Category: Business

Windham opened up from the ‘ashes’ of the old original Bushmaster Arms after the brand name, but not much else, was sold to Freedom Group, which is the now bankrupt holding company that owned Marlin, Remington etc.

Liberty Safes apparently builds in a ‘backdoor’ passcode – like a master key – on its safes with electronic digital dials. Maybe all electronic dials are made with such.

Is liberty safe with Liberty Safe?

Last week, an Arkansas man was arrested in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Nathan Earl Hughes has four charges pending against him, including a felony count of interfering with police during a civil disorder. Arkansas Online has an article (archived links) detailing the investigation and the charges against him.

With ubiquitous cellphone cameras, the video of Hughes’ arrest quickly made it online (archived):

 

There is an important sentence in the above tweet/post from the Hodge Twins, and that is this:

“The feds called the manufacturer of his Liberty Gun Safe and got the passcode to get into it too.”

It comes as a surprise to many of us (although it shouldn’t) that an electronic keypad has a secret factory default passcode that allows entry into the safe besides the customer-configured passcode. We don’t know if this default passcode is unique to each safe, or if it’s a model default passcode (like a silly default “admin/admin” username/password combination you find in most wireless routers) that will get you entry into any Liberty Safe of the same model. (Looking at the customer FAQ’s on the Liberty Safe website, it looks like the default passcode may be unique to each safe.)

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Bottomless Demand: Americans Added Another 1.1 Million Firearms to Their Safes in August.

Another month — 49 consecutive, to be exact — with 1 million or more gun sold in August. Because of Despite the Biden administration’s ongoing War on Guns, Americans have show exactly zero inclination to curb their desire to purchase firearms for every lawful purpose from hunting, plinking and competition to personal and home defense. May it ever be thus.

The NSSF’s Mark Oliva said . . .

August’s NSSF-Adjusted NICS figure of over 1.1 million shows us, once again, that the desire for lawful firearm ownership is far from over. Americans, literally by the millions, are investing in exercising their Second Amendment rights. This has happened every month for more than four years continuously.

While the Biden administration proposes rules to infringe on fundamental American rights and certain governors, attorneys general and district attorneys general and district attorneys refuse to lock up criminals that prey on communities without consequence, Americans are sending a clear and unequivocal message that their personal safety, and the free exercise of their rights, is non-negotiable.

Here’s the NSSF’s press release . . .

The August 2023 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,117,824 is a decrease of 13.1 percent compared to the August 2022 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,286,816. 

For comparison, the unadjusted August 2023 FBI NICS figure 2,047,515 reflects a -16.4% percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,450,616 in August 2022.

August 2023 marks the 49th month in a row that has exceeded 1 million adjusted background checks in a single month.

Please note: Twenty-four states currently have at least one qualified alternative permit, which under the Brady Act allows the permit-holder, who has undergone a background check to obtain the permit, to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without a separate additional background check for that transfer. The number of NICS checks in these states does not include these legal transfers based on qualifying permits and NSSF does not adjust for these transfers.

The adjusted NICS data were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.

Though not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide an additional picture of current market conditions. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions for sales or transfers of new or used firearms. 

It should be noted that these statistics represent the number of firearm background checks initiated through the NICS. They do not represent the number of firearms sold or sales dollars. Based on varying state laws, local market conditions and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale.

ANALYSIS: Academics think a 4-year degree is everything, employers disagree
Employers want employees with well-honed soft skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork, but graduates reportedly lack proficiency in these areas.

Nine out of 10 higher education professionals are convinced that their institutions are churning out job-ready warriors. But employers, current students, and recent grads beg to differ.

Higher education’s career-preparation efforts are not exactly hitting the bullseye, according to a recent Grammarly for Education and Higher Ed Dive report.

Citing surveys conducted by the Cengage Group and College Pulse, the collaborative report states that a mere 41% of recent graduates believe that their college degree effectively signals to employers that they possess the much-needed skills. Current students are also adding their voices to the chorus of concern, with a paltry 14% expressing satisfaction with the assistance provided by their campus career centers.

Employers are not pleased either.

