.--Wayne Sessions,
(305) 445-9971
Florida (Boca Raton) 10/19/95--Gold Coast Cmte.--Jeff Wait, (407)
369-3427
Florida (Stuart) 10/20/95--Treasure Coast Cmte.--Glen Rubin,
(407) 223-8160
GEORGIA
Georgia (Griffin) 9/21/95--Central Georgia Cmte.--Bob Thompson,
(334) 514-0274
Georgia (Dallas) 9/26/95--West Georgia Cmte.--Randy D. Garvin,
(404) 947-0758
Georgia (Athens) 10/3/95--Northeast Georgia Cmte.--Eric Johansen,
(706) 354-5052
Georgia (Waycross) 10/19/95--Okefenokee Cmte.--Steve Pope, (912)
283-8370
Georgia (Fitzgerald) 11/30/95--Ocmulgee Cmte.--Skeet Ewing, (912)
423-9801
IDAHO
Idaho (Twin Falls) 8/18/95--Magic Valley Cmte.--Becky Hyde, (208)
324-7647
Idaho (Boise) 8/19/95--Treasure Valley Cmte.--Lynn Tominaga,
(208) 343-6742
Idaho (Lewiston) 8/27/95--Lewis & Clark Cmte.--Loren B. Neill,
(509) 758-8845
Idaho (Pocatello) 9/1/95--Pocatello Area Cmte.--Gary Tiede, (208)
226-2423
Idaho (Coeur d'Alene) 9/9/95--Lake Country Cmte.--, (208)
772-3894
ILLINOIS
Illinois (Grafton) 8/25/95--Riverbend Cmte.--Joe Claflin, (618)
729-3232
Illinois (Bloomington) 9/8/95--East Central Illinois Cmte.--Mike
Huber, (815) 964-1941
Illinois (Union) 9/12/95--McHenry County Cmte.--Rich Young, (815)
338-7757
Illinois (Rock Island) 9/15/95--Mississippi Valley Cmte.--Tom
Thournout, (309) 762-8610
Illinois (Aurora) 10/5/95--Fox Valley Cmte.--Carl W. Kuhn, (708)
469-4650
Illinois (Rockford) 10/20/95--Winnebago-Boone County Cmte.--Dan
Smyth, (815) 965-1016
Illinois (Libertyville) 10/25/95--Lake County Cmte.--Pete
McCarthy, (708) 367-5718
Illinois (Elmhurst) 11/2/95--DuPage-Will Cmte.--Jim McBride,
(708) 852-8105
INDIANA
Indiana (Evansville) 8/4/95--Southwestern Indiana Cmte.--Brent
Weil, (812) 464-9508
Indiana (Terre Haute) 8/16/95--West Central Indiana Cmte.--Mike
Reed, (317) 832-3218
Indiana (Kokomo) 8/31/95--North Central Indiana Cmte.--Rick
Bartley, (317) 453-0498
Indiana (South Bend) 9/7/95--Michiana Cmte.--Jack Armbruster,
(219) 277-8330
Indiana (Spencer) 9/21/95--Big Walnut Cmte.--Jim Burnhans, (812)
339-4544
Indiana (Bloomington) 9/23/95--Sycamore Valley Cmte.--Mac
Moulden, (812) 336-5575
Indiana (Batesville) 10/28/95--Southeastern Indiana Cmte.--Joe
Rauch, (812) 623-2097
IOWA
Iowa (Waterloo) 10/7/95--Northeast Iowa Cedar Valley Cmte.--Mark
Scheel, (319) 277-7109
KANSAS
Kansas (Wichita) 8/12/95--Heartland Cmte.--Dennis Hein, (316)
775-5722
Kansas (Great Bend) 8/19/95--Fort Zarah Cmte--Kevin Lockwood,
(316) 792-5217
Kansas (Garden City) 10/12/95--Southwest Kansas Cmte.--Jeff
Landgraf, (316) 276-6406
Kansas (Fredonia) 10/21/95--Sekan Cmte.--Lee White, (316)
378-2306
Kansas (Topeka) 10/28/95--Capitol City Cmte.--Jerry Marney, (913)
235-1585
KENTUCKY
Kentucky (Paducah) 8/31/95--West Kentucky Cmte.--Elmer L.
