'Glock': The story of a weapon

In 1982, an obscure Austrian engineer named Gaston Glock, who worked in a radiator plant and had a side business with his wife making curtain rods, knives and belt buckles, invented a type of pistol that changed the world of firearms and powerfully influenced politics and popular culture. Glock is now 82, and his surname has become synonymous in some circles with "handgun."

[snip]

Thirty years ago, Glock knew that the Austrian Army wanted 20,000 new service pistols made in Austria, and no suitable gun existed. So he set out to design one. The all-black Glock pistol had unconventional lines, sleek simplicity and extreme reliability -- and its adoption shocked the firearms industry.

Read the entire article by clicking HERE

Buy the book here:  AMAZON 

The strange birth of NY’s gun laws

This article appears in the New York Post

Recent months have seen a former Marine from Indiana, a Tea Party activist from California and a nurse from Tennessee all arrested and charged in New York City for possession of firearms they had legal permits to carry back home. All were “nabbed” when they naively sought to check the weapon with security.

These innocents fell afoul of the nation’s toughest gun laws. But few New Yorkers know how those laws came to be.

The father of New York gun control was Democratic city pol “Big Tim “Sullivan — a state senator and Tammany Hall crook, a criminal overseer of the gangs of New York.

[snip]

Sullivan knew the gangs would flout the law, but appearances were more important than results. Young toughs took to sewing the pockets of their coats shut, so that cops couldn’t plant firearms on them, and many gangsters stashed their weapons inside their girlfriends’ “bird cages” — wire-mesh fashion contraptions around which women would wind their hair.

Ordinary citizens, on the other hand, were disarmed, which solved another problem: Gangsters had been bitterly complaining to Tammany that their victims sometimes shot back at them.

Read the entire article by clicking somewhere within the post above or HERE

Hunting is one of the safest outdoor activities!

While hunting incidents often generate news, they only do so because they are so uncommon. Think about all of the really bad looking car wrecks you see – but they rarely make the news. Why? Because they happen all the time.

Hunters in Colorado enjoy millions of hunter recreation days every year, and do so very safely. With only a handful of hunting incidents annually, hunting is about as safe as outdoor recreation gets. The latest from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) shows just how safe hunting really is. Some great information to keep handy when talking about hunting!

Thanks goes to all hunter education instructors – past and present – for the incredible difference they have made through their efforts teaching hunter education. Without you, this would not have been possible!

From the National Shooting Sports Foundation:

Hunting Is Safer Than Golf and Most Other Activities

(Not to Mention Football, Basketball and Soccer)

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: Hunting with firearms is safe; in fact, hunting with firearms is one of the safest recreational activities in America.

With hunting season in full swing across the country, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry, has compiled data that shows hunting ranks third in safety when compared to 28 other recreational pursuits, ranging from baseball to wrestling. Hunting with firearms has an injury rate of 0.05 percent, which equates to about 1 injury per 2,000 participants, a safety level bettered only by camping (.01 percent) and billiards (.02 percent). For comparison, golf has an injury rate of 0.16 percent (1 injury per 622 participants), while tackle football topped the list of activities with an injury rate of 5.27 percent (1 injury per 19 participants).

"Many people have the misconception that hunting is unsafe, but the data tells a different story," said Jim Curcuruto, NSSF's director of industry research and analysis. "Comprehensive hunter education classes that emphasize the basic rules of firearm safety and a culture of hunters helping fellow hunters practice safe firearms handling in the field are responsible for this good record."

To put hunting's safety standing into perspective, compared to hunting a person is . . .
• 11 times more likely to be injured playing volleyball
• 19 times more likely to be injured snowboarding
• 25 times more likely to be injured cheerleading or bicycle riding
• 34 times more likely to be injured playing soccer or skateboarding
• 105 more times likely to be injured playing tackle football.

