Litigation

• USPS on its unconstitutional gun ban policy. (The district court’s ruling (pdf link) only applies to the defendant in the case, and did not include an injunction against enforcement of the law against other Americans.)
• The “Chevron defense” cases now being heard at SCOTUS. Very important.
• A 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in Pennsylvania ruled 2-1 last Thursday against laws banning 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying guns in public during a state of emergency, saying “The words ‘the people’ in the Second Amendment presumptively encompass all adult Americans, including 18-to-20-year-olds, and we are aware of no founding-era law that supports disarming people in that age group. Accordingly, we will reverse and remand.”
• Also in Pennsylvania the Second Amendment Foundation and a county District Attorney in Pennsylvania have filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the heads of the FBI and ATF, and the U.S. Government, challenging the federal prohibition on gun ownership by “legal” medical marijuana users. The lawsuit challenges restrictions contained in 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(3), (d)(3), which prohibit firearms purchases and possession by persons who use marijuana or other controlled substances.
• U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone of the Western District of Texas has ruled that illegal aliens are “we the people.”
• U.S. District Judge David C. Joseph of the Western District of Louisiana has ruled that firearm silencers are not protected by the Second Amendment because they’re “dangerous and unusual,” and therefore can be regulated or prohibited. We see no exclusion of dangerous or unusual items in the Second Amendment or elsewhere in the Constitution, but of course the courts have invented this concept out of thin air.
• A U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals panel in Boston ruled on Monday that a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mexico against U.S. gun manufacturers – claiming they are “trafficking” guns to Mexico for use by drug cartels – can proceed. While U.S. law prohibits legal action brought by foreign governments, the Court said that plaintiffs had made a “plausible” argument that their case was “statutorily exempt” from the immunity shield. The Mexicans are aided in this case by treasonous U.S. gun ban groups.
• More on lawsuits filed in foreign countries against U.S. companies.
• Mexico is also complaining about U.S. military weapons being found in the possession of their drug cartels. We know that in the past Mexico has had U.S.-made military-grade weapons purloined from its own armories and smuggled in from other nations. If we weren’t already stretched thin, I’d say send the U.S. military down there to fix that.
• New York, New York
• San Jose is begging to lose a lawsuit.
• ATF/FBI “Lovers Spat” Catch-22 on NFA Appeals Resolved
• Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: FBI’s Safe-Deposit Box Seizures Violated Fourth Amendment. The warrant authorizing the raid expressly forbade federal agents from engaging in a “criminal search or seizure of the contents of the safety [sic] deposit boxes.” You know, kinda like their rules of engagement. No word on criminal prosecutions of the complicit thugs.

NRA on Trial

• “[NRA’s lawyer William] Brewer is the only person who’s going to be able to keep me out of jail,” and “Brewer is the reason why I’m not going to spend the rest of my life in an orange jumpsuit.” – Wayne LaPierre
• Chris Cox, former head of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, told jurors last week (details here and here) that when he asked to see the expenses EVP Wayne LaPierre was running through the NRA-ILA, he wasn’t just denied, he was told “Nobody sees those.” Cox said the final straw that led to his leaving in 2019 was learning about the $250,000 in luxury clothing LaPierre had billed to the NRA. Cox was ousted by LaPierre when he objected to LaPierre’s embezzlements.
• Testimony from former president Carolyn Meadows and President Charles Cotton.
• Former NRA President Ollie North testified that LaPierre grossly misspent NRA funds, and said Wayne LaPierre told him that the millions NRA spent on lawyers was to keep LaPierre out of jail.
• The LaPierre defense team filed a claim last week that that LaPierre’s medical condition has caused a “significant deterioration” of the physical size of his brain, mental fogginess, severe headaches, fatigue and eye pain that will “likely impact his abilities to testify for extended periods each day,” and asked the trial judge for a “reasonable accommodation” allowing LaPierre flexibility in testifying for shorter periods of time during his anticipated lengthy time on the stand. A letter from LaPierre’s physician to NRA President Charles Cotton (one of LaPierre’s henchmen) on January 3 was introduced in the motion. In that letter, the doctor says “Mr. LaPierre’s health as been slowly deteriorating these last few years. In August 2022, he had worsening headaches and a CT Head was done, with demonstrated significant cerebral volume loss and chronic small vessel ischemic changes.” The jury is not aware of this letter. Meanwhile, LaPierre has attended nearly every day of the trial.

