More along the line of ‘You wouldn’t have seen this in 2018’ ……


Sig Sauer Pledges Support Of Second Amendment Foundation

Some of the unsung heroes in the Second Amendment fight for our rights often go unacknowledged. There are the Second Amendment groups, such as the big ones; National Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, et.al. The work these groups, and ones like them do directly impact our fundamental freedoms in positive ways.

Without those who support the groups; whether they’re individuals, other groups, or corporations, the organizations would cease to exist. That’s why it’s important to thank and celebrate the companies that step up to the plate, swing, and put their money where their mouths are. In a recent release, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) announced Sig Sauer’s support of the organization.

The Second Amendment Foundation is proud to announce a sustained, multi-year Double Diamond sponsorship by Sig Sauer, Inc., to support our important programs and initiatives.

“It’s an honor for SIG SAUER to contribute to the important work of the Second Amendment Foundation and join forces with their 700,000 plus membership to defend our constitutional rights to privately own and possess firearms,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. “The Second Amendment is under constant attack and the legal activism, education, and resources provided by the Second Amendment Foundation is absolutely essential to stopping the encroachment on our constitutional rights and ensuring that the Second Amendment is preserved for future generations.”

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a better understanding about our Constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms. SAF supports legal action and educational programs to protect and defend the Second Amendment. SAF has been engaged in legal action across the U.S. for over 45-years and has successfully defended, overturned, and set precedent in many cases.

Without help from the community, groups like the SAF would not be able to stave off, stop, and reverse bad polices that get implemented in the United States. The civil liberties of the law abiding gun owner in America are under attack and Sig Sauer needs to stand as a shining example of what it means to give back. The assaults are both foreign and domestic, with frivolous lawsuits out of Mexico and the UN Small Arms Treaty…now, more than ever, we need to fight for the Second Amendment as well as the firearm industry. They do go hand in hand!

Founder and Executive Vice President of SAF, Alan Gottlieb made the following remarks about Sig’s dedication to the organization.

“This unprecedented commitment from SIG SAUER is simply awesome,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. “To have this legendary company as our very first Double Diamond sponsor underscores the importance of our legal and educational efforts. I am both humbled and grateful at this level of support for our efforts to defend the right to keep and bear arms.

“SIG SAUER’s commitment will guarantee that SAF can continue winning firearms freedom one lawsuit at a time,” Gottlieb added.

………….

Judge Gets To Heart Of NY AG’s Attempt To Dissolve The NRA

New York Attorney General Letitia James ran for office vowing to take down the NRA, and she’s done her best since her election in 2018 to fulfill that campaign promise. But while James has uncovered plenty of evidence detailing misspending and misuse of NRA money by top executives (including Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre) going back a number of years, the anti-gun Democrat isn’t going to be satisfied until she’s actually dissolved the 150-year old organization.

On Friday, however, a federal judge questioned whether that was necessary (note that the story linked is from Bloomberg, so expect some bias in its reporting).

“The question is why can’t the two be separated?” Manhattan state court judge Joel M. Cohen asked at a Friday hearing over an NRA motion to dismiss the suit. “Why can’t you address the financial issues without dissolving the entire entity?”

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the gun-rights group late last year alleging it violated state laws governing charitable organizations by using donated funds to enrich longtime leader Wayne LaPierre and other executives. The NRA was founded in New York in 1871.

Jonathan Conley, a lawyer in James’s office, said at the hearing that New York law governing charities must be respected.

“The NRA has had numerous opportunities over several years — with red flags being presented — to correct its operations and it has over and over again elected not to do so,” Conley said.

According to the Bloomberg report, the judge seemed less than impressed with that argument. If the problems within the NRA lie with its upper management, then how would its millions of members benefit from the entire organization being dissolved?

But Cohen repeatedly asked Conley how the public would be served by dissolving the NRA rather than changing the “very small core” of management accused of wrongdoing. Conley agreed the NRA’s alleged actions were the result of “entrenched management.”

“Entrenched management in my experience never removes itself,” the judge said. “That’s what entrenched means.

Now, the real answer to the judge’s question is that James believes that the public would be served by shutting down the NRA because the organization lobbies and litigates for people to be able to exercise their right to own and carry guns. But given the fact that we’re talking about a constitutionally protected (if not Democratically respected) right, that argument won’t fly in a court of law, even in Manhattan.

Instead, James’ office argues that the only way to punish those who misused donations and organization assets is to consign the NRA to the dustbin of history; legally dissolving the organization and “recouping” as much of the NRA’s assets as she can.