Henderson, (502) 554-0588
Kentucky (Ashland) 9/9/95--Northeastern Kentucky Cmte.--Victor
Kersey, (606) 324-5563
Kentucky (Hickman) 10/7/95--Fulton County Cmte.--Paul L. Wilson,
(502) 883-5005
Kentucky (Owensboro) 10/12/95--Big Rivers Cmte.--Bob Robertson,
(502) 683-8851
LOUISIANA
Louisiana (Delhi) 8/3/95--Northeast Louisiana Cmte.--Robert
Harold, (318) 467-5998
Louisiana (Monroe) 8/17/95--Ouachita Valley Cmte.--Jim Brooks,
(318) 345-1372
Louisiana (Metairie) 10/5/95--Bayou Cmte.--Diane Aguilera, (504)
737-1676
MAINE
Maine (Augusta) 11/2/95--Kennebec Cmte.--Julian Beale, (207)
622-1157
MARYLAND
Maryland (Hagerstown) 9/23/95--Washington County Cmte.--Jerry
Mangan, (301) 791-2384
Maryland (Cumberland) 10/20/95--Allegany Cmte.--Lee Osmansky,
(301) 724-1955
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts (Randolph) 10/18/95--Greater Boston Cmte.--Carl
Provost, (617) 938-1978
MICHIGAN
Michigan (Traverse City) 8/18/95--Northwest Michigan Cmte.--Mary
Lou Boyd, (616) 947-6881
Michigan (Lansing) 9/7/95--Capitol Area Cmte.--Doug Lamb, (517)
676-1909
Michigan (Mt. Pleasant) 9/9/95--Mid-Michigan Cmte.--Wade R.
Williams, (517) 772-0832
Michigan (Midland) 9/13/95--Tri-Cities Cmte.--Glenn Duncan, (517)
894-6691
Michigan (Troy) 10/5/95--Oakland-Macomb Cmte.--Charlie Lidstrom,
(810) 797-5453
Michigan (Gaylord) 10/14/95--Otsego County Cmte.--Rick Nedow,
(517) 731-1000
Michigan (Hillman) 10/18/95--Montmorency Cmte.--Charles Manning,
(517) 785-4148
MINNESOTA
Minnesota (Bemidji) 8/17/95--Bemidji Area Cmte.--John Ahrens,
(218) 751-3761
Minnesota (Duluth) 9/12/95--Lake Superior Cmte.--Dan Dunphey,
(218) 525-1702
Minnesota (Medina) 11/29/95--Twin Cities Cmte.--Marilyn Bergum,
(612) 421-5931
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi (Vicksburg) 8/10/95--Red Carpet City Cmte.--Ron
Klages, (601) 636-2662
Mississippi (Meridian) 10/12/95--East Mississippi Cmte.--Wayne
Stokes, (601) 693-4575
MISSOURI
Missouri (Sullivan) 9/22/95--Meramec Area Cmte.--Ed Thurmond,
(314) 927-5314
Missouri (Theodoria) 9/23/95--Bull Shoals Lake Cmte.--Judy
Schnable, (800) 609-6711
Missouri (Poplar Bluff) 11/4/95--S.E. Missouri Cmte.--Tim
Heuisser, (314) 785-6627
MONTANA
Montana (Billings) 9/16/95--Billings Area Cmte.--Al Wambach,
(406) 656-4844
Montana (Kalispell) 9/29/95--Flathead Valley Cmte.--Al Below,
(406) 755-4867
Montana (Helena) 9/29/95--Capital City Cmte.--Bill Bigelow, (406)
656-4321
NEBRASKA
Nebraska (Omaha) 8/18/95--River City Cmte.--Ward Parker, (402)
331-0609
Nebraska (York) 9/23/95--Crossroads Cmte.--Charles R. Jacobsen,
(402) 724-2553
Nebraska (Grand Island) 10/19/95--Central Nebraska Cmte.--Joseph
Kovarik, (308) 382-6545
Nebraska (Fairbury) 11/13/95--Southeast Nebraska Cmte.--Bruce
Swartz, (402) 729-5201
NEVADA
Nevada (Elko) 8/12/95--Elko Cmte.--Darlene Shaw, (702) 738-2666
Nevada (Las Vegas) 8/26/95--Southern Nevada Cmte.--Roy Lee, (702)
647-6807
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey (Mt. Laurel) 9/19/95--Delaware Valley Cmte.--William
Garland, (908) 295-8813
New Jersey (Cape May) 9/28/95--Cape May County Cmte.--Jerry
Clark, (609) 729-0456
New Jersey (Bordentown) 10/12/95--Central Jersey Cmte.--Mark
Drozdek, (609) 394-1749
New Jersey (Hampton) 10/13/95--Hunterdon Hills Cmte.--Irving
Luizza, (908) 735-9375
New Jersey (Garfield) 10/26/95--Sons & Daughters of Liberty
Cmte.--Robert Weiner, (908)
288-9350
