The Truth About Guns

An 88-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday after pointing a gun at utility workers and sheriff’s deputies. The utility workers were contracted through AT&T and were laying an underground cable in the public right of way along the street. They contacted police to say that the woman, Onilas Lee Simpson (above), was “on her porch with her gun and is threatening to shoot us.” The first deputy showed up about three minutes later, and in the meantime the workers had moved their trucks off the right of way and into the road to take cover from Simpson, who was pointing her pellet rifle at them. Upon the arrival of a pair of sheriff’s deputies, she switched her attention to them. They drew their weapons

RSA gun guy Gideon Joubert emailed me this morning: “I have written an article regarding the necessity of firearm ownership in South Africa. It is in response to negative press regarding gun ownership brought about by the highly publicized Oscar Pistorius trial.”

Gun ownership in South Africa has again been thrust into the spotlight, in no small part thanks to the high profile criminal case against Oscar Pistorius gracing our television screens and the front pages of almost every newspaper and weekly publication. It is mind-boggling that the allegedly negligent actions of but one famous public figure can reflect so badly on an entire population of lawful and responsible gun owners. Unfair indeed, but alas not unexpecte

By Mike McDaniel

On March 10, 2014, my article analyzing the constitutional viability of magazine limit laws, Do Magazine Limits Pass The Constitutionality Sniff Test?, was posted. Several readers took issue with one assertion: “In deciding Heller, the Supreme Court made clear that analysis of Second Amendment issues should be based on ‘strict scrutiny,’ which is a far higher standard than Volokh would apparently apply.” Reader SAS 2008’s comment was reasonably representative: “As others have pointed out, Heller did not define what level of review was appropriate for these cases. I hope Mike or someone corrects the article. People should not have to read the comments to find out that there are factual errors in the original article.”

Send your STAND STRONG CONNECTICUT photo to guntruth@me.com. We’ll post them on our Facebook album [click here to view.] Please put STAND STRONG in the subject field of your email. You can click here to purchase a Stand Strong Connecticut t-shirt (half of profits go to Connecticut Carry).

Ya know, even through it was written more than two centuries ago by a bunch of white guys, most of whom were born in England, the language of the bill of rights – and the Second Amendment in particular – is pretty clear. Even today. “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Does anyone see anything about registration in that sentence? How about a reference as to the kinds of weapons Americans can own? No, we didn’t think so. Which makes you wonder how the publishers of the text book reportedly being used at Grant Middle School in Springfield, Illinois got those ideas (h/t

Take a deep breath, wheel gun devotees. Dan Wesson (CZ) is going to be turning out revolvers again. Eagle-eye’d reader Josh J. noticed this pop up on CZ’s web site: “Returning to regular production late summer 2014, the 715 is as it was before — designed and built to be the most accurate, rugged and versatile revolver on the market. Shipped with a 6″ barrel, the new shroud is designated the HV6, a heavy vent shroud profile that tames the .357′s recoil very well. The double action trigger is short and relatively light, while the single action is light and crisp. The target-like SA trigger pull made the Dan Wesson revolver a favorite among competitors and hunters, and the tradition continues in the 715.” We’ll be among the first in line at their NRA booth next month to check it out.

TTAG reader JK emailed the following list to me. For all I know it’s an ancient internet meme but it’s the first time I’ve seen it. What’s your take? Are Democrats more deadly than Republicans?

In 1865 a Democrat shot and killed Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States ..

In 1881 a left wing radical Democrat shot James Garfield, President of the United States  who later died from the wound.

In 1963 a radical left wing socialist shot and killed John F. Kennedy, President of the United States.

In 1975 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at Gerald Ford, President of the United States . . .

In our Thursday quote of the day, we noted Backstreets Pub & Grill’s displeasure with South Carolina’s new law that allows concealed carry in bars, and especially anyone who would avail themselves of that right. Since the watering hole and greasy spoon doesn’t appear to have its own web site, we linked to their Yelp page when we referred to them. Some of you, though, apparently took it upon yourselves to let the Backstreets boys know what you think about their stance that concealed carriers are “douchebags.” Now, in response to his particular contribution, reader Tim T. got this rebuke from Yelp central command . . .

From: Yelp HQ ‪&lt

“I think history is on our side. Whether it’s this session or next session or at some point in the future. We will prevail, no question in my mind . . . I hope that another tragedy isn’t necessary to provide additional momentum.” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Murphy: Gun Background Check Debate ‘Not Going Away’ [via ctnewsjunkiecom] [h/t RC]

There’s some debate rumbling ’round the Internet about moving and shooting. Some gun gurus say move then shoot; make sure you have a stable platform before you send rounds towards a person or persons posing a lethal threat. Other say move and shoot; get your rounds on target as you’re moving towards cover or concealment (or just running away). Then get to a stable platform, if you need it. Others say it depends. Right answer! Of course it depends. A defensive gun use has enough variables to make meteorology look like basic math. But the question is: how should you train for this whole movement misegos? Well . . .