I’m not aware of any NRA members that have actually asked for that to happen. Instead, we’ve seen attempts by members to intervene in the case in order for rank-and-file members to try to reform the organization. Unfortunately, the same judge that seemed skeptical about the New York AG’s argument today tossed out that request by NRA members back in September.

The NRA members’ attorneys asserted the group’s 5 million members nationwide were entitled to take control of the organization as prosecutors pursued its longtime leader Wayne La Pierre and his co-defendants with an eye to the group’s demise.

“In any sane situation, (LaPierre and the NRA’s leaders) would be asked to step aside until they cleared their names,” said attorney Francois Blaudeau, who represented the two NRA members and a third unidentified member of the group’s board of directors.

Instead, it was business as usual in the NRA, with LaPierre continuing to run the operation and its members facing an uncertain future, Blaudeau said.

“You would have to have blinders on and a sack over your head to believe the (NRA) board is making decisions without input from Mr. LaPierre,” he added. “… You can’t leave the fox in the hen house when the fox is killing the chickens.”

Cohen, unmoved, noted the petitioners lacked by a wide, wide margin the 5% of NRA membership involvement needed in such cases.

One of the big problems with trying to rally NRA members behind an intervention is that the easiest and best way to communicate directly with members is through the NRA’s official channels. Those channels obviously aren’t open to those trying to replace top leadership with new blood, however, which made it nearly impossible to target NRA members and let them know about the push for rank-and-file reform and how to get involved.

Today’s hearing was over an NRA motion to dismiss James’ suit to dissolve the organization, and despite the judge’s seeming skepticism, I wouldn’t be surprised if he allows the lawsuit to proceed. That doesn’t mean that James will ultimately achieve her objective of dissolving the NRA completely, but I would be shocked if Cohen took that option off the table at the moment, even if there are millions of good reasons to do so.

You Would Not Have Seen This In 2018

I received a press release earlier this week from Roy Hill of Brownells. Reading through it I was struck that this was not something you would have seen in earlier times. Bear in mind that Pete Brownell served as president of the NRA from May 2017 until May 2018 and was an officer and member of the board prior to that.

The release was about a donation made by Brownells to the Firearms Policy Coalition.

Brownells is proud to announce it has become a Benefactor Member of the Firearms Policy Coalition Constitution Alliance.

Brownells joins other well-known firearms industry companies such as Daniel Defense and Silencer Shop to stand with the Firearms Policy Coalition in defense and support of constitutionally-guaranteed Second Amendment rights for all Americans.

Founded in 2015, the FPC’s main mission is to protect and defend constitutional rights—especially the right to keep and bear arms— often by filing lawsuits against egregious anti-gun-rights laws and regulations.

Recently, FPC filed a lawsuit challenging the unconstitutional New Jersey restrictions and local practices that prevent its residents from exercising their right to carry loaded handguns in public for self-defense. Additionally, FPC has recently filed lawsuits in Nevada, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Illinois, and Tennessee.

“FPC has stood in the Breach to defend our 2A rights for years. They have stacked up an impressive list of legal wins that keeps the individual right to bear arms alive in America,” said Brownells Chairman Pete Brownell.  “Now is the time to double down in supporting our Second Amendment Rights by supporting FPC.”

“It is an honor to have earned the support of Pete Brownell and the Brownells family,” said FPC president Brandon Combs. “Brownells is not only a world-class supplier of constitutionally protected products, it is an institution in our culture. Because of the generous support of our individual FPC Grassroots Army members and growing family of Constitution Alliance benefactors, like our friends at Brownells, our FPC Team is able to aggressively address important issues and protect individuals’ rights, freedoms, and property without hesitation. FPC will proudly continue to Fight Forward for the People and their rights, liberty, and property.”

So far in 2021, Brownells has donated around $175,000 to the FPC.

As I see it, the move by Brownells is an indication of two things. First, it is a testimony to how far the FPC has come in a short time. Second, and what really struck me, is that Brownells which has a long history with the NRA has chosen to send their money elsewhere.

Perhaps I’m mistaken but I see this as a way for Brownells to continue their support for the Second Amendment while distancing themselves from the NRA and all of its self-inflicted problems.

Rising Gun Sales and The Pearl Clutching Left

GOC’s Plans for Dealing with the Anti-Gunners in 2022

Photo courtesy of NSSF

The media hates to report it.

The Left goes ballistic.

But this is what happens when both retailers and the Department of Justice report that gun sales continue to skyrocket.  The pearl clutching is epic.