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico (Deming) 9/26/95--Ibex Country Cmte.--Howard G. Staub,
(505) 546-3727
New Mexico (Truth/Conseqnce) 9/30/95--Adobe Hills Cmte.--Judy
Dafforn, (505) 894-2173
New Mexico (Hobbs) 10/28/95--Permian Cmte.--Mark Stone, (505)
392-1226
New Mexico (Albuquerque) 11/9/95--Rio Grande Cmte.--Charles
Weisleder, (505) 877-6128
NEW YORK
New York (Johnstown) 8/24/95--Foothills Cmte.--John Brindle,
(518) 773-4175
New York (Staten Island) 9/7/95--Staten Island Cmte.--Staten
Island Cmte., (718) 390-8205
New York (Camillus) 9/7/95--Central New York Cmte.--David
Simpson, (315) 488-8489
New York (Suffern) 9/15/95--Hudson Valley Cmte.--Marie Merla,
(914) 358-1405
New York (Boonville) 9/23/95--Northern Tier Cmte.--Doreen Marks,
(315) 942-5484
New York (Owego) 9/29/95--Southern Tier Cmte.--Mike Langton,
(607) 648-4198
New York (Glendale) 10/19/95--Metropolitan Cmte.--Katherine
O'Brien, (718) 821-1024
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina (Lumberton) 9/22/95--Southeastern North Carolina
Cmte.--Tommy Bryant, (910)
738-4840
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota (Fargo) 9/20/95--Fargo Cmte.--Marilyn Bergum, (612)
421-5931
North Dakota (Dickinson) 10/28/95--Theodore Roosevelt Cmte.--Gary
Mittlestadt, (701) 225-9508
OHIO
Ohio (Ashland) 8/4/95--North Central Ohio Cmte.--Howard Glick,
(419) 281-2556
Ohio (Newark) 8/12/95--Land of Legend Cmte.--Tina Waldren, (614)
345-8832
Ohio (Fremont) 8/15/95--Camp Perry Cmte.--Lori Ann Wood, (419)
332-0956
Ohio (Vandalia) 8/17/95--Miami Valley Cmte.--Friends of NRA
Cmte., (513) 293-2950
Ohio (Perrysburg) 8/18/95--Northwest Ohio Cmte.--Dean Hinebaugh,
(419) 867-1277
Ohio (Sandusky) 9/21/95--North Coast Cmte.--Gary Frankowski,
(419) 627-8254
Ohio (Harrison/Cincin) 9/22/95--Tri County Cmte.--Bob Ford, (513)
922-1660
Ohio (New Philadlphia) 10/5/95--Tuscarawas County Cmte.--Chuck
Matthews, (216) 364-5540
Ohio (Jackson) 10/7/95--Southern Ohio Cmte.--Friends of NRA
Cmte., (614) 286-6158
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma (Woodward) 9/14/95--Northwest Oklahoma Cmte.--Rick
Poage, (405) 254-3511
Oklahoma (Tulsa) 9/14/95--Green Country Cmte.--Haroldine Hines,
(918) 743-5276
Oklahoma (Muskogee) 10/7/95--Indian Territory Cmte.--Dennis
Moore, (918) 683-2047
OREGON
Oregon (Hillsboro) 8/12/95--Northwest NRA Appreciation Day--John
Gearin, (503) 359-5968
Oregon (Roseburg) 8/19/95--Douglas County Cmte.--Fred A. Dayton,
(502) 672-5143
Oregon (Eugene) 8/26/95--Emerald Valley Cmte.--Jack Weinstein,
(503) 688-8700
Oregon (Milwaukie) 9/15/95--Oregon Trail Cmte.--Mike Butler,
(503) 678-2360
Oregon (Bend) 9/22/95--High Desert Cmte.--Todd Butler, (503)
389-9164
Oregon (Pendleton) 9/23/95--Blue Mountain FNRA--Tim McCormick,
(503) 276-4439
Oregon (Albany) 12/2/95--Mid-Valley Cmte.--Deb Pitzer, (503)
928-2460
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania (Hummelstown) 8/19/95--Greater Harrisburg Area
Cmte.--Martin Rupert, (717)
566-8541
Pennsylvania (Franklin) 9/12/95--Verango County Cmte.--Fred
Krizinsky, (814) 437-2147
Pennsylvania (State College) 9/13/95--Happy Valley Cmte.--William
Sipple, (814) 238-2874
Pennsylvania (North Wales) 9/19/95--Bux-Mont--Jule Maurer, Jr.,
(215) 953-0443
Pennsylvania (Johnstown) 9/21/95--Conemaugh Valley Cmte.--John
Heckman, (814) 536-4360
Pennsylvania (Greensburg) 9/26/95--Fay-West Cmte.--Wayne
Kreinbrook, (412) 547-8229
