The Weapon Blog
Texas Lawmakers Debate Open Carry Monday
This legislative session opened looking like it would be the most firearms-friendly in years.
Republican Rep. Larry Phillips’ open carry bill will be considered Monday morning by the Senate State Affairs Committee.
Considering the Senate has already passed its own bill allowing so-called “open carry,” the House’s proposal suggests guns are poised to move back to the top of Texas lawmakers’ agendas. Phillips’ measure would allow licensed gun owners the right to open carry in most public places, sans businesses that have rules against it.
Gov. Greg Abbott and the Legislature’s strong Republican majority have pushed open carry as an important gun rights and self-defense measure. Most Democrats have opposed it, noting concerns from police in the state’s largest cities and gun control advocates about public safety.
Some in the state are even pushing for “constitutional carry” – a move that would allow anyone who legally owns a handgun to carry it openly. Last month Republican Rep. Jonathan Stickland offered an amendment for just that.
Source: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/05/17/texas-lawmakers-debate-open-carry-monday/
Texas Campus Carry Update
The Texas campus carry bill is caught up in a budget showdown between the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (pictured left) and Speaker Joe Straus (pictured right) disagree over where to cut taxes, and campus carry has become a hostage that each is using to try to force the other’s hand.
We need to POLITELY and PROFESSIONALLY let Lt. Gov. Patrick know we want him to do whatever it takes to ensure that Senator Birdwell’s campus carry language passes both chambers as either a standalone bill (SB 11) or an amendment to open carry (HB 910).
There are four ways you can help get our message to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick:
1. Call Lt. Gov. Patrick’s comment line: (512) 463-5342
2. Email Lt. Gov. Patrick: LTGConstituent.Affairs@ltgov.state.tx.us
3. Send a free fax (https://faxzero.com/) to Lt. Gov. Patrick: (512) 463-8668
4. Tweet Lt. Gov. Patrick: @DanPatrick and @LtGovTX
You can choose one method or all four. Just remember to be professional and courteous—being rude or confrontational will only hurt our cause.
Texas Legislative Update
Courtesy of the NRA-ILA:
...Texas House Relaxes Airport Laws For Gun Owners
You’re in line for the TSA. You’re rushed. You forget to remove the handgun from your hip. Soon, you may not get in trouble.
A bill that passed the house on Thursday would forgive concealed handgun license holders for such lapses. Republican Rep. Drew Springer’s measure would protect a licensee from being arrested if he or she is caught in security with a handgun and immediately leaves the area.
The offense is currently a state felony.
In 2013, Rep. Drew Darby was arrested in Austin after officers found a loaded pistol in his carry-on luggage that he said he’d forgotten about.
In the Lone Star State, it seems almost as common for travelers in airport security lines to forget they are carrying a handgun as it is for them to fail to take off their belts or shoes; Texas leads the U.S. in gun confiscations in airport security checks. These confiscations spiked 25 percent last year; the Transportation Safety Administration confiscated 2,212 guns at airports in 2014, including 350-plus in Texas.
Springer’s bill now heads to the Senate.
Source: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/05/07/texas-house-relaxes-airport-laws-for-gun-owners/
When You Need A Little More Out Of A Cup
A bullet proof cup, and the CEO believes so much in his product that he’s willing to take a .22LR to the groin to prove its effectiveness.
I Am Forever – The Final Test
Remember, if you’ve missed an episode, all 10 episodes are available on demand at http://www.nrafreestyle.tv/i-am-forever
House Bill 422 Action Needed
House Bill 422 (HB422) would take important steps towards blocking the enforcement of federal gun control in the state of Texas. (learn more here)
...When The TSA Finds A Handgun In The Carry-on Bag Of A Permit Holder, Should They Be Held Accountable?
Brandon weighs in on the issue.
I am of the same mind as the commenter Wuz nt Me, who stated:
I was glad to read that they handled it correctly, mostly. No one needs to freak out. They don’t need to call in SWAT. Just say, “Hey, it’s cool you have a gun but you can’t go past this point with it. How would you like to proceed?”
What do you believe to be the proper course of action to be?