According the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearm industry trade association, the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) processed 687,788 background checks during the week leading up to and including Black Friday. FBI’s NICS recorded 187,585 on Black Friday alone, ranking it among the Top 10 Highest Days for NICS checks and a .50 percent increase from Black Friday 2020 (186,645).

What’s great news for us is a nightmare for them.  But their predictable knee-jerk reaction to the rise in gun ownership is to equate it with the increase in crime.  This is not only lazy reporting, it’s lazy thinking.

Continue reading “”

3M Rescinds Vaccine Mandate Moments Prior to Second Peaceful Protest at Brownwood Facility

News spread among 3M employees that the company’s mandatory vaccine mandate had been rescinded just minutes before a second peaceful protest was slated to begin outside the Brownwood facility at noon Wednesday.

3M’s corporate office sent emails to employees Wednesday in light of Tuesday’s news that a federal judge halted the Biden Administration’s federal vaccine mandate for federal contractors and subcontractors nationwide……………


Kansas Universities Pause Vaccine Mandate After Federal Court Ruling

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Three Kansas universities have paused their coronavirus vaccination mandates after a ruling from a federal district court judge on Tuesday.

A federal court blocked a third vaccination mandate imposed by the Biden administration for federal contractors. The University of Kansas, Wichita State University, and Kansas State University all announced that they will be pausing their requirement due to the ruling…………………


Michigan Medicine Halts COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Some Employees, Including Nurses

ANN ARBOR, Mich (WXYZ) — COVID-19 vaccine requirements, especially in the workplace, remain a topic of discussion as mandates go into effect.

“That mandate forced me, forced me to decide. It was either be vaccinated or be let go,” said a former employee of Michigan Medicine whose departure from the health system after 15 years of employment stemmed from their opposition to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

But now, Michigan Medicine has paused the vaccine mandate for all of its union employees, including nurses.


NYC Vaccine Mandate Blocked by Judge in Blow to Bill De Blasio

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for New York City employees, including the NYPD, has been blocked by a Manhattan court.

On Tuesday, Judge Frank P. Nervo in the Supreme Court of New York gave notice that the mandate was suspended, pending a hearing scheduled for December 14……………….

Yes, they have the perfect right to do this. But that doesn’t mean it not one of the more stupid things I’ve seen businessess do.


SAN FRANCISCO RESTAURANT DEFENDS DENYING SERVICE TO ARMED POLICE OFFICERS: ‘We were uncomfortable.’

The co-owner of a San Francisco restaurant says three on-duty officers were denied service because they were carrying guns

The co-owner of a San Francisco restaurant defended refusing service to three uniformed police officers following backlash over the move, calling the establishment a “safe space.”

“It’s not about the fact that we are anti-police,” chef and co-owner of Hilda and Jesse, Rachel Sillcocks, told ABC7 News. “It is about the fact that we do not allow weapons in our restaurant. We were uncomfortable, and we asked them to leave. It has nothing to do that they were officers. It has everything to do that they were carrying guns.”

San Francisco is experiencing a sharp increase in burglaries, according to police figures.
“We understand how much the police support and protect the community,” she added. “We want to again reiterate the fact that this is about guns being in our space, and we don’t allow it.”

Continue reading “”

Nevada Supreme Court: Can’t sue gun makers over Las Vegas massacre

The Nevada Supreme Court ruled unanimously this week that the state’s immunity law prohibits suing gun makers and sellers over Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting deaths.

The parents of Carrie Parsons, who was killed in the mass shooting at a Las Vegas festival along with more than 50 other people, filed the lawsuit against Colt Arms and other companies that made or sold the weapons used. That suit was transferred to federal district court which then sent questions on Nevada’s statutory immunity provisions protecting gun makers and sellers to the Nevada Supreme Court.

The court ruled unanimously that the statute prohibits the Parsons from suing.

On Oct. 1, 2017, the gunman, Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, committed suicide before he could be arrested. He fired 1,049 rounds into the crowd from a 32nd story hotel room. A total of 58 people died and hundreds were injured.

The parents of Carrie Parsons, James and Ann-Marie, argued the gunman modified his AR-15 rifles with “bump stocks” effectively turning them into illegal machine guns and that the makers of those weapons and accessories knew or should have known the rifles could be easily converted to illegal weapons, voiding the immunity statute.

In a nutshell, the high court ruled the extent of Nevada’s immunity statute is a matter for the Legislature to deal with, not the judiciary.
The existing statute, they ruled, “provides the gun companies immunity from the wrongful death and negligence per se claims asserted against them under Nevada law in this case,” the 20-page opinion concludes.
“We in no way underestimate the profound public policy issues presented or the horrific tragedy the route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting inflicted,” the opinion states.