Pennsylvania (Williamsport) 10/11/95--Susquehanna Valley
Cmte.--Paula Nelson, (717) 435-3350
Pennsylvania (Belle Vernon) 10/17/95--Mon-Valley Cmte.--George
Goettel, (412) 258-8494
Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg) 10/19/95--Tri-County Cmte.--Curtis
Moorhead, (717) 752-2383
Pennsylvania (Langhorne) 10/24/95--Bucks County Cmte.--John
Jones, Sr., (215) 750-7233
Pennsylvania (York) 10/26/95--White Rose Cmte.--Darwin Doll,
(717) 755-5849
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island (Johnston) 9/26/95--Narragansett Bay Cmte.--Bill
Reilly, (401) 274-7132
SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota (Mitchell) 8/23/95--Mitchell Cmte.--Chuck Summers,
(605) 996-6698
South Dakota (Brookings) 9/22/95--Brookings Cmte.--Tom Raines,
(605) 693-4086
TENNESSEE
Tennessee (Cookeville) 8/10/95--Upper Cumberland Cmte.--Myron B.
Stringer, (615) 526-2115
Tennessee (Alcoa) 8/17/95--Blount County Cmte.--Eugene B.
Nicholson, (615) 579-3103
Tennessee (Chattanooga) 9/23/95--Chattanooga Cmte.--Dan Wiggins,
(512) 274-9330
Tennessee (Memphis) 9/28/95--Memphis Cmte.--Jim Norris, (901)
867-8277
Tennessee (Knoxville) 10/19/95--East Tennessee Cmte.--Bob Wiest,
(615) 966-4545
TEXAS
Texas (Tyler) 8/3/95--East Texas Cmte.--Ken Wheeler, Jr., (903)
571-3072
Texas (Houston) 8/10/95--Houston Metro Cmte.--, (713) 268-2596
Texas (El Paso) 8/17/95--El Paso Cmte.--Bob Starkey, (915)
751-3030
Texas (Granbury) 8/18/95--Comanche Peak Cmte.--Bill Taylor, (817)
573-4195
Texas (Wimberley) 8/24/95--Hays County Cmte.--Terry Browning,
(512) 847-5737
Texas (Victoria) 8/31/95--Mid-Coast Cmte.--Darren Hester, (512)
575-0655
Texas (Bryan) 9/9/95--Aggieland Cmte.--Marcus Hutka, (409)
847-2360
Texas (Deer Park) 9/14/95--East Harris County Cmte.--Jim McLean,
(713) 470-8019
Texas (Amarillo) 9/16/95--Texas Panhandle Cmte.--Brad Powers,
(806) 376-7223
Texas (Bryan-Collge St) 9/19/95--Brazos Valley Cmte.--Tom
Davison, (409) 823-5244
Texas (Paris) 9/22/95--Northeast Texas Cmte.--Jerry Dudley, (903)
784-2508
Texas (San Antonio) 9/22/95--San Antonio Cmte.--Lloyd Kirkham,
(210) 675-1672
Texas (Brownsville) 9/26/95--Brownsville Cmte.--Rey Garza, (210)
541-4914
UTAH
Utah (Logan) 8/5/95--Cache Cmte.--Lloyd Johnson, (801) 245-4000
Utah (St. George) 9/9/95--St. George Cmte.--Dave Seely, (801)
673-1936
Utah (Price) 9/30/95--Price Cmte.--Ken Kirkwood, (801) 637-9585
VERMONT
Vermont (Burlington) 10/20/95--Champlain Valley Cmte.--Burke
O'Brien, (802) 862-5500
VIRGINIA
Virginia (Charlottesville) 8/12/95--Blue Ridge Cmte.--Vicki Hale,
(804) 974-1954
Virginia (Norfolk) 8/18/95--Tidewater Cmte.--Cal Nester, (804)
490-0918
Virginia (Victoria) 9/8/95--Southside Sportsman Cmte.--Anthony
Pasciuta Jr., (804) 568-4651
Virginia (Accomack) 9/30/95--Eastern Shore of Virginia
Cmte.--Brian Bloedel, (804) 787-1023
Virginia (Fairfax) 11/15/95--Fairfax Cmte.--Richard Addi, (703)
368-4053
WASHINGTON
Washington (Oak Harbor) 8/5/95--Deception Pass Cmte.--Greg
Roberts, (206) 679-4657
Washington (Bremerton) 8/11/95--Olympic Peninsula Cmte.--Frank
Munroe, (360) 698-6867
Washington (Wenatchee) 9/30/95--North Central Washington
Cmte.--Joe Hinkle, (509) 884-1458
Washington (Walla Walla) 11/17/95--Walla Walla Valley Cmte.--Fred
McPherson, (509) 529-8329
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia (Martansburg) 9/16/95--Eastern Panhandle
Cmte.--Bill Wenitsky, (304) 229-9157