A couple of questions: Was he sane when he did all that embezzlement? How much was his doctor paid for that timely diagnosis? Apparently the judge is suspicious too: he asked for affidavits from the doctors.

• Longtime NRA Board member and Gunsite Academy owner Buz Mills weighed in with a “shocking” letter (pdf link).
• More on LaPierre’s history.

Baldwin

A New Mexico grand jury – for the second time – indicted anti-gun actor Alec Baldwin last week on an involuntary manslaughter charge in his 2021 fatal shooting of his cinematographer and wounding of another person during a rehearsal on the set of the movie “Rust.” Possibly prosecutors now believe they have forensic evidence that was previously lacking, namely the gun could not have been fired without someone (Baldwin) pulling the trigger.

The indictment allows prosecutors two alternative standards for pursuing an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in case. One would be based on negligent use of a firearm, and the other alleges felony misconduct “with the total disregard or indifference for the safety of others.” A felony conviction could result in prison time.

“Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering in the case. Her trial is scheduled to begin in February. Prosecutors are alleging that Reed brought the live ammo on to the movie set mixed in a box of dummy rounds and was unable to tell the difference between the two.

“Rust” assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls pleaded no contest to unsafe handling of a firearm last March and received a suspended sentence of six months of probation and will cooperate with prosecutors.

“Rust” prop master Sarah Zachry has signed an agreement to cooperate with special prosecutors in return for leniency.

Several civil lawsuits over the tragedy have been put on hold pending the progress of the criminal case.

Enemies

• Southern Baptist Convention. Et tu?
• The Giffords gun ban group has named veteran campaign manager Emma Brown as its new executive director.
• Israel is experiencing a shortage in the supply of firearms for, among others, community security teams, caused by delays in authorization by the U.S. State Department and Congress. Apparently even though Israel pledged not to supply them to West Bank settlers, the U.S. is concerned that Israel would simply send other weapons to the settlers and replace them with the U.S. arms. One wonders why they don’t worry about that sort of thing when they’re banning guns domestically.
• Actors Melissa Joan Hart & Wilson Cruz, and ESPN reporter Sarah Spain. Remember, acting is pretending.
• PETA says Punxsutawney Phil is being cruelly exploited for publicity and that the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club should toss a coin instead of doing the groundhog-seeing-his-shadow event. Because we all know how cruel shadows are.

Liars

• Gun Violence Archive. Remember that name when you read the lamestream news quotes.

The Only Ones

• Denver Police Officer Brandon Ramos, 30, pleaded guilty Tuesday to third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, for wounding six bystanders in a crowd while firing at an armed man as bars let out while he was working in a gun violence prevention team in Denver’s Lower Downtown neighborhood in 2022. Gun violence prevention. That’s rich.
• Passaic County, NJ Sheriff Richard Berdnik (D) fatally shot himself in a restaurant in Clifton Tuesday, days after federal authorities charged three of his sheriff’s officers in the beating of a detainee.
• Corrections Officer William Lucky, Jr. 32, of North Haven, CT, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a Middlefield man in what is believed to be a road rage incident last week in Meriden.
• An unidentified 19-year veteran Chicago police officer accidentally fired a handgun into the door frame of a parked personal vehicle across the street from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home in Logan Square on Tuesday afternoon. The officer remains on active duty because the firearm discharge was accidental.

DGUs

• Rural Carroll County, MS
• The Armed Citizen: American Rifleman
  • January 19, 2024
  • January 22, 2024

Not a DGU.

• Be prepared.

Tactics & Stuff

• The just-released DOJ report on the Uvalde school massacre. 610 pages (pdf link). I haven’t read it, but I don’t think it reveals anything important that we didn’t already know.
• Critical Thinking About Defensive Shooting.
• Holsters.
• Excessive Force.
• Safe Seats.
• Dog Attacks. A canine attacks one in 72 Americans annually. I greatly prefer guns and clubs for defense, rather than hand-to-mouth.
• Drop-in Auto Sears. For informational purposes only.
• When you don’t follow the instructions (video link).