They urged the Legislature to act, “if it did not mean to provide immunity in situations like this.

That’s a might nice premium Federal is charging for [what we’d hope is ] a guaranteed supply delivered to your doorstep.


Federal offers ammo subscription service

“Never worry about running out of your go-to rounds again-or have to look for them on store shelves. Introducing Federal Connection, an all-new ammunition subscription service. Sign up for a one-year contract and we’ll deliver five boxes of your favorite ammunition right to your door each month-shipping is free and orders are eligible for Federal Rewards points.”

Getting Started
Initially, shooters can subscribe to some of Federal’s most popular American Eagle loads,
115-grain 9mm Luger (AE9DP, $139.99 per month),   [that’s $28 a box ]

180-grain 40 S&W (AE40R1, $151.99 per month)   [that’s $30.40 a box]

230-grain 45 Auto, (AE45A, $169.99 per month)   [that’s $34 a box]

Users must commit to a one-year subscription; limit one subscription per caliber per household. Early subscription cancellation incurs a $300 fee. Only available in states where it is legal to order ammunition online.

Nevada Judge to Strike Down Major Portions of Nevada Gun Ghost Gun Ban

From Polymer80 . . .

On November 23, 2021, in a huge victory for both Polymer80 and the Second Amendment in Nevada, the Hon. Judge John P. Schlegelmilch of the Lyon County, Nevada District Court stated he would be issuing summary judgment in favor of Polymer80, Inc., in their lawsuit against Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, George Togliatti, Director of the Nevada Department of Public Safety, and Mindy McKay, Administrator of the Records, Communications, and Compliance Division of the Nevada Department of Public Safety.

The judgment would invalidate and bar enforcement of major portions of Nevada Assembly Bill 286, on due process grounds under the Nevada state constitution.

Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) sponsored AB286 which passed on straight party-line votes in both the Nevada Assembly and Senate. Gov. Sisolak, a Democrat, signed AB286 into law in early June 2021.

AB286 generally prohibits a person from possessing, purchasing, transporting or receiving any unfinished frame or receiver of a firearm, or assembling any firearm not imprinted with a serial number. Initial violations carry a criminal misdemeanor penalty; repeat violations can be punished by a felony charge.

In deciding to issue summary judgment, Judge Schlegelmilch held that a trial was not needed, and that Polymer80 was immediately entitled to both a Declaratory Judgment that AB286 was unduly and unconstitutionally void for vagueness, and a Permanent Injunction forever banning enforcement of key provisions in the new enactment for that reason.

Judge Schlegelmilch, who upon Polymer80’s motion had preliminarily prevented enforcement of those provisions in July 2021, specifically found that Sections 3 and 3.5 of AB286 were unconstitutionally ambiguous in their language criminalizing, among other things, the possession, sale, transfer, transport, and manufacture of “unfinished frames or receivers.”

Polymer80 had argued that this said criminalization would threaten its very existence. In that respect, the Court further found that the definition of an “unfinished frame or receiver” incorporated in those two Sections was exceedingly and unconstitutionally vague in its use and reliance upon various terms including, among others, “blank,” “casting,” and “machined body” that were undefined in the statute and did not have accepted common meanings.

In addition, the Court determined that the additional required component of the definition of “unfinished frame or receiver” mandating that a blank, casting, or machined body have reached such a stage of formation that “most of the major machining operations” needed to turn those items into a firearm had been completed was fatally vague and ambiguous. The Court ruled that those terms, alone and together, were so unclear and uncertain that they did not provide fair notice to a Nevadan of ordinary intelligence as to what specific conduct AB286 prohibited, rendering the bill unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause of the Nevada Constitution.

The Court also ruled that those vague terms encouraged and effectively authorized arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement against all Nevadans, in that AB286 left the interpretation and application of those nebulous terms entirely to the discretion of governmental authorities, which Nevada Supreme Court decisions have precluded. Finally, Judge Schlegelmilch indicated that he would be issuing a formal written Order in December 2021, encapsulating and memorializing his oral rulings, declaring the cited provisions of AB286 unconstitutionally vague, and barring their enforcement permanently.

“This is a significant victory for Polymer80, Nevadans, and our customers nationwide,” Polymer80 CEO Loran Kelley said. “AB286 is vague and unlawful legislation that targets our company specifically for conducting a lawful business. We will continue to challenge lawless attempts to curtail our rights and the rights of our customers. Polymer80 would like to thank our loyal customers, whose continued support allows us to keep fighting for Second Amendment rights across the country and our attorneys at Greenspoon Marder, LLP who worked tirelessly and never gave up this fight. Polymer80 strongly believes that the Second Amendment is a foundational principal in America that can never be violated. Continuing to fight those who strive to take it away is a core belief of our company. It’s one more example of our company motto, ‘Engage Your Freedom.’”

