The show ran there for 15 years and is well remembered by the attendees. The reopening of this show will feature high quality collectable, utilitarian sporting firearms, military firearms, the best custom knives shown by the makers and purveyors and an impressive display of antique firearms.
Featured among the large number of quality dealers will be George Neumann who is an expert in Revolutionary War weapons and accouterments and has authored several books on the subject.
Additionally there will be a great deal of related accessories, holsters, swords, parts, ammunition at great prices and an engraver is planned. In the services area Smoke n Gun Shop will provide a course that will facilitate getting a Westchester pistol permit. Perfect Trigger will offer a course to obtain a Utah pistol carry permit which is honored by numerous states.
The show will have some 300 tables in the most prestigious trade show facility between the Javits Center and Albany. Collectors and those interested in purchasing hunting, target and home defense firearms as well as those looking for an accessory or ammunition will be well served by this revived show.
The single defining quality of this show will be the wide variety of purchasable items. Attendees are encouraged to bring in any firearms they wish to sell or trade to dealers there. All firearms will be checked for safety at the door.
The Westchester County Center is a refurbished art deco style building with air conditioning. The building is at the point Rt. 119, the Bronx River Parkway and Central Ave. come together in White Plains. Ample parking is available.
June 19-20, 2010.
Show hours are 9AM to 5PM Saturday and 9AM to 3PM Sunday. Admission is $11. with $1.50 going to the County of Westchester. Children under 12 are free with a parent.
The public is encouraged to attend as early in the day as practical for the best choices and to attend the courses.
The number to the Westchester County Center is 914- 995-4050.
Mr. Calderone said he respects the Second Amendment, but argued that violence south of the border spiked in 2004 after the expiration of a U.S. ban on semiautomatic weapons. Echoing statements made by President Obama Wednesday, Mr. Calderon said the U.S. bears some responsibility in propping up the drug trade with its demand for narcotics and supply of guns.
Pointedly, he warned that U.S. failure to rein in weapons dealing leaves America vulnerable to the drug-war violence wreaking havoc in Mexico.
"With all due respect, if you do not regulate the sale of these weapons in the right way, nothing guarantees that criminals here in the United States with access to the same power of weapons will not decide to challenge American authorities and civilians," he said.
Mr. Calderon told a joint session of Congress that of the 75,000 guns seized by Mexican authorities over the last three years, 80 percent are traced to the U.S.
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That assertion is suspect as gun-rights advocates and several media outlets have debunked similar figures in the past. Indeed, Mr. Calderon’s comments drew a harsh rebuke from the National Rifle Association on Thursday.
"The answer to Mexico’s drug and violence problem does not lie in dismantling the Second Amendment; it lies in making sure that the Mexican government takes care of problems on their side of the border," NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said. "With all due respect to the president, he’s either intentionally using false data, or he’s unknowingly using bad numbers." Read more.
Last year a man was arrested by the Pittsburgh Airport Police for open carrying a holstered handgun in Pittsburgh International Airport. In Pennsylvania, like most states, no permit is usually required to open carry a handgun at age 18.
But the Allegheny County ordinance enforced by the police was in conflict with Pennsylvania law – and thus the law, not the gun, was illegal. The judge entered a judgment of "not guilty."
According to OpenCarry.org’s Pennsylvania is not alone in allowing gun carry in airports as 42 states appear to allow gun carry in airports.
But US Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) has introduced a bill in Congress to ban gun carry in the non-sterile non-federally controlled portions of all US airports. Neither house of Congress is expected to override the judgment of forty some states on this issue, and the bill may also have significant constitutional problems. Read more.
The House voted 65-29 vote to override Henry’s veto of the bill, three votes shy of the two-thirds majority needed. Two-thirds of the 48-member Senate must also agree before a measure can become law without the governor’s signature.
The measure would give Oklahoma residents with a concealed-carry permit the right to carry firearms openly. It originally passed the House 74-24.
