Going Great Guns

Gun sales start TuesdaySeptember 3, 2008 - 11:03am
WASHINGTON - District residents will be able to buy handguns starting next Tuesday.
The District began registering handguns in mid-July in response to a Supreme Court ruling that overturned the city's long time ban. But, as of last month, only 11 handguns had been registered.
The low number could be because there was no way for residents to buy a handgun and get it transferred into the city. That's about to change.
"I do think the numbers will go up some once you can purchase in the District," says D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. "I don't think it's going to skyrocket."
Because there are no gun stores in the city, residents have been unable to purchase a handgun. The guns registered so far have either been illegal guns that were registered under the amnesty program or guns that were being stored out-of-state.
Federal law requires that guns purchased out-of-state be shipped from the dealer who sells the gun to another dealer in the state where the buyer is going to register the weapon.
Charles Sykes, the only licensed firearms dealer in the District willing to transfer handguns for individuals, tells WTOP his office in Anacostia will be open for business next week.
Sykes says he will be charging a $125 fee to transfer each handgun. Gun stores in Maryland and Virginia charge as little as $25 for the same service. Sykes says he gets between one to two calls a day about transferring guns.
Sykes has been transferring handguns for security firms in the city for years, but had to have his license and permits renewed after he moved his office. Traci Hughes, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department, says that process is complete and Sykes can begin transferring guns anytime.
"He is fully licensed by the ATF and the District," writes Hughes.
(Copyright 2008 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.) WASHINGTON - District residents will be able to buy handguns starting next Tuesday.
The District began registering handguns in mid-July in response to a Supreme Court ruling that overturned the city's long time ban. But, as of last month, only 11 handguns had been registered.
The low number could be because there was no way for residents to buy a handgun and get it transferred into the city. That's about to change.
"I do think the numbers will go up some once you can purchase in the District," says D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. "I don't think it's going to skyrocket."
Because there are no gun stores in the city, residents have been unable to purchase a handgun. The guns registered so far have either been illegal guns that were registered under the amnesty program or guns that were being stored out-of-state.
Federal law requires that guns purchased out-of-state be shipped from the dealer who sells the gun to another dealer in the state where the buyer is going to register the weapon.
Charles Sykes, the only licensed firearms dealer in the District willing to transfer handguns for individuals, tells WTOP his office in Anacostia will be open for business next week.
Sykes says he will be charging a $125 fee to transfer each handgun. Gun stores in Maryland and Virginia charge as little as $25 for the same service. Sykes says he gets between one to two calls a day about transferring guns.
Sykes has been transferring handguns for security firms in the city for years, but had to have his license and permits renewed after he moved his office. Traci Hughes, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department, says that process is complete and Sykes can begin transferring guns anytime.
"He is fully licensed by the ATF and the District," writes Hughes.

Some Items from the NRA

Robert D. Novak :: Townhall.com :: McCain Comes Through

Cop teaches gun class GRAND COUNTY, Colorado — The firearms classes he offers

Ledger-Enquirer.com 09/03/2008 Aiming high and shooting straight

NRA-ILA :: Fact Sheets2

NRA-ILA :: News Releases2

Watch Out for Obama

From the NRA
Friday, June 6, 2008

The presidential primary season is finally over, and it is time gun owners took a careful look at just where apparent nominee Barack Obama stands on the Second Amendment. During the primaries, Obama hid behind vague statements of support for “sportsmen” or claimed his general support for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

But his real record, based on votes taken, political associations, and long standing positions, shows that Barack Obama is a serious threat to Second Amendment liberties.

Don’t listen to his campaign rhetoric! Look at what he has said and done during his entire political career:

FACT: Barack Obama voted to allow reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry.
FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a complete ban on handgun ownership.
FACT: Barack Obama supports requiring law-abiding gun owners to register their firearms.
FACT: Barack Obama wants to re-impose the failed and discredited Clinton Gun Ban.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting.
FACT: Barack Obama supports local gun bans in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to uphold local gun bans and the criminal prosecution of people who use firearms in self-defense.
FACT: Barack Obama refused to sign a friend-of-the-court brief in support of individual Second Amendment rights in the Heller case.
FACT: Barack Obama wants to eliminate your Right to Carry.
FACT: Barack Obama was a member of the Board of Directors of the Joyce Foundation, the leading source of funds for anti-gun organizations and “research.”
FACT: Barack Obama supported a proposal to ban gun stores within five miles of a school or park, which would eliminate almost every gun store in America.
FACT: Barack Obama voted not to notify gun owners when the state of Illinois did records searches on them.
FACT: Barack Obama voted against a measure to lower the Firearms Owners Identification card age minimum from 21 to 18, a measure designed to assist young people in the military.
FACT: Barack Obama favors a ban on standard capacity magazines.
FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory micro-stamping.
FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory waiting periods.
FACT: Barack Obama supports repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment, which prohibits information on gun traces collected by the BATFE from being used in reckless lawsuits against firearm dealers and manufacturers.
FACT: Barack Obama supports “one-gun-a-month” sales restrictions.
FACT: Barack Obama supports a ban on inexpensive handguns.
FACT: Barack Obama supports a ban on the resale of police-issued firearms, even if the money is going to police departments for replacement equipment.
FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory firearm training requirements for all gun owners and a ban on gun ownership for persons under the age of 21.