The number of hunters who went afield last year is estimated at 16.3 million. Of tha t total, approximately 8,122 sustained injuries, or 50 per 100,000 participants. The vast majority of hunting accidents--more than 6,600--were tree stand-related. Though recent accurate figures on fatalities related to hunting are not available, statistics from 2002 show 99 fatal hunting accidents.

It's not just in the hunting fields that firearms are being used safely either. The most recent data (2008) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that firearms constitute just 1/2 of 1 percent of all unintentional fatalities in the United States, including those in the home.

The injury data NSSF used to compile this hunter-safety report comes from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the Consumer Products Safety Commission 2010 and the International Hunter Education Association's Hunter Incident Clearinghouse. Activity participation figures are from the National Sporting Goods Association Sports Participation in 2010 report.

See NSSF's full Hunting Injury Fact Sheet.

Obama Pushing Shooters Off Public Lands

Gun owners who have historically been able to use public lands for target practice would be barred from potentially millions of acres under new rules drafted by the Interior Department, the first major move by the Obama administration to impose limits on firearms.

"It's not so much a safety issue. It's a social conflict issue," ...urbanites "freak out" when they hear shooting on public lands.

In a draft retort to BLM, the council said other users of public land aren't required to be as safe as shooters. They note that shooters have a much lower injury rate than others, like ATV users. "The policy fails to recognize that recreational shooting has one of the lowest incidences of death and injury compared to virtually any other outdoor recreational activity. The policy is prejudicial and discriminatory to target shooters as compared to other recreationists," said the council's draft response, expected to be finalized today.

To read the entire article from "US NEWS" click anywhere in the above selections.

Record low support for gun control

In an article by Don Surber the point is made again:

Handgun use is up, yet gun homicides are down, contrary to what the Brady Campaign has preached for a quarter-century.

Also noted in the article, people in general are wising up and realizing that the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution is vastly important to our liberty and freedoms.

The Second Amendment has rebounded in the last half-century as support doubled since 1959, the Gallup poll reported. Nearly 3 out of every 4 Americans now opposes a ban on handguns — only 1 in four are for banning possession of a handgun. In 1959, 60% of Americans favored banning handguns — and only 36% opposed such an affront to the Second Amendment.

Click any underlined section to see the entire article.