If you think your default option should be to move then shoot, train yourself to do it. Move then shoot – making sure you’re moving somewhere sensible. Yes, there is that. Even when you leave a square range behind, most shooting takes place in a fairly ste

What is it with civilian disarmament advocates and false claims of victory? Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (a wholly owned subsidiary of Mayors Against Illegal Guns) proclaimed success when Starbucks issued a letter asking customers to leave their gats at home – a request entirely without force of law. More recently, Shannon Watts’ mob took credit for the removal of a pro-gun billboard in Chicago – when the ad’s lease had simply expired. And now that Americans for The Final Responsible Solutions reckons it’s a victory because they carved-out campus carry from Georgia’s pro-gun legislative package. Wrong. The bills that are due to be signed by the Governor will . . .

- Remove

Sgt Patrick Hayes writes:

YouTube is filled with videos of openly armed citizens interacting with the police. Some open carry advocates make the videos to capture a negative or unlawful police reaction to a legal practice. Some record an incidental interaction. The progress and outcome of these armed encounters usually depends on two key factors: geography and the officers’ attitude. In some states (e.g. Arizona) the police are comfortable with the practice. In other states (e.g. Rhode Island and Connecticut) open carry is so rare the police assume it’s illegal – or at least indicates an illegal activity. That’s the general picture. More specifically, though, bad things can happen . . .

There are two ways police come into an open carry situation. First, a police officer sees someone with a firearm. Second, an officer is dispatched to investigate “a person with a gun.” In Georgia, the

There are now two Americas. The first features high taxes, heavy regulations and massive government expenditure. The second has relatively lower taxes, fewer burdensome regulations and more limited government. “Right to work” America (e.g., Georgia) is growing more prosperous while rolling back gun control regulations. Nanny State America (e.g. New Jersey) is sinking under the weight of its bloated bureaucracy, placing new restrictions on its citizens’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. As poet William Butler Yeats wrote in The Second Coming . . .

“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.” Many gun owners see this dangerous di

It’s not every day you get an offer to be on one of America’s most popular TV shows, seen by 10  to 16 million viewers each week. It’s also not every day you turn them down. But that’s what I had to do. Let me fill you in. But first, a disclaimer . . .

I don’t do what I do in the pursuit of fame. In fact, I find the idea of being famous rather unnerving. I produce shooting videos, organize the Texas International Firearms Festival and write for this site (and others) to spread a positive message about guns. I want to bring the fun, challenge, and joy of shooting to a mainstream audience.

So, a few months ago, NBC’s America’s Got Talent (AGT) stumbled across my videos. The producers asked me to attend one of the auditions held around the country. Sounded like the perfect opportunity to get my message to people who are ei

Send your STAND STRONG CONNECTICUT photo to guntruth@me.com. We’ll post them on our Facebook album [click here to view.] Please put STAND STRONG in the subject field of your email. You can click here to purchase a Stand Strong Connecticut t-shirt (half of profits go to Connecticut Carry).

If you haven’t discovered everyday-carry.com yet, you may want to give it a wide berth. It’s one of the most voracious timesucks you’re likely to come across. Looking into other people’s pockets, as it were, checking out the gear they take with them on their appointed daily rounds is almost irresistible. Or maybe that’s just me. Any-who, as I cycled through page after page of submissions, I was struck by how few of the photos included a firearm. What’s up with that? Sure, there’s a smattering of entries from those who live in other, less RKBA-friendly locales around the globe, but still. Somehow I expected to see more G26s, 642 Airweights and Ruger LCPs. Is that too optimistic of me? What heater do you haul?

The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

During your State of the Union address, you stated that you want to make 2014 a “year of action.” We write to urge you to take immediate action to address the significant number of assault weapons that are being imported into the United States in contravention of federal law. We respectfully request that you take steps to ensure that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) fully enforces the ban on the importation of these military-style firearms . . .

A provision of the Gun Control Act of 1968, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 925(d)(3), prohibits the importation of firearms

“The new head of the [Connecticut] state police, Dora Schriro, says she knows her troopers will live up to their oath to serve and protect,” nbcconnecticut.com reports, without mentioning their oath to the United States Constitution. “She wants to make very clear that the talk of confiscation is nonsense. ‘There’s no plan in place nor has there been any execution of a plan where we would, for example, go door-to-door and be actively involved in the confiscation of weapons,’ says Schriro, who took over as Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection at the end of January.” So . .

Whenever gun control advocates make their pitch for adding still more firearms-restricting laws to the books, there’s one theme that they continually use to wrap their agenda in: safety. They want to make the world a safer place. For the children. And who could be against that? But there’s an important caveat they make about the safety they seek: according to them, guns make them feel unsafe. Feel. And there’s where the problem lies . . .

Of course, there’s a difference between feeling safe and actually being safe, and while the perception of the relative level of safety can sometimes cloud people’s judgement the reality of the matter is beyond question. The people on the Titanic no doubt felt perfectly safe right up until the moment they felt freezing cold seawater a