‘Black Friday’ Week Saw 687,000-Plus Background Checks, Says NSSF

In a remarkably strong showing, the FBI’s National Instant Background Check System (NICS) reportedly processed more than 687,000 background checks during “Black Friday” week, including more than 26,000 on Thanksgiving Day, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Total for the week leading up to what has traditionally been called “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving on which retailers have come to expect robust holiday season sales, was 687,788 NICS Checks, NSSF said.

That’s a raw number, “inclusive of all background checks related to firearms,” NSSF said Monday.

It’s quite a figure, suggesting America is continuing to exercise the Second Amendment, and gun ownership is hardly going out of style.

NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi said in a prepared statement, “This year has already been shaping up to be the second strongest year for firearm sales on record, second only to 2020’s record-breaking number of 21 million background checks for a firearm sale. We anticipate, based on annual data, that firearm sales will rise during the final month of the year coinciding with hunting seasons and holiday sales. This figure, though, underscores the appetite for lawful firearm ownership in America and the resilience of the firearm and ammunition industry to meet that demand.”

The numbers were broken down day-by-day:

Saturday, Nov. 20 – 101,057

Sunday, Nov. 21 – 58,059

Monday, Nov. 22 – 96,696

Tuesday, Nov. 23 – 105,815

Wednesday, Nov. 24 – 112,484

Thursday, Nov. 25 – 26,092

Friday, Nov. 26 – 187,585

Continuing strong gun sales should come as no surprise to anybody, considering the political efforts to reduce police funding in many agencies, from the Northeast to the Pacific Northwest. Rising instances of violent crime in many parts of the country contributes to uneasiness, and media attention to the violence—whether it involves another updated body count in Chicago or a shooting at a shopping mall in Tacoma—merely reinforces the growing interest in gun ownership by private citizens.

Note To Biden: Gun Stores Aren’t Responsible For Veteran Suicides

Suicide is a serious problem, but it’s especially problematic among veterans. Many of the brave men and women who fought for our nation and survived find they can’t seem to make it through peace quite as well, so they claim their own lives.

Few people don’t see this as a significant issue. The problem is that we rarely agree on how to address it.

After all, we live in a world where President Joe Biden seems to blame gun stores for those veteran suicides.

The Biden-Harris administration is using veteran suicides to garner public support for their war on gun dealers, whom they blame for skyrocketing violent crime rates in cities historically controlled by Democrats.

“The Biden administration is rolling out a new initiative aimed at reducing suicides by gun and combating the significant increases in suicides by members of the military and veterans,” the Associated Press reported Wednesday. As part of the plan, Biden will order the ATF to “seek to revoke the licenses of dealers the first time that they violate federal law.”

This is nothing new. Biden first announced he was targeting gun dealers in June. The only difference is now he’s doing it for the veterans.

That’s sick – even for Biden – using the deaths of heroes to sell his gun control plan.

The other team doesn’t care. They love the plan. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, told the AP the administration was “blazing a new path to keep guns away from people who could be a danger to themselves.”

To be clear, gun dealers – even the rogue ones – do not contribute to veteran suicides. The Veterans Administration contributes to veteran suicides. If a veteran decides they need help, they’ll spend months fighting to get the VA to accept that their illness is service-related and that they qualify for care. Democrats want to give away universal healthcare. In my humble opinion, it should go to the people who have earned it. All veterans should have access to immediate care.

It’s true. Trying to navigate the VA healthcare system makes a trip to the DMV look like a visit to a Chic-fil-A driver-through. There’s no way that helps.

So why is Biden trying to pin it on gun dealers?

The answer, of course, is that he’s been looking to blame gun stores for all manner of ills and has since he took office. If he could blame the current inflation on them, he probably would.

Since he despises gun stores so vehement, it stands to reason that he’d try and blame them for veteran suicides.

The problem is, of course, that gun stores aren’t really to blame.

Unless someone walks into the store and asks something like, “Which gun is best for killing myself with?” it’s kind of hard for the dealer to realize there may be an issue there. After all, this is a law-abiding citizen with no felonies and hasn’t been adjudicated as “mentally defective” by the courts. There’s nothing there for a store to see that maybe this is someone who shouldn’t buy a gun.

Blaming the stores doesn’t make any sense.

Then again, little of Biden’s anti-gun jihad has made much sense. Most guns used by criminals are stolen, but he’s focused on straw buys. Now he’s looking at them to pin the blame for suicides on them.