NRA Delivers Remarks at U.N. Concerning Proposed Arms Trade Treaty National Rifle Association's Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre addressed the United Nations this afternoon. He told the U.N. to not interfere with the Second Amendment freedoms of Americans and pledged to continue the fight to preserve civilian ownership of firearms in the U.S. He said the NRA will oppose any U.N. provision that seeks to prohibit or regulate U.S. civilian firearm ownership. LaPierre said in his remarks, "The cornerstone of our freedom is the Second Amendment. Neither the United Nations, nor any other foreign influence, has the authority to meddle with the freedoms guaranteed by our Bill of Rights, endowed by our Creator, and due to all humankind." United Nations Arms Trade Treaty Preparatory Committee - 3d Session New York, July 11-15, 2011 Statement of the National Rifle Association of America Mr. Chairman, thank you for this brief opportunity to address the committee. I am Wayne LaPierre and for 20 years now, I have served as Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America. The NRA was founded in 1871, and ever since has staunchly defended the rights of its 4 million members, America's 80 million law-abiding gun owners, and freedom-loving Americans throughout our country. In 1996, the NRA was recognized as an NGO of the United Nations and, ever since then, has defended the constitutional freedom of Americans in this arena. The NRA is the largest and most active firearms rights organization in the world and, although some members of this committee may not like what I have to say, I am proud to defend the tens of millions of lawful people NRA represents. This present effort for an Arms Trade Treaty, or ATT, is now in its fifth year. We have closely monitored this process with increasing concern. We've reviewed the statements of the countries participating in these meetings. We've listened to other NGOs and read their numerous proposals and reports, as well as carefully examined the papers you have produced. We've watched, and read ... listened and monitored. Now, we must speak out. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms in defense of self, family and country is ultimately self-evident and is part of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. Reduced to its core, it is about fundamental individual freedom, human worth, and self-destiny. We reject the notion that American gun owners must accept any lesser amount of freedom in order to be accepted among the international community. Our Founding Fathers long ago rejected that notion and forged our great nation on the principle of freedom for the individual citizen - not for the government. Mr. Chairman, those working on this treaty have asked us to trust them ... but they've proven to be unworthy of that trust. We are told "Trust us; an ATT will not ban possession of any civilian firearms." Yet, the proposals and statements presented to date have argued exactly the opposite, and - perhaps most importantly - proposals to ban civilian firearms ownership have not been rejected. We are told "Trust us; an ATT will not interfere with state domestic regulation of firearms." Yet, there are constant calls for exactly such measures. We are told "Trust us; an ATT will only affect the illegal trade in firearms." But then we're told that in order to control the illegal trade, all states must control the legal firearms trade. We are told, "Trust us; an ATT will not require registration of civilian firearms." Yet, there are numerous calls for record-keeping, and firearms tracking from production to eventual destruction. That's nothing more than gun registration by a different name. We are told, "Trust us; an ATT will not create a new international bureaucracy." Well, that's exactly what is now being proposed -- with a tongue-in-cheek assurance that it will just be a SMALL bureaucracy. We are told, "Trust us; an ATT will not interfere with the lawful international commerce in civilian firearms." But a manufacturer of civilian shotguns would have to comply with the same regulatory process as a manufacturer of military attack helicopters. We are told, "Trust us; an ATT will not interfere with a hunter or sport shooter travelling internationally with firearms." However, he would have to get a so-called "transit permit" merely to change airports for a connecting flight. Mr. Chairman, our list of objections extends far beyond the proposals I just mentioned. Unfortunately, my limited time today prevents me from providing greater detail on each of our objections. I can assure you, however, that each is based on American law, as well as the fundamental rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution. It is regrettable that proposals affecting civilian firearms ownership are woven throughout the proposed ATT. That being the case, however, there is only one solution to this problem: the complete removal of civilian firearms from the scope of any ATT. I will repeat that point as it is critical and not subject to negotiation - civilian firearms must not be part of any ATT. On this there can be no compromise, as American gun owners will never surrender their Second Amendment freedom. It is also regrettable to find such intense focus on record-keeping, oversight, inspections, supervision, tracking, tracing, surveillance, marking, documentation, verification, paper trails and data banks, new global agencies and data centers. Nowhere do we find a thought about respecting anyone's right of self-defense, privacy, property, due process, or observing personal freedoms of any kind. Mr. Chairman, I'd be remiss if I didn't also discuss the politics of an ATT. For the United States to be a party to an ATT, it must be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the U.S. Senate. Some do not realize that under the U.S. Constitution, the ultimate treaty power is not the President's power to negotiate and sign treaties; it is the Senate's power to approve them. To that end, it's important for the Preparatory Committee to understand that the proposed ATT is already strongly opposed in the Senate - the very body that must approve it by a two-thirds majority. There is a letter addressed to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton that is currently being circulated for the signatures of Senators who oppose the ATT. Once complete, this letter will demonstrate that the proposed ATT will not pass the U.S. Senate. So there is extremely strong resistance to the ATT in the United States, even before the treaty is tabled. We are not aware of any precedent for this - rejecting a proposed treaty before it's even submitted for consideration - but it speaks to the level of opposition. The proposed ATT has become more than just controversial, as the Internet is awash with articles and messages calling for its rejection. And those messages are all based on the same objection - infringement on the constitutional freedom of American gun owners. The cornerstone of our freedom is the Second Amendment. Neither the United Nations, nor any other foreign influence, has the authority to meddle with the freedoms guaranteed by our Bill of Rights, endowed by our Creator, and due to all humankind. Therefore, the NRA will fight with all of its strength to oppose any ATT that includes civilian firearms within its scope. Thank you.

