Chipmunk reports

• Seven former ATF agents with over 175 collective years of experience, wrote a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders on Tuesday urging them to vote against David Chipman’s nomination. Reports as of this writing indicate there are not enough votes to confirm him in the full Senate.
• ATF Nominee Combines Mass Surveillance With An Erosion Of Civil Liberties

Litigation

• Mexican government sues U.S. gun makers. We note that they were inspired by the (old) Remington settlement offer. Perhaps it is past time for the U.S. to declare war on Mexico. But we won’t, because the administration and at least half of Congress are in bed with the enemy.
• Plaintiffs in Sandy Hook Lawsuit against the old Remington are “Considering” Remington’s Settlement Offer
• Families of four of the nine deceased victims in the Oregon District, Ohio mass shooting two years ago in which dozens of other victims were injured, are suing the maker of the firearm magazine used in the massacre for wrongful death, because in part, they say the 100-round drum that the killer used “only has meaningful uses for military personnel and mass shooters.” You mean personnel like the militia in the Second Amendment? The Brady Bunch is sponsoring the suit in an Ohio state court
• The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled this week that a state law requiring individuals to have a permit to carry a handgun in public is constitutional and does not violate the Second Amendment. That conflicts with other opinions from higher courts.
• U.S. District Judge John Michael Seabright has announced that he will strike down Hawaii’s onerous gun registration and firearms permit law.
• More on the corpus analysis argument.
• Stephen Halbrook. THE expert, though still not perfect. Read it.

Legislation

• Democrats have quietly added a rule to the budget bill to allow illegal aliens to work as congressional staffers.
• The ATF’s “frame or receiver” firearms definition rule change proposal is open for comments until Aug. 19. Go make a comment.

Enemies

• Doctors’ hypocrisy and impersonation of experts
• (And idiots)

“These are very high-powered artillery weapons, and this is why this city keeps fighting for gun control,” Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal told the media last week.

And what, exactly, are those “artillery” weapons to which the sheriff refers? An AR-style rifle, a pump shotgun, two 9mm handguns and some ammo. What a liar!

• Did you know? Twitter built a special portal offered to certain governmental entities so that government officials can flag and delete content they dislike for any reason, as part of what they call their “Twitter Partner Status.”
• Top 10 Reasons You Should Just Turn Your Guns Over To The Government TODAY

Joe Lied’n

• President Biden’s lips are still moving.

• And then there’s this actual headline: “President Biden Announces on Live TV That He Intends to Break His Oath of Office“

Government corruption

The NSSF reports that firearm and ammunition manufacturers surpassed $14.1 billion in contributions to the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund since its inception through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, commonly called the Pittman-Robertson Act, in 1937.

The law imposes an 11% federal excise tax on “sporting” arms and ammunition and archery tackle and a 10% tax on pistols and revolvers, to fund wildlife work, hunter safety, and shooting ranges. I am unaware of any firearms or ammunition not subject to the tax.

The rub is this: imposing an extra tax, above whatever is charged for any other purchase of any other product, on a product of which possession is explicitly protected by a core constitutional right, is simply unconstitutional. It doesn’t matter where the money goes. Suppose they charged a tax premium on Bibles, a tax to vote, or a tax for being born a particular race?

NRA debacle

• Did you vote for only the two good directors? You have a week to get your ballot there.

Misc. News

• The ACLDN August newsletter is out.
• Defending against pepper spray, by Marty Hayes, JD
• More on the SIG accidental discharges

A veteran Tampa police officer has filed a lawsuit against Sig Sauer, alleging that his Sig Sauer P320 service weapon fired by itself, seriously injuring him. While many of us think that’s not possible, we have heard that in the case of the P320 (and presumably some other weapons), the accumulation of tolerances within the gun can result in insufficient engagement of the foot of the striker with the sear, allowing release of the striker with minor impacts, such as the holstered pistol getting bumped. That’s a risk you take when using a gun that normally has a “cocked” striker or hammer, especially if there is no safety device blocking the striker or firing pin. Presumably a similar risk exists should a critical part in the process simply break at an inopportune location.

• BB gun misuse leads to felony charges — Yes, it is that serious.

Team USA

USA Shooting earned six medals at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, making this their best performance at the Games since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. (The 2020 games are held in 2021, due to COVID.)

USA Shooting athletes won gold medals in Men’s Air Rifle (William Shaner), Women’s Skeet (Amber English), and Men’s Skeet (Vincent Hancock), silver medals in Mixed Team Air Rifle (Mary Tucker, Lucas Kozeniesky) and Women’s Trap (Kayle Browning), and a bronze medal in Mixed Team Trap (Maddy Bernau, Brian Burrows).

Sales

July’s NSSF-adjusted NICS background check total of 1.3 million was up very slightly from June and represented the second highest adjusted total for any July on record, after last year’s 1.8 million month. That brings the total so far for this year to around 11 million.

Ruger has reported second quarter sales and earnings that have approximately doubled compared to the same quarter last year.

Products

• Vista Outdoor, the leading U.S. manufacturer of ammunition (CCI, Federal, Speer, Remington), announced plans to offer ammunition subscriptions this fall as part of a customer loyalty program. No details yet.
• TriStar Arms has a couple of versions of their Viper G2 shotguns available in 16 gauge. Around 6.5 lbs., $700-900.
• Sig Sauer’s Spectre Series pistols have some fancy enhancements from their Custom Works
• You may recall that Franklin Armory bought the Bushmaster brand from Remington before Remington went under. Then Bushmaster kind of faded away. But it’s back.
• Arcflash Labs Introduces the GR-1 ANVIL Handheld Gauss Rifle

Quote

“As long as there is no ‘Iron Curtain’ of armed guardians to protect children, parishioners, or employees, ‘No-Gun Zones’ will continue to be the myth they are, merely a Free Fire Zone where deadly evil is tacitly allowed to focus on harming innocents.” – Ron Borsch, retired Army, retired LEO, LEO trainer and subject matter expert