The cries from the job market echo a desire for employees with well-honed soft skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork, but graduates reportedly lacked proficiency in these areas.

Pointing to Gallup, the report cites that “Only 11% of business leaders said they believed college graduates were well prepared for the workforce.”

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Now in Effect: Texas Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 1, 2023) – Today a Texas law goes into effect that prohibits financial institutions operating in the state from requiring a credit card merchant code to track the purchases of firearms and ammunition.

Rep. Matt Schaefer and Rep. Candy Noble introduced House Bill 2837 (HB2837) on Feb. 24. Titled the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, the law prohibits a financial institution operating in Texas from requiring or assigning a firearms code, which is defined as “any merchant category code approved by the International Organization for Standardization for a firearms retailer, including Merchant Category Code 5723.”

The law now limits the merchant codes that can be assigned to the sale of firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition.

“For the purposes of the sale of firearms, ammunition for use in firearms, and firearms accessories, a firearms retailer may provide a firearms code to a payment card issuer or payment card network and may only use or be assigned a merchant category code for general merchandise retailers or sporting goods retailers. Any agreement or contractual provision to the contrary is void.

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Biden Administration Proposes Plan to Expand Who Needs a License to Sell Used Guns

President Joe Biden has announced a new proposal to expand the scope of federal gun dealing regulations to cover more people who sell used guns.

On Thursday, the Department of Justice submitted a new plan for determining who must obtain a federal firearms license to legally sell guns on the secondary market. The proposed rule would set limits on how frequently an unlicensed seller could offer up guns to customers, how often they can sell the same kind of gun, and what kind of condition the firearm has to be in before the seller would be required to get a Federal Firearms License (FFL). Anybody who violates the proposed regulations and sells a gun without a license could face up to $250,000 in fines and five years in federal prison or both.

“[U]nder the proposed rule, a person would be presumed to be required to become a licensed dealer and run background checks if they meet one or more of the following criteria,” the White House said in a release. “Offer for sale any number of firearms and also represents to potential buyers that they are willing and able to purchase and sell them additional firearms; Repetitively offer for sale firearms within 30 days after they were purchased; Repetitively offer for sale firearms that are like new in their original packaging; Repetitively offer for sale multiple firearms of the same make and model; or as a formerly federally-licensed firearms dealer, sell firearms that were in the business inventory and not transferred to a personal collection at least a year before the sale, addressing the so-called’ fire sale loophole.’”

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EVs Are Supposed to Be Cheap to Maintain—Our Kia EV6 Isn’t So Far
The EV6’s first service visit left us scratching our heads and $200 poorer.

Our 2022 Kia EV6 recently went in for its first scheduled service, something we initially assumed would be an easy, mundane task. Electric vehicles, after all, have simple powertrains with fewer moving parts than their gas-powered counterparts—and no oil changes! This is supposed to make EVs cheaper to maintain. So you can imagine my surprise when it came time to pick up our EV6 and I was slapped with a $230 invoice. Thank goodness for company credit cards.

The shocking bill capped off what began as a crummy Sunday morning. While I was loading the EV6 for a day at the beach with my pup, I noticed a completely flat driver’s side rear tire thanks to a screw. It was in a spot on the tread that looked patchable, but since the EV6 doesn’t have a spare tire (only a liquid seal kit that would’ve ruined the tire), I decided to take advantage of Kia’s free roadside assistance and have it towed to my local dealership with a service department that was open on Sundays. Big kudos to them for that.

Requesting roadside service was easy and quick, with the tow truck arriving at my house within 30 minutes. Once we arrived at the dealership, it was quickly determined the tire was not patchable and needed to be replaced. Thankfully, they had one in stock. Our EV6 was just a few hundred miles away from needing its first service, so I requested to have that done while I was there.

According to the owner’s manual, the 8,000-mile service includes a tire rotation and inspection. The list of items to inspect includes brakes, suspension, drive shafts, the 12-volt battery, in-cabin air filter, and more. Nothing out of the ordinary. Which is why we left scratching our heads at the $230 bill, including an “EV service port cleaner” procedure that I didn’t request but was performed nonetheless for $51. If we subtract that interesting port cleaning service, the total for this routine service visit was $179. Still a pretty penny for what amounted to a peek under the frunk and shuffling around a few tires (one of which was getting worked on anyway).