NRA: The steel behind American freedom

What few realize is that until gun ownership became a partisan and ideological issue in the 1960s, the NRA hadn’t spent a dime on politics, didn’t have even one registered lobbyist and avoided political involvement whenever possible. Indeed, after President Johnson signed the landmark Gun Control Act of 1968, one major Senate sponsor of the bill described the NRA as a “paper tiger.”

The NRA was formed to promote civilian marksmanship in the days following the Civil War and spent a century as a service organization running firearm competitions and shooting ranges, educating generations of Americans on the safe use of firearms and providing technical information to hunters, shooters and collectors.

The entire article at the Washington Times can be read by clicking anywhere in this post! CLICK

Down-loadable manuals for firearms!!

Need a down-loadable manual for one of your old or new firearms? This web page has them all!!

Click HERE

DOW PACKS MARCH CALENDAR WITH HUNTER ED

DENVER - With the April 5 limited license application deadline looming, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and volunteer hunter education instructors are offering more than 100 hunter education classes statewide in March. Since 1970 the agency has required anyone born after 1948 to take hunter education before applying to hunt in Colorado.

Classes range from large classes like the one offered at the Division's Denver headquarters to rural offerings throughout the month in towns like Meeker, Trinidad and Antonito.

"Our goal is to make it as convenient as possible for people who need these classes to find one and complete one," said Mark Cousins, Hunter Education Coordinator for the Division of Wildlife.

A complete list of upcoming hunter education course is available on-line at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/HunterEducation/CourseCalendar/.

Beyond traditional hunter education classes the Division is also offering internet-based courses which allow students to conduct some of the coursework on-line to help fit busy schedules or allow parents to work with their children. These classes aren't completely on-line as they still require a minimum of four hours of classroom time with an instructor, a live-fire session and a written exam to complete the course. Other hunter education courses are also offered specifically for youth, women or college-aged students.

"We recognize that people learn differently and in different environments," Cousins explained. "The important thing is that people find a class that fits their schedule and complete the course. Hunter education is for everyone interested in the outdoors and wildlife."

Colorado began requiring hunter education in 1970 after an average of nine hunting-related fatalities each year through the 1960s. By the 1990s, hunting-related fatalities had dropped to about one per year in the state.

"The numbers speak for themselves," Cousins said. "With more than 400,000 hunting licenses sold each year, hunting is one of the safest outdoor participation sports in Colorado."

Volunteers are the core of the Division's hunter education efforts. Courses are taught by volunteer instructors, keeping the cost of taking a course low at just $10.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Meet Scott Tipton on Thursday the 24th of Feb.

IDPA Participants:

One of our shooters, Chris Herrman christopherherrman@yahoo.com

“Morning John, I'm helping organize a sportsmen reception with Congressman Scott Tipton on Thursday the 24th and want to make sure the shooting sports are represented. This will be a casual meet and greet so we can get to know the Congressman and his staff.

When: February 24, 2011, 4:30 to 6:30 PM
Where: Dolce Vita Restaurant, 336 Main Street, Grand Junction


For further information contact Chris at the email address above

Bear Hunting Regulations may change!!

BEAR REG, DOG-WALKING ON TAP FOR COMMISSION

DENVER, Colo. -- The Wildlife Commission will consider a new regulation to prohibit the take of bears in their dens and a petition to rescind a ban on dog walking at two northeast-region state wildlife areas during its January meeting.

Commissioners will also set 2011 license numbers for bighorn sheep and mountain goat, finalize 2011 big game seasons and consider a host of changes to management of State Wildlife Areas as part of its annual review of Division properties. During the afternoon session, commissioners will consider proposals to manage predators to support Gunnison sage-grouse and desert bighorn conservation projects in southwestern Colorado.

The meeting is scheduled to be held this Wednesday, Jan. 5, at the Colorado Division of Wildlife's Hunter Education Building at 6060 Broadway in Denver. The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m.