While I agree suicide is an issue, it’s not a gun issue. It’s a mental health issue.

If Biden really wants to reduce veteran suicide numbers, there are some steps he could take. One would be to make sure that the VA doesn’t try to interfere with people’s right to keep and bear arms, as they have in the past. Veterans need to be free to talk with their counselors without fear of their guns being taken. If not, many may hold back how they feel, which means not getting the help they truly need.

Then there’s the issue of access, which was mentioned in the above-linked post. It’s not easy getting your first appointment with the VA and it can take a while on the follow-ups as well.

But none of this is the fault of gun stores and Biden–or his administration, at least–damn well knows it.

American manufacturers race to relieve a pandemic-triggered ammo shortage
Soaring demand for guns and ammunition comes from a range of demographic groups

JUST TWO companies, Vista Outdoor and Olin Corp, meet the bulk of America’s demand for ammunition, and chiefly through two long-established brands. Remington, part of Vista, was founded in 1816, and Winchester Ammunition, owned by Olin Corp, started in 1866. Because of soaring demand for bullets, both firms are enjoying the sort of heady growth that only new businesses usually enjoy.

Three times a day, queues of pick-up trucks appear outside Remington’s ammunition plant on the outskirts of Little Rock, Arkansas, to bear away the fruits of round-the-clock shifts. It is a sharp reversal from last summer, when Remington went bankrupt for the second time since 2018. Production had been reduced to a trickle of bullets made from whatever raw materials could be coaxed from suppliers, who had no certainty of being paid.

Even as Remington languished—it was then owned by a private-equity firm, Cerberus Capital, which appeared more focused on complex financial transactions than on expanding the firm’s sales—the ammo market took off. The biggest factor was covid-19 and associated restrictions, which encouraged millions of people outdoors to hunt and target-shoot. Background checks on gun purchases, a measure commonly used to track the market, had been increasing annually, but last year they shot up by an unprecedented 40%.

Remington has been able to increase prices seven times. It has unfilled orders worth billions of dollars. Retailers of ammunition surveyed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a trade group, said they could have sold three times more ammunition during the first half of 2021 had it been available. Vista, Remington’s new parent, has infused working capital and increased the size of its workforce. The unit’s operating profits this year are expected to be similar to the $81m that Vista paid for the business. As for Winchester Ammunition, its revenues for the third quarter nearly doubled year on year, to $400m, and its gross operating profits nearly quadrupled.

The ammunition and gun industries pray the good times will last. In the past demand surges came when gun-owners—mostly white and male—feared new restrictions. Now it is about new demographic groups. A survey by the NSSF shows that the proportion of recreational shooters who are female has increased from 19% to 25% between 2006 and 2019. By now 28% of gun owners are Hispanic, 25% are black and 19% are Asian. Gun clubs are springing up for every niche. The Pink Pistols, for example, a shooting and social group for sexual minorities, has 48 chapters across America. Its motto: “Pick on someone your own calibre”.

Political opposition to firearms remains strong, causing businesses to shift operations of late to places that might be a tad friendlier. Remington’s licensed firearms division is moving from New York to Georgia, where gun laws are more permissive, and Smith & Wesson, another legendary brand, has recently said it will up sticks from Massachusetts to Tennessee. But customers for guns and ammo seem to be popping up everywhere.■

The Supply Chain and Border Security

There is another threat to the trucking industry, the supply chain and our national security. It is NOT reported in the mainstream media: Foreign truckers — cleared for expedited commercial crossings between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. — include at least half a dozen drivers who had deep connections to terrorism and drug-smuggling operations. And those are just the ones we know about.

Even when the criminal history of a candidate is available from another U.S. federal law enforcement agency, CBP apparently cannot access it. Instead of rejecting the foreign driver in question out of an abundance of caution, the agency simply rubber-stamps the candidate without additional screening.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says that national supply chain problems are caused by a lack of affordable childcare. While major U.S. ports such as Los Angeles and Baltimore have ships in the harbor waiting to offload cargo, a trucking shortage is delaying offloads and hauling. “Some of those issues,” Buttigieg stated, “may have to do with the availability of truckers, a thousand miles inland. There are a lot of things contributing to this. One of them is childcare, of course, which is why the president’s Build Back Better vision is going to be good for the labor market.”

Over at MSNBC, host Tiffany Cross offered a different analysis of the trucking/supply chain problem. “This is an industry populated by a lot of white men over the age of 55,” she stated. “This group of people overwhelmingly voted for Trump. Some people have talked about aggressive truck drivers cutting them off or not being helpful.”