We appreciate this dealership taking us in on a Sunday and Kia’s quick and free roadside tow, but the excessive service cost soured the experience. Thankfully, our encounter appears to be an anomaly. For starters, the same service performed on our otherwise identical long-term Hyundai Ioniq 5 only set us back about $50. And numerous EV6 forums show other owners paying anywhere between $20 and $50 for the first service. We found none over $100, and some were complimentary. Which is what it should be. What better way to build rapport and loyalty than providing free inspections? If such a dealership exists in the L.A. area, we’ll be sure to go there for our next service visit.

UAW votes to authorize a strike if no deal reached with Big 3 US automakers

The union representing approximately 150,000 workers at the Big Three U.S. automakers — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — has voted to authorize a strike if no deal is reached amid ongoing contract negotiations.

Across the three companies, United Auto Workers union members voted a combined average of 97% in favor of a strike authorization, with votes still being tallied, the union said Friday. The vote does not mean a strike will be called, but that the union has the right to call one if they see fit.

“Our union’s membership is clearly fed up with living paycheck-to-paycheck while the corporate elite and billionaire class continue to make out like bandits,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. “The Big Three have been breaking the bank while we have been breaking our backs.”

The union’s demands include double-digit pay raises, eliminating tiered wages and benefits, restoring cost-of-living allowances, the right to strike over plant closures, more paid time off and increased retiree benefits.

MORE: UPS and Teamsters union reach agreement, avert strike
“Our members’ expectations are high because Big Three profits are so high,” Fain said. “The Big Three made a combined $21 billion in profits in just the first six months of this year. That’s on top of the quarter-trillion dollars in North American profits they made over the last decade. While Big Three executives and shareholders got rich, UAW members got left behind.”

UAW represents 46,000 workers at GM, 57,000 workers at Ford and 44,000 workers at Stellantis, according to the union. Its contract with the three automakers expires on Sept. 14.

In a statement earlier this month, GM said it’s been “working hard with the UAW every day to ensure we get this agreement right for all our stakeholders. ”

“We know that our U.S. economic impact supports more than six jobs for every job created by GM,” the statement said. “We take that responsibility very seriously, and we continue to bargain in good faith each day to support our team members, our customers, the community and the business.”

Stellantis said discussions with the union’s bargaining team “continue to be constructive and collaborative with a focus on reaching a new agreement that balances the concerns of our 43,000 employees with our vision for the future — one that better positions the business to meet the challenges of the U.S. marketplace and secures the future for all of our employees, their families and our company.”

Ford said it looks “forward to working with the UAW on creative solutions during this time when our dramatically changing industry needs a skilled and competitive workforce more than ever.”

In 2019, nearly 50,000 UAW workers walked off their jobs in a nationwide strike at GM that lasted over a month before the union voted to ratify a new contract that in part established bonuses for employees.

FIREARM MARKETING BANS REALLY ABOUT ERASING NEXT GENERATION’S GUN RIGHTS
By Larry Keane

California and Illinois laws that have banned advertising lawmakers in those two states consider to be targeted at minors doesn’t have anything to do with increasing public safety. It doesn’t have anything to do with fighting the criminal misuse of firearms. The laws are intended to do one thing – convince the next generation of Americans that the Second Amendment doesn’t exist.

Lawmakers in those two states passed, and Govs. Gavin Newsom and J.B. Pritzker signed, laws that ban firearm-related advertising that could be attractive or be considered to target children. NSSF has filed legal challenges to both laws in California and Illinois. Those laws violate not only the First Amendment-protected right of commercial speech but also work to eliminate the Second Amendment from the conversation with the next generation of gun owners and outdoorsmen and women. These lawmakers believe that if they can erase imagery and advertising that shows youth learning safe and responsible firearm ownership and ethical hunting traditions, the next generation will never understand that the Second Amendment is their right to exercise when they become of legal age to purchase firearms on their own.