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Its author, Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, said pressure from the Democratic governor may be the reason 11 Democrats who originally voted for the bill either voted against the veto override or did not vote at all.
"The swing was due to Democrats," Duncan said after the vote.
Democratic Leader Danny Morgan of Prague said the concerns of constituents, not pressure from the governor’s office, was the reason some Democrats changed their minds.
"I think it was just a matter of hearing people from around their districts," said Morgan, who voted for the bill on May 4 but was absent when the override vote was taken. "It was amazing the number of calls some of our members received. It’s a concern of ours."
Henry expressed the same concerns in a veto message he delivered on May 14 that said the measure could endanger citizens as well as police officers. Read more.
The convention appears to be an end run around domestic obstacles to gun control. Furthermore, ratification of the convention would undermine U.S. sovereignty by legally binding it to fulfill obligations that some current signatories already disregard.
The U.S. would be best served by continuing existing programs, cooperating with other countries on a bilateral basis, and making and enforcing its own laws to combat the traffic in illicit arms.
President Barack Obama has called on the Senate to ratify the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.[1] President Bill Clinton signed the convention in 1997, but neither he nor President George W. Bush sent it to the Senate for advice and consent for ratification.
The convention, commonly known by its Spanish acronym CIFTA,[2] was negotiated under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS).
The convention poses serious prudential risks to liberties associated with the First and Second Amendments. Specifically, it seeks to criminalize a wide range of gun-related activities that are now legal in all states, and it would clash with the First Amendment’s protection of free speech.
It would also entitle foreign governments to legal assistance from U.S. authorities when pursuing extradition requests, including requests to arrest individuals exercising their First Amendment rights. These are serious prudential risks. Finally, it would create a chilling climate for the freedom of speech of foreign nationals both in the United States and in the Western Hemisphere as a whole.
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More broadly, the convention poses risks to American sovereignty. Because the convention has no enforcement mechanism, by ratifying it, the U.S. would impose one-sided obligations upon itself, thereby illegitimately constraining American governing institutions. In some cases, these obligations would be constitutionally unacceptable and could not be enforced.
This would place the U.S. in the position of ratifying a treaty that it cannot entirely fulfill, creating an opening for critics to condemn the U.S. for failing to live up to its international obligations.
The conflict between the U.S.’s treaty obligations and the Constitution would also be useful to domestic advocates who argue that the Constitution is a barrier to U.S. compliance with “international norms.” Thus, the convention fits neatly into a broader transnationalist strategy to reduce the ability of the U.S. to govern itself through laws and institutions of its own making.
By backing the convention, its advocates also advance the idea that the U.S. should act at the suggestion and under the guidance of other states and ultimately of the “international community.”
The defects in the convention are serious and pose prudential risks that cannot be remedied without a substantial number of U.S. reservations to the convention. It is particularly troubling that Harold Koh, a key Administration appointee, offered an unqualified endorsement of the convention before taking office and expressed doubt about the legal validity of reservations.
While his criticism of the legality of reservations is baseless, the number and extent of the necessary reservations would be substantial and incompatible with the core of the convention. The U.S. can therefore neither properly ratify the convention with reservations nor safely ratify it without reservations.
Furthermore, the convention is fundamentally an arms control treaty but is not being treated with the seriousness that should attend arms control agreements. This is dangerous, and the Senate should be wary of these problems if it considers the convention. Read more.
Magnificent Factory Cased and Engraved Volcanic Lever Action Navy Pistol. Price Realized: $74,750.00
April 30, May 1 & 2, 2010. Rock Island Auction started the year strong with its first premiere sale of 2010 attaining over $7.6 million! Bringing the yearly total over $10 million!
While dazzling stories of shockingly high prices excite many readers, this auction held much that will encourage the majority of firearms collectors. Prices set not by high auction house reserves but competing collectors proved that mid-range items are valuable for firearms collectors.
The main draw of the auction was no surprise, C. W. Slagle’s unique derringers, palm pistols and curio type firearms. Well known in the firearms world as a collector of the unusual, the antique derringer and curio type weapons in this auction drew bidding attention.