During the morning session, the Wildlife Commission will get a first look at a new den-hunting regulation drafted by Division of Wildlife staff following an incident this fall in which a potential state record black bear was taken by a licensed hunter while in its den. The incident has prompted a discussion about whether taking hibernating black bears in their dens is ethical, safe, or adheres to the concept of fair chase.

According to the 2010-2020 Strategic Plan adopted by the Wildlife Commission, the Division should look to maintain and increase support for wildlife management activities by emphasizing ethics, safety and fair chase in hunting, fishing and other wildlife programs. Although no regulations currently prohibit it den hunting in Colorado, other states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan have adopted regulations to ban the practice. The proposed regulation is scheduled to receive a three-step review by Commissioners, who could approve a final rule in May.

Commissioners will also consider a petition from several hundred Loveland-area residents concerning the closure of two state wildlife areas to dogs except for active hunting, following a number of complaints from local citizens. The petition asks the Wildlife Commission to consider rescinding the new prohibition on dogs at Lon Hagler and Lone Tree SWAs, which they have argued was adopted without sufficient public input.

Commissioners will also get their first look at steps proposed by the Division to address public safety and user conflict issues stemming from unregulated access to Jumbo Reservoir along the lower South Platte as part of its annual review of Division properties. DOW staff is proposing to institute an annual "State Wildlife Area Permit" for Jumbo and possibly other nearby SWAs that would be required for everyone aged 19 to 64 that does not have a current hunting or fishing license. Division staff also recommends a prohibition on the possession and consumption of alcohol at Jumbo SWA.

The Wildlife Commission meets monthly and travels to communities around the state to facilitate public participation in its processes. In 2011, the Commission will meet in Salida, Grand Junction, Montrose, Alamosa, Steamboat Springs, Pueblo, Yuma, and Fort Collins and at a location to be determined in northwest Colorado. The first three meetings of 2011 will be held at the Hunter Education Building at Division headquarters in Denver.

Members of the public who are unable to attend Commission meetings or workshops can listen to the proceedings through a link on the DOW we bsite. This opportunity is provided to keep constituents better informed about the development of regulations by the Commission and how they and DOW staff are resolving issues facing Colorado's wildlife.

HARASSING BIG GAME WITH AIRCRAFT IS ILLEGAL, UNETHICAL

MONTROSE, Colo. -- As the big game rifle seasons approach, hunters are getting out in the field for some on-the-ground scouting. Unfortunately, not all scouting activity is done on the ground -- some types of scouting are unethical and may even be illegal.

Some hunters and guides scout for animals using aircraft -- planes, helicopters and ultra-lights. While not all scouting that is done from the air is illegal, the manner in which it is done could lead to violation of federal and state laws. The Colorado Division of Wildlife is asking for help from anyone who suspects that aircraft are being used improperly in the pursuit of big game.

"Scouting an area from the air well before the season starts is not illegal," explained Renzo DelPiccolo, area wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife in Montrose. "But we have seen and have had reports that aircraft are being used to harass animals so that they move into a specific area. That type of activity is illegal."

The federal Airborne Hunting Act prohibits hunting or harassing animals from aircraft. Anyone convicted of that activity can be fined and sentenced to a year in jail.

DOW regulations prohibit using aircraft for hunting, for directing and communicating with hunters on the ground, and for hunters on the ground to take directions from someone in an airplane. State rules also prohibit hunting in an area the same day or the day aft er a scouting flight was made. The penalties can include a fine of $2,000 and 15 penalty points.

"Hunting for large trophy animals is big business. Unfortunately, there are some people who will behave in an unethical or illegal fashion when there is a lot of money at stake," DelPiccolo said.

Airborne scouting activity would probably not be apparent to a non-hunter. But hunters and people who live near big game wildlife herds might notice unusual flight patterns by aircraft that could indicate animals are being harassed or herded into an area.

Anyone who suspects that aircraft are being used illegally should contact the nearest DOW office or call Operation Game Thief at 1-877-265-6648.

Pilots who are taking to the air to scout for clients should first contact the DOW to talk about regulations.