If the next generation of Americans don’t learn about Second Amendment freedoms, they won’t know. If they don’t know, gun control politicians would have an easier avenue by which to eliminate the right altogether. It’s a devious plan and one the firearm industry is fighting against.

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Evergrande.

The news was all over the media. The default wasn’t yesterday; they got in trouble in 2021 and had sought a “moratorium” in the first week of 2022!

So how is it that nobody gave a crap for the last two years? You’d be carried out on your shield by now and long-ago eaten by worms if you shorted the US market into the original default 2 years ago.

Witness Lahaina. HE, the power company, spent basically all of their money on “green” initiatives rather than basic maintenance and hardening to reduce wildfire risk. They were trading close to $40 before the fires and yesterday touched close to $10; a wild-eyed 75% collapse. That’s a utility and of course now there is a serious financial risk from lawsuits — richly-deserved, if the article in the WSJ is all factual.

But that’s a microcosm of all the distortions that have been embedded in the so-called “green economy”; the virus was also part of it, and the government had their foot on the scale in the “rah-rah” side of it because everyone loves a higher stock market.

The problem is that how you got it matters.

If you got it because the company expanded its business organically, it beat others in the market because they were at least two of “better, faster, cheaper” then you’ve got a sustainable and reasonable price.

If you got it because the government subsidized bad behavior — uneconomic things that cannot work over time because they violate the laws of thermodynamics and are predicated on feelings and political promises then you get a crash because there is nothing under any of the so-called “improvement” beyond hot air.

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Vista Outdoor Sporting Products Ammunition Business To Be Renamed ‘The Kinetic Group’

Last year, Vista Outdoor announced plans to split its business and brands into two separate publicly-traded businesses, spinning off its outdoor brands from its remaining sporting products business (ammunition makers Federal, Remington, CCI, Speer and others). This was after Vista sold off Savage Arms in 2019. This week Vista announced the sporting products (ammo) business will renamed The Kinetic Group. They issued this press release . . .

Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO), the parent company of 41 renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor lifestyle products to consumers around the globe, today announced its new name and identity that will be effective following the planned spinoff of Vista Outdoor’s Outdoor Products business.

Post-spin, Vista Outdoor will be rebranded as The Kinetic Group, a name that surfaced among employees during the naming process and represents the energy behind the company and its leading ammunition brands. The Kinetic Group will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker “HUNT,” and the brand will feature original logo artwork of a North American ram. Sporting Products leaders unveiled The Kinetic Group’s branding to employees during an employee town hall on Aug. 10 at the CCI-Speer ammunition factory in Lewiston, Idaho.

“The performance of our products is so often measured in energy on target. Kinetic energy is the force behind our world-class brands and exhibits the spirit of the 4,500 American workers who represent our company,” said Jason Vanderbrink, Sporting Products President and CEO. “The process of developing a new company name and identity has been exciting and inspiring. We’re all proud of the brands we represent and the products we make in our four American factories. Harnessing the enthusiasm of our employees throughout this process was pivotal to coming up with the best name and logo as we move closer to becoming a standalone company.”

After careful review of hundreds of name options and logo iterations, Vista Outdoor is now one step closer to completing the strategic separation of its Sporting Products and Outdoor Products segments.

“The Kinetic Group will be our name moving forward after the separation and be used for corporate identity to bring employees and stakeholders together with a common purpose and strategic approach,” Vanderbrink said. “To hunters and shooters, their favorite brand of ammunition will take center stage as it always has — they’ll look for CCI, Federal, HEVI-Shot, Remington and Speer on the shelf, at events and online.”

To watch the launch video, visit www.thekineticgroup.com.

The rebranding of Sporting Products is one of several milestones for Vista Outdoor as the company plans to separate its Sporting Products and Outdoor Products segments. In the Sporting Products segment, Vanderbrink was named CEO of the segment in April to go along with his title of President. In July, he was appointed to the Vista Outdoor board of directors, and he will be a director on The Kinetic Group’s board of directors post-spin. Joining Vanderbrink on The Kinetic Group’s leadership team are Andy Keegan (CFO) and Jeff Ehrich (General Counsel and Corporate Secretary).