The trucking shortages in the United States are real. Buttigieg and Cross are entitled to their opinions, of course, but their analyses seem off the mark. There is another threat to the trucking industry, the supply chain and our national security. It is NOT reported in the mainstream media: Foreign truckers — cleared for expedited commercial crossings between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. — include at least half a dozen drivers who had deep connections to terrorism and drug-smuggling operations.

The disturbing details are outlined in a 34-page report, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General with redactions to protect information in the original “law enforcement sensitive” version.

Continue reading “”

Someone in charge there should have had the smarts to delete that idiotic crossbolt safety.


Marlin’s Return Scheduled For The Holidays

Comments made during Ruger’s quarterly report conference call, which took place the first week of October, indicate Marlins are scheduled to be back on the shelves during the holiday season. The current supply and shipping environment could alter the timing, but enthusiasts interested in getting one of the first produced after the brand’s resurrection by one of the industry’s foremost shouldn’t procrastinate.

“So we’re planning a mid-December launch of the Marlin product line,” Ruger Chief Executive Officer Christopher J. Killoy commented. “…[I]t’ll probably be less than the market wants. In fact, I’m sure based on the overwhelming demand we’ve seen from consumers and retailers, I’m sure it will be fewer guns and fewer SKUs than the market wants, but we will launch it probably on or about December 15, somewhere in that time period, begin those shipments to distributors.”

The earliest offering will be a classic, too. “The first sample that I saw came off the line a few weeks ago and it was a beautiful model, 1895 in 45-70 caliber and it just looked gorgeous,” Killoy said. “So we’re very excited about that and we are on track to that into Q4 launch.”

As for finding any available in mid-December, he cautioned, “And again I expect there’ll be lots of calls and e-mails in…looking for more Marlins because the first samples frankly, were just outstanding.” The above image is an 1895 from the company’s 2006 catalog, and likely doesn’t represent the first ones scheduled to appear.

One caller asked if the Ruger name will appear anywhere on the new Marlin firearms. “No, it won’t be. We’re going to maintain the Marlin brand. We’re very proud of the Marlin brand and its history. We’ve got a couple of things. I think Marlin collectors will be very excited about as far as how we will configure the serial numbers,” Killoy responded. “Some minor changes that we think collectors will enjoy seeing but maintaining that Marlin legacy and the great things about Marlin, particularly the Sapphire lever action guns with some—what we think are some great enhancements. So more to come on that, but we’re very excited about it. We’ve got a good team of operations and product and marketing folks working on that rollout and I think we’re going to have fun with.”

Observation O’ The Day

SloJoe’s puppet masters know this will cause even more problems in the supply chain. It’s being done on purpose, simply to cause more problems, that they hope people will cry out to goobermint to solve.

Comment O’ The Day

This conclusion is inescapable, it is impossible for them to be so wrong by accident.

What a bunch of us have been saying the whole time.

If the Biden Administration were merely incompetent, they’d do some things wrong, a few disastrously so, but they’d also do some things right, a few amazingly so. I envision a standard distribution (a bell curve); most complex issues they’d be mostly neutral or maybe a little off the median, with a few at the extremes where they either really do well or really screw up.
However, that has not been the case.

Instead, they have shown a striking propensity to always trend towards the wrong choice, and they choose the exact worst possible answer alarmingly often. The only exceptions have been cases in which their actions are predetermined by law (read: they MUST take a specific action and have no other option), and even then they try like hell to wriggle out of it. The bell curve is skewed WAY to the left, such that a middling/neutral solution is rare, and doing well is so unlikely as to be almost impossible.

That cannot be a coincidence, and is not adequately explained by random chance or incompetence. Statistically speaking, the only conclusion supported by the numbers is that they are TRYING to do everything wrong.

Federal Judge Grants Injunction on Biden’s Oil, Gas Ban on Federal Lands

A federal judge on Monday issued a nationwide injunction on President Joe Biden’s executive order to halt oil and gas operations on all federal lands in the name of fighting so-called climate change.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry led the lawsuit joined by 12 other states and reacted to the court’s decision, calling it good for America.

“This is a victory not only for the rule of law, but also for the thousands of workers who produce affordable energy for Americans,” Landry said. “The President’s Executive Order abandons middle-class jobs, cripples our economy, and hits everyday Americans where it hurts the most – their pocketbooks.”

Moreover, Landry said Biden’s order actually hurts the environment.