Waiting for The Other Shoe to Drop

Moderates fuel big McCain wins

By Stephen Dinan

Sen. John McCain won a solid share of yesterday's Super Tuesday slate of primaries and caucuses, grabbing a big lead in delegates, but he was denied total victory by surprising victories chalked up by Mitt Romney out west and Mike Huckabee in the South. (See Our Right for more info on candidates.)

On the strength of his organizational skills Mr. Romney won seven states, mostly caucuses in western states, while Mr. Huckabee won five Southern states — and in the process both exposed conservative voters' continuing inability to win over the conservative voters that make up the party's base.

Recognizing that, Mr. McCain last night declared as much of a victory as he could, but already turned his rhetorical arrows at trying to nail down conserative Republicans.

"We've won a number of important victories in the closest thing we've ever had to a national primary," he told supporters at his post-election party in Phoenix, saying he now considers himself "the Republican Party front-runner for the nomination."

"I promise you, if I am so fortunate to win your nomination, I will work hard to ensure that the conservative philosophy and principles of our great party ... will again win the votes of a majority of the American people and defeat any candidate our friends on the other side nominate," he said.

Mr. McCain won in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma and California. Mr. Huckabee won contests in Arkansas, Alabama, West Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee. And Mr. Romney won in Massachusetts, Utah, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Colorado and Alaska.

Most important for Mr. McCain, his victories in winner-take-all big states and his domination in California, which splits votes by congressional district, will score him a huge number of delegates needed to win the nomination at September's Republican convention in Minneapolis.

With 87 percent of precincts in California reporting as of 8 a.m. today, Mr. McCain was winning in all but two of the state's 53 congressional districts, and Mr. Romney was only close in a handful of others.

Mr. Huckabee's strong showing left him to declare that he had topped Mr. Romney as the conservative alternative to Mr. McCain.

“Over the past few days, a lot of people have been trying to say that this is a two-man race. Well, you know what? It is, and we're in it,” the former Arkansas governor said at his victory party in Little Rock last night.

Mr. Romney vowed to continue running and told his supporters in Boston last night that he still sees a path to the nomination.

“There are some people who thought it was all going to be done tonight, but it's not all done tonight. We're going to keep on battling,” he said.

Still, he failed to narrow the race to the man-on-man contest that he had sought with Mr. McCain, which means conservatives will continue to split their votes.

Mr. Huckabee said Mr. Romney's window is closing even as his own is opening.

“The conservatives do have a choice because the conservatives do have a voice,” he said.
And those conservatives are apparently still shopping.

Exit polls showed that only in Connecticut did Mr. McCain actually win a plurality of self-identified conservative voters, barely topping Mr. Romney in the Northeastern state. In every other state, he trailed Mr. Huckabee, Mr. Romney or both.

In Utah he was tied for second with Rep. Ron Paul, well behind Mr. Romney, among conservative voters.

Even in his own home state of Arizona, Mr. McCain trailed badly among conservatives, with just 36 percent to Mr. Romney's 47 percent. And in California, Mr. Romney won nearly half of conservative voters, with 48 percent, according to the MSNBC exit polls.

Mr. McCain's problems with conservatives only deepened when James Dobson, the influential founder of conservative powerhouse Focus on the Family, said yesterday that he would rather stay home in November than vote for Mr. McCain.

“A spoonful of sugar does not make the medicine go down,” he said. “I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.”
Conservative direct-mail guru Richard Viguerie said the discontent goes deep.

“It's not just famous conservatives who feel this way. ... It's grass-roots conservatives, who remember what the senator did on taxes, immigration, freedom of speech, the gay 'marriage' amendment, 'global warming,' and a score of other issues,” he said.

Mr. McCain argues that Republicans will unite behind his strong national defense message and says his record shows he can reach across party lines and build a coalition that can help him compete for votes across the country in November.

He has a chance to make inroads tomorrow when he is scheduled to address the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington — a gathering he snubbed last year.

Brady Campaign Misses the Point Again

Brady Campaign Gives 48 States “Failing Scores” on Gun Control,Though Violent Crime is at a Historic Low

Every year since 1997, Brady Campaign has pretended to “grade” the states, with states that have the least gun control getting the fewest points, based upon Brady’s presumption that less gun control means more crime. It released its 2007 “State Report Cards” in January 2008.

Because most states do not have the laws Brady considers essential, and some have none, Brady gives most states “failing scores.” This year, out a possible 100 Brady points, 42 states got 28 or fewer points, six got 43-54, one got 63, and one got 79. “Our gun laws are so weak,” Brady’s president lamented.


Nevertheless, violent crime is at an “historic low,” according to the Department of Justice.* Since 1991, total violent crime is down 38%, murder is down 42%, rape is down 27%, robbery is down 45%, and aggravated assault is down 34%. During 2004-2006, violent crime was lower than anytime since 1974. For the last eight years, the murder rate has been lower than anytime since 1965. Preliminary data from the FBI indicate that violent crime declined again in 2007.

In 2007, Brady would have given a state 100 points if it had limited the frequency of gun purchases, prohibited private gun sales, required gun show customers to sign ledgers handed over to the police, prohibited the sale of guns that do not engrave a serial number on fired ammunition and require registration of such guns’ purchasers, licensed and regulated gun dealers at the state level, prohibited handguns that do not have “smart” gun features, prohibited detachable-magazine semi-automatics and some pump-action rifles and shotguns, allowed the arbitrary rejection of Right-to-Carry permit applications, allowed local jurisdictions to impose gun laws more restrictive than the legislature, and allowed the criminal prosecution of people who use guns for protection.