In the Outdoor Products segment, Eric Nyman will begin as CEO of the segment on Aug. 21, and he will be CEO of the new Outdoor Products company post-spin. The new Outdoor Products company will be led by Nyman and a dedicated management team that he will hire. Vista Outdoor will announce the name of the new Outdoor Products company in the coming weeks, followed by the unveiling of the company’s branding at Investor Day in October in New York City.

Gary McArthur will continue as interim CEO of Vista Outdoor until the completion of the spinoff. McArthur will focus on completing the separation of Vista Outdoor’s Sporting Products and Outdoor Products segments in calendar year 2023, in addition to overseeing Vista Outdoor’s corporate, administrative and financial reporting functions, risk management, stockholder engagement, and ensuring strategy cohesion and coordination across both segments. McArthur will continue serving on the board of directors of Vista Outdoor until the separation and will become the chair of the Outdoor Products company’s board of directors post-spin.

“Sporting Products’ selection of The Kinetic Group as its new name has given Vista Outdoor a surge of energy as we prepare to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies,” McArthur said. “The dedicated, talented and hard-working employees of our Sporting Products segment have delivered a brand name and identity that will be the envy of the industry — much like the products they make at our factories around the United States.”

NC officials want more oversight on concealed-carry training. Gun-rights advocates are suspicious
The state has recently found itself unable to take action against firearms training instructors who allegedly showed up to teach classes drunk, or allowed people to get a concealed carry permit without proving they knew how to use their handgun.

Dozens of Second Amendment advocates drove into Raleigh from across the state Wednesday, voicing their objections to proposed rules that would create more oversight of those who train people to carry concealed handguns in the state.

State law enforcement officials say they’ve recently found themselves unable to take action against firearms training instructors who allegedly showed up to teach classes drunk, or allowed people to get a concealed-carry permit without proving they actually knew how to use a gun.

“We have had lots of recent allegations against instructors,” Leslie Dismukes, who leads the state Department of Justice’s criminal bureau, said as she kicked off Wednesday’s public hearing at a Wake Tech public safety training center. She added: “It can be dangerous for all citizens if instructors are not following the rules.”

For that reason the state commission in charge of setting rules for concealed-carry permits now wants instructors to keep more paperwork that will make it easier for state investigators to audit concealed-carry classes, or track down class attendees if needed as witnesses.

Many of the concealed-carry instructors and other pro-gun activists who showed up Wednesday were clear that they opposed giving the government more ability to investigate them — especially if it meant they’d have to keep a list of the people who take their classes, which one of the new rules proposes.

“We are against state and federal regulations as much as possible,” said David McFarling, president of the North Carolina Rifle and Pistol Association. “We have to oppose most of these things just on general principle.”

Politics at play
Like any debate on guns, the opposition was firmly rooted in politics — especially with North Carolina’s 2024 race for governor fast approaching.

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First Look: True Velocity 5.56mm Composite Ammunition
Three different bullet weights will be available using True Velocity’s composite case.

True Velocity 556

True Velocity Ammunition Inc, the company known for selling .308 Win. rifle cartridges loaded with composite casing technology, is now expanding its ammunition product line to also offer 5.56 NATO composite cartridges. True Velocity’s composite casings are intended to make rifle ammunition be more lightweight, accurate, consistent and reduce the amount of heat transfer from the ignition of propellants to the chamber area of a firearm. The new 5.56mm cartridges will be loaded with projectiles weighing 55, 69 and 77 grains, three very popular bullet weights for this caliber. By loading both the .308 Win. and 5.56 NATO rounds, the company now covers two of the most popular and versatile rifle cartridges used in North America for hunting, sport, recreation, self defense and tactical uses.

“There are hundreds of millions of rounds of 5.56 ammo consumed in this country every year,” said True Velocity Chairman and Co-CEO Kevin Boscamp. “We’re extremely excited to make True Velocity’s composite case technology available to the shooters who rely on this caliber. I’m confident they will see very quickly what makes our ammunition superior.”

True Velocity’s new 5.56 NTAO product line will be the company’s first to be loaded using their Generation 3 advanced loading techniques which reflects a higher level of control, precision and innovation in the commercial ammunition industry.