An extremely rare AM. Sterling marked solid sterling silver Colt second model derringer pistol attained $69,000. Other examples include a large Morrill, Mosman & Blair Elgin patent cutlass pistol, serial number 52 bringing $13,800, and an unusual Sedgley fist gun selling above estimate at $8,625. A cased Femme Fatale pistol ring also hammered above estimate at $5,750
This auction included an extraordinary selection of Winchesters. The top seller of the auction was a magnificent factory cased and engraved Volcanic lever action navy pistol commanding $74,750.
An exquisite one of a kind custom engraved gold and nickel plated Winchester model 1873 lever action rifle with carved ivory stock and forearm relief realized $40,250; while $28,750 took home an outstanding rare deluxe special order Winchester 1873 lever action rifle in rare 22 short with a factory mounted Winchester A5 scope.
Several outstanding 1866’s were sold including an exceptional Winchester model 1886 lever action rifle with casehardened receiver and factory letter bringing $25,875.
Extremely Rare AM. Sterling Marked Solid Sterling Silver Colt Second Model Derringer Pistol. Price Realized: $69,000.00
During the three day sale other genres also brought impressive prices. Colts were vastly represented with over 650 in this auction. The high seller was a magnificent Gustave Young factory engraved, J.P. Lower shipped Colt model 1878 sheriff model double action revolver with factory letter that went near the high estimate at $46,000.
Other examples are an exceptional Colt Bisley frontier six shooter flattop target revolver with factory letter and a scarce 44 rimfire black powder Colt single action army revolver with factory letter attaining $25,875 and $18,400.
Rock Island Auction proves that it is the auction house for buying and selling all military genres. Beginning with the Civil War, an excellent unissued condition Burnside carbine sold for $9,775 while a rare Confederate Richmond marked percussion carbine with an original sling sold for $8,625.
The swords did exceptionally well, featuring an exceptional historical Civil War inscribed presentation 9th Illinois cavalry officer’s saber and a historical high grade 17 Michigan Infantry (Stonewall regiment) inscribed presentation Civil War staff and field officer’s sword both selling above estimate at $9,200 and $8,050 respectively.
Moving on to WWI & WWII brought sniper rifles, edged weapons and semi-automatic pistols. Of the 1911’s and early automatics most sold at or above estimate, the leader being a rare WWII Singer contract U.S. M1911A1 semi-automatic pistol with parkerized finish reaching $34,500.
Royal Pair of Exquisite Custom Built and Engraved, Gold Inlaid Winchester Pre 64 Model 70 Bolt Action Rifles Owned by Prince Abdorreza Pahlavi Imperial Highness of Iran. Price Realized: $51,750.00
An extremely rare U.S. army first contract Colt model 1900 automatic pistol serial number 93 with holster estimated at $25,000 – 37,500 sold above at $43,125. A rare Savage trial military model 1907 semi-automatic pistol went out at $31,625. An excellent and rare Nazi WWII Luftwaffe model 30 survival drilling with original case and accessories drew bids to $20,700 and rare WWII German "bnz" single claw sniper rifle with Hensoldt scope sold at $8,625.
The rare and beautiful military presentation swords featured an inscribed, 2nd pattern, Luftwaffe general officer’s sword which sold for $12,650. This section also included 12 Class III items, $12,650 was paid for a transferable late production U.S. Army contract fully automatic "M2" inland carbine with ATF registration papers.
An outstanding array of sporting arms boasted a custom order Luciano Bosis over and under shotgun with gold inlay selling at $43,125 while an extremely rare engraved Parker Brothers model AH double barrel box lock shotgun in 28 gauge took $34,500.
The sporting rifles in general did well lead by a royal pair of exquisite custom built and engraved, gold inlaid Winchester pre-64 model 70 bolt action rifles owned by prince Abdorreza Pahlavi imperial highness of Iran with a low estimate of $45,000 commanded $51,750.