Products

• The SHOT Show was this week.
• Best left-handed ARs.
• CZ now has a transferable lifetime warranty for new guns. Warranty does not cover barrel finish or military/LE professional use.
• Bersa has six models of the 1911 pistol. Around $1000-1100.
• Federal’s new Personal Defense Hydra-Shok Deep .32 ACP 68-grain load maximizes the cartridge’s potential energy to deliver better penetration through bare ballistic gelatin and heavy clothing.
• Federal’s new Personal Defense Punch .25 ACP 45-grain Solid load features a deep-penetrating solid bullet design. Little bitty lightweight bullets don’t usually get where they are needed if they expand and stop.
• Federal has an all-new, lighter recoil 30 Super Carry 90-grain load in its Champion target line.
• Federal’s new Fusion Tipped rifle ammo offers the same terminal performance as the original bonded soft points but with a polymer tip.
• Federal’s Freight Train Copper is an all-new lineup of tipped sabot copper slugs in 12-gauge, 300-grain, or 20-gauge, 275-grain. Both are available in 2¾” or 3″. Excellent grouping at 200 yards through rifled barrels.
• Remington’s new Premier CuT big game rifle ammunition features a monolithic copper alloy bullet with a precision polymer tip and is claimed to offer 95% weight retention. IT has “precision grooves on the bullet to further enhance its aerodynamic performance, ensuring consistent and reliable results.” Sounds like a Barnes Tipped Triple Shock.
• Remington’s new Core-Lokt Handgun ammo for big game hunting uses JHP bullets with high weight retention. Available in .357 Mag., .41 Mag., .44 Mag., and 10mm Auto.
• Remington has new Ranch Hand .22 LR loads with 40 gr. plated RN or 38 gr. plated HP bullets. And their new .22 LR Golden Hunter’s precision 40 gr. plated HP reliably expands for quick force transfer on target – with optimal penetration.
• Remington’s new shotshell loads include:
  • Nitro Pigeon 12 gauge, 2¾”, 1¼ oz. 7.5 Shot 1230 FPS
  • Low Decibel designed for both semi-auto and break-open action 410 shotguns: 410 Bore, 2-1/2″, 1/2 oz, 9 Shot 650 FPS. Yes, 650 fps.
  • Premier Nitro Sporting Clays 12 gauge, 2¾”, 1 oz, 7.5 Shot 1290 FPS
  • Nitro-Steel Duplex 12GA, 3″, 1¼ oz loads, including 2×4 shot, 2×6, BBx4 and BBx2.
• Winchester Ammunition is offering Varmint X® loads using Extreme Point® bullets in .243 Win., .22-250 Rem., .223 Rem., and 6.5 Creedmoor. The Extreme Point bullet features a proprietary technology from Winchester that utilizes a large polymer tip with an impact diameter more than double that of conventional polymer tipped bullets, which results in rapid expansion and enormous stopping power, while offering exceptional accuracy.
• Apex Ammunition has a new 28 gauge turkey load that combines 1 oz. of #10 tungsten shot with 1/2 oz. of #9 shot. Around $12 per shot.
• Rock River Arms has announced the company’s first AR-platform rifle chambered for the .17 HMR cartridge. The RRA .17 HMR has lots of goodies and is priced accordingly at $1,300.
• Bear Creek Arsenal’s new MAUL-AR lever-action rifle combines a lever-action with an AR-15 platform with the usual modern features. It will be chambered in a variety of calibers, and accepts AR magazines.
• Henry Repeating Arms’ Lever Action Supreme is a (M4) rotating-bolt lever-action rifle that is compatible with AR-pattern magazines. .223/5.56 or .300 Blackout. $1200. Bond Arms makes a similar rifle.