True Velocity Ammunition 55 grain 5.56mm Specifications:

  • Projectile: 55-grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
  • G1 Ballistic Coefficient: 0.243
  • Muzzle Velocity: 3,170 fps
  • Drop at 500 yards with 100-yard zero: -57 inches
  • Muzzle Energy: 1,227 ft.-lbs.

(Test barrel length was 20 inches with 1:7-inch twist, specifications for the 69- and 77-grain Sierra Matchking load coming soon)

True Velocity cartridges are sold in boxes of 20 rounds and retail pricing for the new 5.56 NATO product line starts at $24.99 for the 55-grain loading. Both SKUs loaded with either 69- or 77-grain Sierra Matchking projectiles have a starting retail price of $39.99 per box of 20. Please visit tvammo.com to learn more about this new ammunition.

The fact that the JR-15 is the example only shows what their true intentions are. Keep the kids from learning about gun safety, at all costs.

Illinois to ban advertising for guns allegedly marketed to kids and militants
Illinois will soon outlaw advertising for firearms that officials determine produce a public safety threat or appeals to children, militants or others who might later use the weapons illegally

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois will soon outlaw advertising for firearms that officials determine produces a public safety threat or appeals to children, militants or others who might later use the weapons illegally, as the state continues its quest to curb mass shootings.

Gun-rights advocates say the plan, which Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has pledged to sign into law, is an unreasonably vague decree that violates not only the constitutionally protected right to own guns, but also free speech.

The prime exhibit in Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s effort is the JR-15, a smaller, lighter version of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle advertised with the tag line, “Get ’em One Like Yours.” The maker says it is deliberately made smaller, with added safety features, to fit younger shooters as they learn from adults how to safely maneuver such a weapon. Raoul says it’s marketed to children and potentially entices them to skip the adult supervision and start firing.

Opening the door to court challenges is part of ongoing efforts by Democratic lawmakers who control the Statehouse to eliminate gun violence, made more complicated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s expansion of gun rights a year ago. Pritzker also signed a ban on semi-automatic weapons this year, a law that gun-rights advocates continue to challenge in federal court.

Illinois would be the eighth state to approve legislation that allows such lawsuits against firearms manufacturers or distributors. The legislation comes after the deadliest six months of mass killings recorded since at least 2006 — all but one of which involved guns.

Raoul finds precedent in the 25-year-old settlement with large tobacco companies and more recently with advertising for vaping.

“We’ve gone after the marketing that has historically driven up the consumption by minors for those products that are harmful to them,” Raoul said. “The firearms industry shouldn’t be immune to the standards that we put on other industries.”

Except that other industries don’t produce constitutionally protected products, counters the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade association that has filed federal lawsuits in nearly every state that has approved a similar law.

“They’re infringing on your Second Amendment rights by taking away your First Amendment rights,” foundation spokesperson Mark Oliva said.

Without specific legislation, states are largely barred from legal action by a 2005 federal law that prohibits lawsuits blaming manufacturers for the later criminal use of a purchased gun. It sprang from mayors in the late 1990s who sued gun-makers for creating a public nuisance, such as Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s $433 million action in 1998, which the Illinois Supreme Court tossed out in 2004.

But the federal law does allow legal action if a state explicitly names firearms and conduct by their manufacturers in state law, which is what Raoul’s plan would do. He won over lawmakers by showing them advertising they decided was over the line.

“Some of the ads I’ve seen are just stomach-turning,” Don Harmon, of Oak Park, who sponsored the legislation.

The ad for the JR-15, a smaller, lighter .22-caliber rifle, was among them. An emailed statement from the manufacturer, Wee 1 Tactical, said the gun has safety features found on no other gun.

“The JR-15 .22 youth training rifle is for adults who wish to supervise the safe introduction of hunting and shooting sports to the next generation of responsible gun owners,” the statement said. “Parents and guardians wanting to pass on this American tradition have been purchasing small caliber, lighter youth training rifles for decades.”

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BLUF
This rule shows the gun community that any “compromise” will be used against gun rights, and the ATF claiming authority through the BSCA shows that the recent losses have the ATF scrambling to prevent future losses by pointing to legislation even if the law has to be taken out of context.