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin (Waukesha) 8/24/95--Metro Milwaukee Cmte.--Jim
Hunzinger, (414) 797-9631
Wisconsin (Hancock) 9/9/95--Mecan Springs Cmte.--Curt or Sandy
Dollar, (715) 228-5151
Wisconsin (Wausau) 9/14/95--Northcentral Wisconsin Cmte.--David
Jensen, (715) 355-5583
Wisconsin (Marshfield) 9/21/95--Tri County Cmte.--Don Lange,
(715) 387-6609
Wisconsin (Wisconsin Dells) 10/18/95--Vacationland Cmte.--Fred
Kaminski, (608) 254-8366
WYOMING
Wyoming (Casper) 8/19/95--Casper Cmte.--Dean's Sporting Goods,
(307) 234-2788
Wyoming (Cheyenne) 8/19/95--Southeast Wyoming Cmte.--Mark Lantz,
(307) 634-5662
Wyoming (Thermopolis) 8/26/95--Big Horn Basin Cmte.--Grumpy's
Trading Post, (307) 864-5500
Wyoming (Buffalo) 9/9/95--Big Horn Cmte.--Stephen Kozsek, (307)
684-5424
Wyoming (Laramie) 11/4/95--Laramie Cmte.--Joe Morotti, (307)
742-4451
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9509C QUOTES FROM THE FOUNDING FATHERS REGARDING GUNS by the Founders
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*SECOND AMENDMENT *RKBA *HISTORY *CONSTITUTION
"And that said Constitution be never construed to authorize
Congress...to prevent the people of the United States, who are
peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms..." SAM ADAMS, in
the Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, Aug. 20, 1789.
"To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the
people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when
young, how to use them..." RICHARD HENRY (LIGHT HORSE HARRY)
LEE, writing in Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republic
(1787-1788)
"On every question of construction [of the Constitution] let us carry
ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted,
recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of
trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented
against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823, found in
The Complete Jefferson, p. 322
"The whole of the Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of
the people at large or considered as individuals... It establishes
some rights of the individual as unalienable and which
consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of."
ALBERT GALLATIN of the NY Historical Society, October 7, 1789
"...the people have a right to keep and bear arms." PATRICK HENRY
AND GEORGE MASON, Elliot, Debates at 185
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." THOMAS
JEFFERSON, Proposal for a Virginia Constitution, 1 T. Jefferson
Papers, 334 (C.J. Boyd, Ed. 1950)
"As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before
them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which
must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert
their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are
confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their
private arms." TENCH COXE in "Remarks on the First Part of the
Amendments to the Federal Constitution," under the pseudonym "A
Pennsylvanian" in the Philadelphia Federal Gazette, June 18, 1789.
"Last Monday a string of amendments were presented to the lower
house; these altogether respect personal liberty..." Sen. WILLIAM
GRAYSON of Virginia in a letter to Patrick Henry.
"The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left
in full possession of them." ZACHARIA JOHNSON, 3 Elliot, Debates at
646.