• Ruger has added the .45 ACP chambering to its line of third-generation LC Carbines, with an adjustable folding stock and using Glock pistol magazines.
• Franklin Armory’s new OPS-16R, a complete 5.56 NATO AR-15 rifle features the updated Osprey Defense low-profile self-regulating gas piston system that enables users to shoot suppressed and unsuppressed seamlessly without any need for adjustments to the gas block. The OPS-16R also uniquely operates without any piston springs. The base OPS-16R is $1,350, the Binary Firing System® (BFSIII®) equipped configuration is $1,540, and the complete upper receiver with 16″ barrel is $850.
• Benelli’s new Advanced Impact (A.I.) technology is claimed to make shotguns shoot faster, harder, and with a denser pellet configuration than traditional shotgun barrel designs. The key to Benelli A.I. technology is new “ballistic contours” integrated into the barrel bores. Fancy.
• Benellis’s new Montefeltro Ultra Light models with shorter barrels (26″ 12 ga. and 24″ 20 ga.) combined with a reduced-length magazine tube and featherweight carbon-fiber stepped rib, weigh only 6.3 and 5.3 lbs. for the 12- and 20-gauge versions, respectively. I will note that those “ultra light” weights are the same as the regular Montefeltros. Standard mag capacity is 4+1, but the new open mag tube can easily be modified with an optional extension – a very significant change to the Montefeltro.
• Benelli’s new (Super Black Eagle) SBE 3 Compact shotguns in 12- (6.7 lbs.), 20- (5.7 lbs.), and 28-gauge (5.4 lbs.), and chambered for 2¾- and 3-inch shotshells. Barrel length is 26″ and LOP is 13″. They come with the usual accouterments. $1950.
• Browning now has a 20 gauge version of its A5 shotgun with the iconic humpback receiver that conceals a (Benelli style) Kinematic Drive action, aligning with its modern 12 gauge and 16 gauge counterparts. Under 6 lbs. Judging by the 16 gauge version, this will be a very sweet gun. No price, but I predict $1500-2000.
• Navy Arms’ SRM 1216 is a compact, 12-ga roller-delayed blowback autoloading shotgun that features four, four-round, parallel magazine tubes. $2,225.
• S&W’s M&P 12 is a compact 12ga pump shotgun, featuring two, parallel, six-shot, manually advanced magazine tubes.
• Uberti’s new 1873 Hunter Rifles have a Picatinny rail on their half-octagon barrels. .44 Mag. or .45 Colt.
• Uberti’s 1873 Hunter Revolvers come with a 7.5″ blued barrel, unfluted cylinder, color case frame, and the longer Uberti 1860-style walnut grip. They also have a Picatinny rail on top and come in .44 Mag. or .45 Colt. $800.
• Pietta’s new Alchimista II was designed starting with the 1873 single-action and combining the 1860 Army grip frame and adding a competition trigger that is wider and set back, and a lower, wider hammer. Available in .357 Mag. or .45 Colt with a 4.75″, 5.5″ or 7.5″ barrel, casehardened frame, and 1860 checkered walnut grips.
• FN America’s flagship line of 509 pistols now includes 18 models. New items are:
  • The FN 509 CC Edge™ XL has the FN 509 Edge series compact and compensated upper and the CC Edge slide with quick-detach compensator, combined with the full-sized, 17-round frame.
  • The FN 509 Fullsize MRD features a 4.5-inch-long slide.
  • The FN 509 Compact MRD with quick-detach compensator.
  • The drop-in FN Compensator Kit works for FN 509 Standard, Compact or Midsize pistols.
  • Not to be left out, for a limited time the FN 509 Tactical will be offered with a Cerakote finish in either Midnight Bronze or Tungsten Gray.