New Leak Shows ATF Will Pass Rule to Eliminate Private Sales

The Biden administration will use executive orders and the weaponized ATF to issue a rule limiting the private sales of firearms. According to the New York Times and verified by AmmoLand News sources, the new rule is expected to be unveiled by the end of the year.

Biden will call on the ATF to develop a new rule requiring anyone who makes any profit by selling firearms to possess an FFL. Guns tend to increase in value over time. A gun purchased in 1980 will likely sell for more money today than its original value.

The so-called “digital loophole” includes marketplaces like Armslist Firearms Classified, where private individuals can list their firearms for sale. The Biden administration wants to see these marketplaces shut down, but it is unclear exactly how that unconstitutional goal will be accomplished. Websites like Armslist do not sell firearms directly.

AmmoLand News spoke to Armslist Founder Jonathan Gibbon about the attacks his company faces and the upcoming ATF rule. Armslist has been battling anti-gun groups for years, fending off several lawsuits. Armslist has a perfect track record at defeating these attacks, but the cases are costly.

“Private-party transactions are not a ‘loophole,’” Gibbon told AmmoLand News. “Buying and selling firearms is a guaranteed right under the Second Amendment. Interfering with state laws allowing citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights should concern everyone. Americans have a First Amendment Constitutional right to use the internet, to communicate about their other Constitutional rights.”

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No pause in gun sales, record 48 million over four years

The end of July marked the latest record in United States firearms sales — 48 straight months of one million or more gun purchases.

The just released FBI tally of background checks showed another sky-high number of 1,987,650, down a bit from July 2022, but still more than 19 of the other 24 years the system has been in operation.

When adjusted just for likely sales of firearms, it was 1,023,903.

“July 2023 marks the 48th month in a row, 4 years, that has exceeded 1 million adjusted background checks in a single month,” said the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade group for the industry.

Mark Oliva, the NSSF spokesman, said the long stretch of likely gun sales is unlike anything the nation has ever seen and has been fueled by politics and safety.

“This is a remarkable milestone of four continuous years of over 1 million background checks for the sale of a firearm. That’s no small achievement and is indicative of the strong and sustained appetite for law-abiding Americans to take ownership of their Second Amendment rights,” Oliva said.

“This milestone was achieved in the midst of the continuous attacks by the Biden administration, which has demonstrated nothing but contempt for the Second Amendment and has twisted the levers of government to impede the ability of law-abiding citizens to legally possess firearms of their choosing. Americans are sending a clear signal each and every month. The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is not up for negotiation,” Oliva added.

While surveys have shown that many gun owners have more than one firearm, the numbers also reinforce reports that more women, blacks and urban dwellers are buying arms for the first time as crime surges in America’s cities.

Observation O’ The Day
After what we’ve seen of the government’s hidden hand in social media censorship, I’m not accepting that the banks are ‘taking the lead” rather than being used as fronts
–Sarah Hoyt

Banks Take the Lead in Establishing Personal Social Credit System, Critics Charge.

UK ministers step in to stop banks from canceling customers for their political views

Large money-center banks appear to be in the vanguard of a movement to build a system of personal social credit scores.
This week, British bank Barclays became the latest to be accused of shutting the accounts of its customers for political or religious reasons. This followed revelations in April that Coutts, a private bank owned by British Bank NatWest, was alleged to have closed the accounts and publicized personal information of conservative politician Nigel Farage, one of the foremost Brexit advocates and a supporter of the policies of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

And British banks are not alone. Many say that America’s largest banks are in lockstep with UK banks in establishing political and social criteria for their customers, and punishing those who don’t comply.

“Sadly, what we’re seeing now with NatWest and Barclays isn’t surprising,” Justin Haskins, director at the Heartland Institute, told The Epoch Times. “There is a mountain of evidence that shows many of America’s largest and most powerful banks are discriminating against customers because of their ideological, social, cultural, religious, or political views.”

“Through various environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies and frameworks, banks regularly choose to screen out customers who are deemed ‘reputational risks’ or considered part of industries disfavored by elites and their powerful institutions,” Mr. Haskins said.

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