"The North America hunting model is based on the concept of 'fair chase' for the animal," DelPiccolo said. "It's important that hunters and guides live by that ethic."

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Concealed Permits up 43% in Pueblo

I sniped a couple of paragraphs from the Pueblo Chieftain for the information included

The surge is because of the 2008 election of Democratic President Barack Obama and, according to gun advocates, his track record on gun issues and the threat they say he possess to the Second Amendment right to bear arms."I think the election was the catalyst to the hysteria. That and a lot of misinformation about concealed handguns," said Taylor, a Democrat who said he's a "strong" supporter of the Second Amendment.

Two examples Taylor offered on the misconception of state gun laws is possessing a gun in a vehicle and the regular carrying of a firearm.

"People think you need a concealed handgun permit to carry a gun in your car. By law, you can carry a gun in your car because it's an extension of your house," he said.

"Colorado is also an open-carry state, which means you can openly carry a firearm, except in places where it's prohibited, like the courthouse and schools. Now, if you walk down the street with a .45 strapped to your leg, that doesn't mean a citizen isn't going to call you in to the police, but you can openly carry a firearm in Colorado."

To read the entire article at Chieftain.com click in the article above

Scores from APG IDPA Match 10/2/2010

Here they are all concise and posted at Scribd. Check it out by clicking on any part of this post.

Questions or comments:

Joseph W. Olt, Jr., Director

Action Pistol Group IDPA
P.O. Box 1421
Grand Junction CO 81502

(970) 243-1155
(970) 243-1177 FAX

joltlaw@fone.net E-mail

Debunking 9 Classic Myths and Whoppers about Firearms

In this article the author would like to debunk some firearms myths with facts, figures and his personal experience as an instructor of this very cliquish yet globally popular martial art.

Link to the entire article HERE

Thanks to Gene at Living the Grand Life

EPA denies bid to ban lead in hunting ammunition

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency has denied a petition by five environmental groups to ban lead in hunting ammunition.

The agency said Friday that it did not have the authority to enact the ban under the Toxic Substances Control Act, as the groups had requested.

But the EPA says it's still reviewing another part of the petition, to ban lead fishing sinkers.

Click here or anywhere in this post to read the entire article at Yahoo news.

Packing heat in AZ to become easier soon

New law taking effect, allowing concealed weapons, no training

The Wild West is about to get wilder - on Thursday, Arizona will join Alaska and Vermont as one of the states with the country's most liberal gun laws. Senate Bill 1108 removes the requirement that gun owners must be trained and licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Arizona already allows for "open carry" - anyone not legally prohibited from possessing a firearm, such as convicted felons or those adjudicated mentally incompetent, can carry firearms in public as long as they are clearly visible.

Click in the paragraph above to see the entire article

"Coming to a state near you soon"

Ohio Democratic Party unsuccessfully tries to get gun records

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Ohio Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully this week to get information on all people licensed to carry concealed weapons in the Buckeye State. The state party sent letters to Ohio's 88 sheriffs requesting the names and addresses of permit holders

Click in the paragraph above to read the entire article.

Concealed Handgun Permits Issued by County Sheriffs

In 2004 Colorado enacted Senate Bill 04-24, a law which established clear guidelines for the issuance of concealed handgun permits by sheriffs. One of the requirements of the law is that each sheriff submit and annual report to the legislature listing the number of permit applications received, the number of permits issued, the number denied and the number revoked. County Sheriffs of Colorado collected the data from sheriffs and submitted in in one report. This report was included in the County Sheriffs of Colorado magazine and is published HERE.

This is provided so that readers may see the permit activity that each county has reported.

If you wish to compare the last few years, I have provided links to the pages that I posted for the last 2 years and this year (2009).

2009 report => HERE

2008 report => HERE

2007 report => HERE

John Lott said: "More Guns Less Crime"

NRA News: UN Doomsday Treaty With Ginny Simone

The below video is a bit old but the information is still good. It takes about 10 minutes to view and worth it.

Video Here