• Smith & Wesson Model 1854 Series Lever Action Rifles. .44 Mag. $1280.

• GForce Arms has the Turkish-made Huckleberry Lever Action line of firearms that includes the GFLVR410 shotgun models, and the GFLVR357 model chambered in .357 Magnum, which is offered in black, stainless steel, and color case-hardened steel. Receivers are aluminum except the CC steel model. 5.5 lbs. for the aluminum models. All GForce Arms firearms come standard with a limited lifetime warranty.
• The Taurus Expedition, the first bolt action rifle from Taurus USA, is based around the iconic Remington 700 action and is claimed to “often” deliver sub-MOA accuracy, thanks to its hammer-forged barrel. It uses commonly available AICS pattern magazines. About $1000.
• The Taurus Deputy is a Peacemaker-style single action revolver chambered in .357 Mag. or .45 Colt with a 4.25″ or 5.5″ barrel and a polished black finish. $607.
• Taurus’ new 327 Defender T.O.R.O. is a stainless steel revolver with a black matte finish with a 2- or 3-inch barrel and rubber grip. It has a front night sight with orange outline and fixed-rear sight and is optics ready. The revolver will shoot .327 Federal Magnum, .32 H&R Magnum and .32 S&W rounds, as well as the semi rimmed .32 ACP, although extraction may not be as positive with that one. $554.
• Samson has folding stocks for the Ruger 10/22 Takedown rifle.
• 375-grain arrows at 600 fps. The Benjamin M600 Airbow. $800.
• Some of you may recall the Hudson H9 pistol. The new Daniel Defense H9 looks just like the Hudson H9, but the Daniel Defense version has been re-engineered to outperform the original design. Crossbreed has holsters for it.
• We have a report of yet another 9mm pistol now chambered in 30 Super Carry. I won’t even mention what pistol this is, since a 9mm-sized gun is NOT the reason they said the 30 SC was invented. We are still waiting on a .380-sized gun chambered in 30 SC, as the 30 SC proponents originally proposed.
• Vantage Point Armory has some rail-mounted compensators with no barrel or slide attachment, making it legal in all 50 states. The compensator requires no gun modifications and is easy to clean. It doesn’t add weight to the barrel, which prevents action wear and malfunctions. $150.
• Burris’ new Eliminator 6 is their most advanced hunting riflescope to date. 4-20 x 52, with a button that ranges to 2,000 yards and displays the target distance and swiftly calculates the exact aiming point and wind data using a built-in thermometer, barometer, and inclinometer, automatically measuring density altitude. It also tells you when a shot is just too far to be ethical based on accuracy of the data or terminal ballistics. Only $3,000.
• Burris also has some new third-generation thermal scopes. Look for the “V3” models.
• MTM’s new Primer Flipper Square is proportionally sized to the factory square-ish primer boxes. You just slide open the factory box to the quantity of primers you need, place the upside down open Primer Flipper Square over the primer container, and rotate 180 degrees to neatly dispense the primers into the Primer Flipper Square. It also comes with a dual-sided lid. One side features a snap-on lid closure to keep primers securely stored between reloading sessions. Turn the lid over for a friction-free lift-off closure for easy accessibility during reload sessions.
• Inceptor ammo is offering its innovative bullets as components for handloading:
  • ARX Preferred Defense Bullets: These bullets are designed primarily for self-defense applications, focusing on reliable performance and terminal ballistics.
  • ARX Preferred Hunting Bullets: Tailored for the hunting community, these bullets are meant to provide optimal performance against game, ensuring humane and effective shots.
  • RNP SRR Sport Utility Ammo: These bullets serve the versatile needs of sports shooting, being suitable for both practice and competitive scenarios.

• Staccato has launched its own ammo line, starting with generic 9mm loads. They’re bragging on 2″ groups at 25 yards, but I don’t think 8 MOA is anything to brag about.
• Carbon Research’s CR9 suppressor is a 9mm can that can handle up to .300 Blackout and weighs 6.5 oz. The CR22 for .22 LRs weighs 2.3 oz. They are both full auto rated. I don’t see a lot of full auto .22s.
• HUXWRX has a prototype shotgun suppressor. Hopefully this will come to market, and hopefully the unconstitutional suppressor restrictions will fall.
• Iver Johnson has some new bullpup shotguns and a 10mm pistol. These aren’t your granddaddy’s Iver Johnsons.
• The 9mm Glock 49 has the shorter grip of the compact Glock 19 with the standard length slide of the full-size Glock 17. Add that to your Glock caliber/model listing I sent out the first week of January.
• Colt has new blued Pythons with 4.25″ or 6″ barrels. I haven’t seen one and can’t attest to the quality of the bluing as compared to the famous Royal Blue of the originals. $1600.
• Diamondback Firearms’ New SDR (Self Defense Revolver) is a modern 6-shot “J-frame” design revolver featuring a polished stainless steel finish, two types of Hogue rubberized grips, fiber optic sights, and weighs in at only 21 ounces, making it the newest and lightest six-shot .357 Magnum revolver on the market. Not that you want a particularly light .357.
• The Ounce Pistol. For those who don’t really want to carry. .22 LR, 10+1, 7.5 oz.

What I’m Reading