Litigation

We reported last week that the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied ATF’s request to stay the district court’s order against the ATF in the “ghost gun” ban case. But then U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appealed that denial to the Supreme Court, which granted the stay for one week, until today, Aug. 4. We understand that it is exceedingly common for SCOTUS to grant such temporary stays to USAGs without question.

A Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel has ruled (pdf link) that the Biden administration’s “final rule” on pistol braces is “likely illegal” because the government violated the Administrative Procedure Act by adopting the rule without meaningful opportunity for public comment. That hardly means the rule would be legal if ATF had complied with the APA. The Circuit sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor and said that he should review that aspect of his original ruling, other issues brought up in the challenge and the scope of any remedies – including whether the block on enforcement should apply nationwide. The NRA then announced that it would be expediting its motion for a preliminary injunction to protect its members from the government’s unlawful attempt to reclassify braced pistols as “rifles” subject to onerous registration requirements.

A federal district court has ruled that an Amish man’s conviction for selling firearms without a license does not run afoul of the Constitution and must be allowed to stand, because the Second Amendment doesn’t protect commercial gun sales. Questionable.

Potential fallout from the Hunter Biden plea deal. Can a non-prohibited person prohibit himself?

Hawaii has been sued over its near-statewide gun carry ban.

Philadelphia, PA’s knife carry ban has been overturned.

The NRA case.

• Now they’re digging with power tools.
• More LaPierre dirt.

Sig speaks.

• SIG SAUER Statement on Montville, CT Police Department Incident

Even a blind pig…

A study published in JAMA Network Open states that there is no correlation between gun control laws and mass shooting rates.

A study by Rutgers University’s New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center concluded that far more Americans own weapons than the accepted 30% commonly cited in polls, with the new number at 40-60%.

Enemies

During a drug bust operation in Orange County, New York, Westchester County resident Michael Rodriquez, age 48, of Yonkers, who is the director of Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence, [BRAG] – a prominent anti-violence program that receives government money and works in the Bronx to promote safer streets – was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and conspiracy.

Actor Matthew McConaughey has doubled down on his gun control proposals, including background checks for private gun sales, a ban on sales of semiautomatic rifles to adults aged 18-20, “red flag” laws nationwide, and a national waiting period for the purchase of semiautomatic rifles.

The Only Ones

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has 149 police bodyguards in his personal protection detail, while he works to try to disarm everyone else. Meanwhile, 47 people were shot in Chicago last weekend. I think I’m suffering from a case of mental Illinois.

Newsletters

• The ACLDN and Rangemaster August (pdf link) newsletters are out.

DGUs

• The Armed Citizen
  • America’s 1st Freedom – July 28, 2023
  • American Rifleman – July 28, 2023
  • American Rifleman – July 31, 2023
• HPD: Woman shoots, kills man who tried to break into her home in Spring Branch

Not DGUs

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said trainings for school safety guardians will not begin for another year and the guardians will be in Mississippi classrooms at the earliest in the 2024-2025 school year. But anyone with an enhanced Mississippi Concealed Carry License can carry in a Mississippi school, today.

Factoid

• There are now nearly 3/4 of a million lawful machine gun owning citizens in the USA. None committing crimes.

Tactics & Stuff

• The right gun.
• How to Completely Stop School Mass Killings

John Farnam reminds us that Park Rangers commonly advise those hiking in “Bear Country” that they can bet their lives on “Bear Spray,” but when those same Park Rangers find themselves in the same “Bear Country” with the same bears, they’re armed with heavy weapons, rifles and slug-shooting shotguns. It’s your life; you decide.

Sales

• The July 2023 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,023,903 is a decrease of 17% compared to the July 2022 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,233,115. However, this July marks the 48th consecutive month of estimated retail firearm sales of over 1 million.

Interesting

• Short history of premium hunting bullets

Industry News

• New York-based Servotronics is selling Ontario Knife for $2.1 million to Virginia’s Blue Ridge Knives distribution company. Ontario will cease operations in Elma, New York, where it has manufactured since 1889, and has already stopped taking orders. We do not know the future plans for Ontario Knife.

Products

• Speer has a new 9mm Gold Dot Carbine load featuring a G2®-style, elastomer filled hollowpoint 135-gr. bullet for effective penetration and expansion through common barriers, and loaded for optimal velocities and feeding in carbines. $1.50/round MSRP.
• Trijicon’s new RCR™ (Ruggedized Closed Reflex) is an extremely durable closed emitter red dot optic that shares the popular RMR’s footprint. $850.

• Trijicon has also introduced its new RMR® HD, an optic specifically designed for law enforcement and the armed forces. Built on the foundation of the Trijicon RMR Adjustable LED model, the RMR HD features a large, clear lens made from tempered glass and has the same footprint as the RMR.
• Holosun has a new SCRS (Solar Charging Rifle Sight).
• Weatherby’s new Orion Side by Side shotgun features a straight English stock, splinter forend, mechanical double triggers, tang safety, extractors, 5 extended choke tubes, and is rated for steel shot. 12 and 20 ga. Only $1100.
• Rossi’s new Brawler single shot pistol looks a lot like a T/C Contender and is chambered in .410 shotshell/.45 Colt. I see no reason for it, except that at $240 it is considerably cheaper than the .410/.45 revolvers. It is rifled at 1:24″, which is a lot slower than the S&W Governor (1:15″) and Taurus Judge (1:12″), and that may help birdshot pattern farther than the usual 10 feet (not yards).

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“A police officer is not in the law business. A police officer is in the people business.” – former sheriff Jim Wilson

“If you are reading this, and you can’t lay your hand on your defensive firearm, all of your training has been a waste.” – Col. Jeff Cooper