How History Might Have Been Different

On By Tom LindsayIn Gun Control, Gun Rights, RKBA2 Comments
Pistol Choices
What if they were Tauruses?

As I have reported before, when I shopping for my first handgun in 1992, I was at a gun store in Marietta, Georgia, and  had decided to buy a Taurus PT92, the Brazilian copy of the Beretta 92. However, when the clerk asked for my identification so he could run my background check, I discovered that, as an Alabama resident, I could not legally purchase a handgun in Georgia.

Why? Good question. The originators claimed it would cut down on gun trafficking by criminals, since they could not be sure that an out-of-state purchaser was legally allowed to by a gun. There was no easy way to run a background check on someone out of state in a reasonable length of time.

Given the improvements in communications since the law was first passed, and especially in light of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, this argument has become invalid.

And, finally, the courts have agreed, as a federal appeals court ruled today that disallowing interstate handgun sales through licensed FFL holders was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.

This should mean that eventually, once the BATFE sends guidance to gun stores and FFL holders, we would be able to buy handguns through any FFL holder, no matter where it is located.

Now, given my penchant for Glocks (having bought, instead of the Taurus, a Glock 17, upon return to Alabama), how would my life be different today, had I bought the Taurus?

Would I have won free Tauruses in the Taurus Shooting Sports Foundation matches?Gunny and me

Whose pictures would I have in the office, if not the Gunny?

I can only wonder.

New Gun Control Idea

On By Tom LindsayIn Gun Control, Sarcasm

Remember – you heard it here first . . . .

In an article I read today about a proposed Federal ban on magazines of greater than 10 round capacity, proposed by Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-Connecticut) who represents Newtown, Connecticut, I read this paragraph:

In the five minutes Esty took to explain her and her cohorts’ reasoning behind the bill she said, “Limiting high capacity magazines will save lives and we know this because it has.” She cited that 11 children escaped when Sandy Hook elementary school shooter XXXXXX* stopped to reload. However, the state attorney’s official report on the tragic incident states otherwise. The report says the children had a chance to escape a classroom when XXXXXX paused in his shooting because either the rifle malfunctioned or he had problems reloading—with no conclusion to the reason why XXXXXX stopped shooting.

(* As you know, I refuse to publicize the names of mass killers.)

The bold text is where I see a coming gun control effort – why not a law prohibiting reliable guns? As I see it, clearing malfunctions would be a lot more difficult than magazine changes, and, in the eyes of the gun control crowd, make us a lot safer.

The National Reliable Firearms Prevention Act should be coming by year end. Sponsors? I welcome your predictions.

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Just in case, we should all buy 1911’s. They would be compliant.

Observations

On By Tom LindsayIn Blogs

I have been giving some thought to my participation in the shooting world, of which this blog has played a part. Admittedly not all of my thoughts are clear, but when are they ever? However, I figured that committing them to paper . . . er . . . bits would at least set for me a tangible goal, something visible, as a reminder of where I should be headed.

First, for reasons that are unimportant, I have not given shooting any real attention recently. Yes, I read Twitter and blog, and sometimes watch shows. But I haven’t shot in a match since last November, and I have probably only posted on this blog a couple of times a month. Even my wife has made the observation, and I have to admit, I am not happy with where I am.

That sucks.

That will change. Starting now.

So, for what it’s worth, here are my resolutions for the coming months:

  • Practice – dry fire, range time, all of it. I’ve even bought Ben Stoeger’s book on Dry Fire, at the example of Lee Bautista, and I now plan to read it, and use it.
  • Competition – the practice will lead to me resumption of USPSA shooting, starting in March. The goal here is to level up to C class by summer.
  • Blogging – I would love to get back to my one-time daily minimum, but for now let’s just say I will blog more. I have a lot of stuff saved as draft, and, like 90’s Saturday Night Live sketches, none of them are relevant any more. But, fortunately, new stuff arises daily, and I don’t see any problems.
  • Participating – I have been a member of the NRA for 20 years, and GeorgiaCarry.org for at least 5. It’s time I put some of my efforts to these causes.

Watch this space in the coming days and weeks.

GeorgiaCarry Sues Over School Carry Law

On By Tom LindsayIn CCW, Concealed Carry, GeorgiaCarry, Gun Free Zones, Gun Rights, RKBA

As I reported last year, the Georgia Legislature passed a law, HB 826, which Governor Deal signed, that exempts GWCL holders from prosecution for carrying weapons within school zones.

As one might expect, the idea that HB 286 actually allows what it says it allows was disputed, most notably by the Georgia Attorney General.

And, as one might expect, GeorgiaCarry.Org has filed a lawsuit to force the State to read the words in the law, and enforce the law as written.

More to come, I am sure . . . .