A rare collector’s set of twenty Browning shotguns and rifles that feature the same collector number (00109) prefix in the serial number stole bidding interest garnering $25,875 and a factory engraved Belgium Browning Pointer Grade B25 superposed shotgun with original box reached $10,925.
The April Premiere Auction was a success, combining an impressive sell through rate and sales over $7.6 million. With Rock Island’s yearly sales reaching over $10 million and an impressive 97% plus sell through rate year to date it is again on track to be the #1 auction house in the world in dollars of guns sold as well as number of guns sold. The market continues to show high quality items at attainable prices thus satisfying both buyers and sellers, a goal for any auction house.
Join RIAC for their upcoming auction: the next Premiere Auction will be held September 10, 11 & 12. This auction will feature one of the finest European military collections to ever come to auction. Rock Island Auction Company is currently seeking consignments. Consign one piece or an entire collection and know that you are consigning with the best.
For more information on selling at auction contact Pat Hogan or Judy Voss at 800-238-8022.
Leupold’s new compact MXc™ flashlights comfortably fit in a pocket, built to provide powerful, reliable illumination for law enforcement and military personnel under the harshest field conditions.
The MXc line includes six models (five are multi-mode), each one inch in diameter, five inches or less in length, and weighing less than three ounces. Each is designed to produce a perfectly focused beam for virtually any field situation.
Anodized to exceed military standards, MXc flashlights are exceptionally rugged, corrosion resistant and waterproof to 132 feet.
Especially suited for tactical situations, the MXc-421 model features a disorienting 120-lumen strobe as well as a screw-in Alumina striker with serrated edges as a self-defense enhancement.
“We streamlined our new MXc flashlights and made them easy to carry and operate without sacrificing quality, performance, runtime, or versatility,” said Kevin Trepa, vice president of tactical sales and marketing. “The MXc may be small, yet it is tough enough for heavy-duty on the blackest nights or stormiest days.”
Regulated by advanced drive electronics and tuned for optimum performance, each MXc utilizes a bin-sorted, True White™ LED assembly that includes a Total Internal Reflection (TIR) lens to produce a tight, powerful beam for warm and natural illumination. The assembly is protected by a highly durable and scratch-resistant sapphire window.
A total control switch in the MXc’s tailcap is easy to locate in the dark and allows the user to quickly click between modes. Each MXc has a reversible clip that securely fastens to the bill of a cap for hands-free illumination, or keeps the flashlight safely tucked away in a shirt or pants pocket.
MXc flashlights run on CR-123A lithium batteries and are compatible with specialized 20mm threaded Alumina filters. The red Alumina filter lowers the intensity of light output, preventing night-vision impairment that can be caused by white light. The blue Alumina filter can be used to track blood trails in failing light.
Key specifications for each model are as follows:
MXc-111 – versatile 30-lumen output that lasts more than 360 minutes on a single CR-123A lithium battery. One-cell maintube. Runtime: six hours. Weight and length: 2.4 ounces, 3.5 inches.
MXc-221 – battery-friendly 10-lumen low setting and a versatile 40-lumen high setting. Two-cell maintube. Runtime: low – 33 hours, high – 10 hours. Weight and length: 2.7 ounces, 4.8 inches.
MXc-321 – 10-lumen low setting and a vibrant 70-lumen high setting. Comes with one- and two-cell maintubes which can be freely switched without losing intensity. Runtime: low (one-cell) – 20 hours, low (two-cell) – 33 hours, high (one-cell) – two hours, high (two-cell) – five hours. Weight and length: 2.7 ounces, 4.8 inches.
MXc-421 – 10-lumen low setting, an intense 120-lumen high setting and a 120-lumen strobe. Two-cell maintube. Runtime: low – 33 hours, high – two hours, strobe – three hours. Weight and length: 2.8 ounces, five inches. Screw-in Alumina striker included. MXc-521 – 10-lumen low setting and a 120-lumen high setting. Comes with one- and two-cell maintubes which can be freely switched without losing intensity. Runtime: low (one-cell) – 20 hours, low (two-cell) – 33 hours, high (one-cell) – 0.9 hours, high (two-cell) – two hours. Weight and length: 2.7 ounces, 4.8 inches.