"A free people ought...to be armed..." GEORGE WASHINGTON, speech of
Jan. 7, 1790 in the Boston Independent Chronicle, Jan. 14, 1790.
"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they
be properly armed." ALEXANDER HAMILTON, the Federalist Papers at
184-8
"The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able
might have a gun." PATRICK HENRY, 3 Elliot, Debates at 386.
"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises,
I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body,
it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games
played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for
the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun
therefore be the constant companion of your walks." THOMAS
JEFFERSON, Encyclopedia of T. Jefferson, 318 (Foley, Ed., 1967).
"The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on
the other hand, arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and
plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as
property. The same balance would be preserved were all the world
destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will
not, others dare not lay them aside... Horrid mischief would ensue
were one half the world deprived of the use of them..." THOMAS PAINE,
I Writings of Thomas Paine at 56 (1894)
"Arms in the hands of citizens [may] be used at individual
discretion...in private self-defense..." JOHN ADAMS, A Defense of
the Constitutions of the Government of the USA, 471 (1788)
"A militia, when properly formed are in fact the people
themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms." RICHARD
HENRY (LIGHT HORSE HARRY) LEE, Additional Letters from the Federal
Farmer (1788) at 169.
"What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the
establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty." Rep.
ELBRIDGE GERRY of Massachusetts, I Annals of Congress at 750
(August 17, 1789).
"I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except
for a few public officials." GEORGE MASON, 3 Elliot, Debates at
425-426.
"The right of the people to keep and bear...arms shall not be
infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the people,
trained to arms is the best and most natural defense of a free
country..." JAMES MADISON, 1 Annals of Congress 434 (June 8, 1789).
"Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess
over the people of almost every other nation... Notwithstanding the
military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are
carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are
afraid to trust the people with arms." JAMES MADISON, Federalist
Papers, #46.
"Have we the means of resisting disciplined armies, when our only
defence, the militia, is put in the hands of Congress?" PATRICK
HENRY, 3 Elliot Debates at 48.
"And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not
warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of
resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of Liberty must be
refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and
tyrants." THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to William S. Smith, 1787, in S.
Padover (Ed.), Jefferson, On Democracy (1939), p. 20.
"Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and
every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right
of an American... [T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the
hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust
in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people." TENCH COXE,
Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.
"Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing
degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own
defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in our
possession and under our own direction, and having them under
the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of
having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more
propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" PATRICK HENRY,
3 Elliot Debates 168-169.
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and
bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against
tyranny in government." THOMAS JEFFERSON.
"Oppressors can tyrannize only when they achieve a standing army, an
enslaved press, and a disarmed populace." JAMES MADISON.
"Disarm the people - that is the best and most effective way to
enslave them." GEORGE MASON.
"Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as
they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in
America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword, because the whole
body of the people are armed, and they constitute a force
superior to any bands of regular troop(s)." NOAH WEBSTER.
"The general (federal) government will tend to monarchy, which will
fortify itself from day to day, instead of working its own cures."
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
"When firearms go, all goes - we need them every hour." GEORGE
WASHINGTON.
"Covenants without swords are but words." THOMAS HOBBES.
"Whenever there is an interest and power to do wrong, wrong will
generally be done and not less readily by a powerful and
interested Party, than by a prince." JAMES MADISON.
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society
but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened
enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the
remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their
discretion." THOMAS JEFFERSON.
"The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains
evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's
good." GEORGE WASHINGTON.
"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." DAVID
HUME.
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of
the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than
by violent and sud- den usurpations." JAMES MADISON
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone
who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it
but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are
ruined." PATRICK HENRY.
"Those who would sacrifice Liberty for temporary safety deserve
neither Liberty nor safety." BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They
are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under
independence... From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present
day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to insure peace,
security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally
indispensable." GEORGE WASHINGTON.
"When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the
people fear the government, there is tyranny." THOMAS JEFFERSON.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And now, some quotes from two 20th Century leaders:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to
stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly
to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is
patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country.
It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by
inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the
country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth,
whether about the president or anyone else..." THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to
allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all
conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have
prepared their own downfall by doing so." ADOLF HITLER.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
***** NOTE: These quotes were compiled by John Marshall, of
Phoenix, AZ.
Prodigy VFCM83A
CompuServe 76366,663
GEnie J.MARSHALL2 (PALADIN)
NRA Life Member
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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