“What’s more it attacks Louisiana’s coast by reducing the revenue and royalties used for coastal restoration and hurricane protection,” Landry said. A press release stated:

In last week’s oral arguments, lawyers from Attorney General Landry’s Office said that Biden Officials cannot legally halt all lease sales because Congress, by statute, has commanded that such lease sales happen on a regular basis. They cited the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Mineral Leasing Act as explicitly prohibiting the Biden Ban.

“By executive fiat, Joe Biden and his administration have single-handedly driven the price of energy up – costing the American people where it hurts most, in their pocketbooks,” Landry said when the lawsuit was filed. “Biden’s executive orders abandon middle-class jobs at a time when America needs them most and put our energy security in the hands of foreign countries, many of whom despise America’s greatness.”

The lawsuit stated, in part:

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and Mineral Leasing Act set out specific statutory duties requiring executive agencies to further the expeditious and safe development of the abundant energy. In compliance with those statutes, the Department of the Interior has for decades issued leases for the development of oil and natural gas on public lands and offshore waters.

“For decades, Congress has embraced responsible development of our natural resources as a means of achieving energy independence – a matter of national security,” Landry said. “They have discarded vulnerable dependence on foreign oil, which is why the court should reject the Biden Ban.”

In addition to Louisiana, the following states joined in the lawsuit filed on Wednesday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

Biden and other Democrat leftists claim that the fossil fuel industry must be shut down to save the planet from so-called climate change. Under former President Donald Trump, the United States was energy-independent for the first time since 1957 and no longer relied on foreign energy sources.

Since taking office, Biden has not only halted oil and gas production on public lands but also shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline, which created energy and jobs and benefited the economies of numerous western states with public land.

The case is Louisiana v. Biden, 2:21-cv-00778 U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

OSHA Suspends the Implementation and Enforcement of Biden’s Vaccine Mandate

After a series of court rulings halting President Joe Biden’s vaccination mandate for private companies, OSHA has officially suspended the implementation and enforcement of the requirement. The mandate was scheduled to go into effect January 4, 2022.

“On November 12, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to stay OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard, published on November 5, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 61402) (“ETS”). The court ordered that OSHA ‘take no steps to implement or enforce’ the ETS ‘until further court order,'” the OSHA website states. “While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation.”

After a lawsuit was filed by a number of state Attorneys General, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay on November 6, 2021, and said the mandate has “grave statutory and constitutional issues.”

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ATF’s rejection of Michigan CCW permits reversed

Opinion here, from the Sixth Circuit. A win for GOA.

A licensed dealer must perform background checks unless the buyer has a qualifying carrying permit. ATF initially ruled that Michigan permits qualified, then reversed itself. The District Court upheld ATF’s position, but the 6th reversed and remanded for additional fact-finding. I wish the court had reached the Administrative Procedure Act issue, just because ATF has never been good at complying with the APA.

Armslist is hardly the only source of guns in this country.’ Judge dismisses suit against online dealer following Harrison woman’s death

GREEN BAY – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against an online firearms marketplace by the father of a woman fatally shot by her estranged husband in Harrison in 2018.

Sara Schmidt, 40, a mother of three, was killed by her husband, Robert Schmidt, 49, on Jan. 9, 2018. He shot her in the driveway of his parents’ house, then fled to the backyard, where he took his own life.

Sara Schmidt’s father, Richard Webber, who serves as the administrator of Schmidt’s estate, filed a lawsuit against Armslist, claiming the online firearms marketplace allowed Robert Schmidt to illegally obtain the gun used in the homicide as a result of “reckless and unlawful business practices.”

Robert Schmidt wasn’t allowed to have a gun due to an ongoing domestic violence case — also involving Sara Schmidt. Robert Schmidt used Armslist to connect with a 19-year-old private seller and bought a handgun for $550 in a Walmart parking lot a day before he fatally shot his wife. While federal law requires background checks for sales by licensed gun sellers, no such requirement exists for private sales.

In a decision filed Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William Griesbach dismissed Webber’s lawsuit against Armslist, concluding Robert Schmidt’s actions “constituted a superseding cause, alleviating” Armslist of liability for Sara Schmidt’s death.

“There is no reason to believe that even if Schmidt’s estranged husband had not purchased a gun from a person who posted an advertisement on the Armslist website, Schmidt would still be alive,” Griesbach’s decision says. “Armslist is hardly the only source of guns in this country, and one does not need a gun to take another person’s life.

“Schmidt was killed by a person so determined to take her life, so consumed by hatred, that he was even willing to take his own. The likelihood that such a person would have found another source from which to obtain a firearm or another way to take Schmidt’s life is more plausible than plaintiff’s claim that she would still be alive.”

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