May 2015 Contests
At the risk of reducing my own chances to win, http://www.weapon-blog.com/contests/ has been updated with all the gun and gear related contests that The Weapon Blog is aware of for the month.
Go forth and win… As always, feel free to share wherever you can.
If you are aware of any that are not on the list, please use the form located at http://www.weapon-blog.com/contest-notification/ to get it added to the list.
SAF Sues Feds Over Censorship Of 3-D Firearms Printing Information
The Second Amendment Foundation today joined Defense Distributed of Austin, Texas, in filing a federal lawsuit against Secretary of State John Kerry, the Department of State and other federal officials, seeking to stop the Government’s unconstitutional censorship of information related to the three-dimensional printing of arms.
...Sword Collecting
Are you interested in collecting swords? Do you like the way they look when they are hanging on your wall? If you answered yes to these questions, you will need to find a good place to buy your swords. Of course, this is much easier said that done. All of the stores that specialize in swords are not created equal. This basically means that you will need to do some investigating in order to find out which sword store is the best for the items you are looking for. Here is how you can go about finding a place to buy a sword or other self defense weapons.
...Texas Committee Passes Bill to Ban Bulk Sharing of Concealed Carry Lists with Feds
Yesterday, a Texas state House committee passed bill that would ban the state from providing bulk lists of concealed carry permit holders to the federal government, something that agencies have requested elsewhere, and could potentially be used to harass or persecute lawful gun owners. The vote was 7-2.
...Glock 43 Reviewed
Ed Head over at Down Range TV reviews the Glock 43. I’ve not seen one in person yet, so I withhold judgment at this time.
Now Shipping–Again–The PMAG17 GL9
We have now shipped replacement bodies for the entire first run of PMAG17 GL9 magazines to our dealers and distributors. Within the next few days, everyone who purchased PMAG17 GL9 magazines from the initial run should be receiving their replacement bodies, either delivered directly to the purchaser in the case of those who purchased from Brownells, Midway, DSG, Aim Surplus, or other online retailers, or delivered to your local gun store, where you may trade the old bodies for new, in the case of an over-the-counter sale. If anyone who purchased at a brick and mortar store is unable to return to the purchase location, please contact customer service and alternate arrangements will be made.
...The Difference Between Garland And Paris
When armed terrorists attacked Charlie Hebdo headquarters over Muhammad cartoons on January 7, unarmed police officers were forced to flee for their lives. When armed men attacked people gathered in Garland, Texas, on May 3 over Prophet Muhammad cartoons, armed police cut them down — and the Daily Mail reported that the body of one was left lying the street while police searched for explosives.
The difference between Garland and Paris can be summed up in one word: guns.
Read the rest of the article: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/05/03/guns-the-difference-between-garland-and-paris/
A Prudent Reminder
What would you do if you went to purchase some ammunition to find all the ammo off the shelves and a sign stating “Due to the ongoing state of emergency ammo will not be available for sale”?
Good food for thought.
http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-grim-reminder-courtesy-of-baltimore.html
The Rise Of The Female Hunter
When you think of hunters, you’d be forgiven if the image of burly men wearing beards, camouflage and orange hats comes to mind. For a long time, this has been the commonly accepted portrait of a hunter. Things are changing, however. No longer a pursuit solely dominated by men, hunting is starting to see more and more women take up camo, boots and rifle. In fact, over the past four years most of the new hunters across America have been female. What does this mean for the hunting industry and status quo? Well for one thing, organizations are springing up to cater to the needs of the female hunter. Membership in outdoor groups for women has been increasing rapidly and companies are designing gear specifically for women who hunt. In some stores and catalogs, up to a third of all gear for sale is made specifically for women. These products include things ranging from recoil pads that attach to bra straps to pink trimmed camouflage. Naturally, a variety of clothing is being designed to comfortably fit the female figure so no one is forced to wear bulky men’s items or hand-me-downs. Waterproof boots, outdoor apparel and all the accessories such as hats and gloves are now readily available to the female hunter. What is driving this trend of women hunters? For some, these outings are a chance for family bonding time. For others,...