MXc-621 – 10-lumen low setting, 120-lumen high setting and a 40-lumen SOS signaling mode. Comes with one- and two-cell maintubes which can be freely switched without losing intensity. Runtime: low (one-cell) – 20 hours, low (two-cell) – 33 hours, high (one-cell) – 0.9 hours, high (two-cell) – two hours, SOS (one-cell) – eight hours, SOS (two-cell) – 13 hours. Weight and length: 2.7 ounces, 4.8 inches. Red and blue Alumina filters included.
MXc flashlights are covered by Leupold’s Golden Ring® Lifetime Warranty. For more information, visit a local dealer, call 1-800-Leupold or go to www.leupold.com.
The Tactical Gear Staff recommends the new book, Own the Night, Selection and Use of Tactical Lights and Laser Sights. Click here to learn more
Ruger has just released the LCR .357, the Lightweight Compact Revolver chambered for the powerful .357 Magnum cartridge.
The LCR-357 is the newest addition to the LCR family of revolvers, chambering the powerful .357 Magnum in a compact, five-shot revolver that weighs only 17-1/4 ounces. Although the same size as the original LCR chambered for .38 Special +P, the LCR-357’s new blackened stainless steel frame easily handles full power .357 magnum loads. Its weight effectively tames recoil when coupled with the LCR’s patented recoil-absorbing polymer fire control housing and Hogue cushioned Monogrip.
“With the new LCR-357, we continue our pursuit of innovation and our commitment to law-abiding firearms owners looking for quality and value,” said Michael O. Fifer, Ruger CEO. “The LCR-357 is a result of our Voice of the Customer program that helps identify the needs and desires of consumers. We listen to America’s gun owners and, through our continued design and manufacturing process improvements, are able to bring award-winning products to market.”
The double-action-only LCR-357 boasts the patented friction reducing cam introduced in the original LCR. Shooters of all abilities, from first-time gun owners to experienced shooters, are sure to appreciate the non-stacking trigger pull that makes it the best feeling factory DAO trigger on the market.
“The new LCR-357 is perfectly optimized for the .357 Magnum,” remarked Joe Zajk, Ruger’s Chief Engineer for revolvers. “Its 17-1/4 ounce weight is just heavy enough to make shooting full-house .357 loads manageable, yet it is still small and light enough for discreet carry. It has all the features that made the original aluminum-framed LCR in .38+P such a success, but, with the steel frame, we now offer a model that makes shooting .357 Magnum a practical reality.”
The new LCR-357 accepts all accessories available for the original LCR, including holsters, speed loaders and sights. The Crimson Trace Lasergrip model is also now available for those who desire fast, low-light target acquisition in a more compact grip.
For more information on the new LCR-357, or to learn more about the extensive line of Ruger firearms, visit www.Ruger.com. To find accessories for the LCR-357 and other Ruger firearms, visit www.ShopRuger.com.
Master the Power: Top Articles on the .357 Magnum”
Up close and personal… as realistic as it comes without anyone getting killed. As you watch this video remember the wounds are not real. But the training is as real as it comes.
I recently was given a great big dose of reality, sitting through a drug enforcement class. It was a bit humbling to find out that in some cases I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. Well, I’ll get to know it now, you know.
OK, enough levity. This is serious business. The class was conducted by Joe Keil (pronounced like Kyle). Deputy Keil is a 20-year veteran of the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s department, working the night shift on the patrol division. He is also a K-9 handler for the department and Joe Keil knows how to catch druggies. He wrote the book on it, literally. Check out this link to Joes’ book, When Just Say No Doesn’t Work https://www.whenjustsaynodoesntwork.com/book.html
The book, on it’s cover, doesn’t appear to be directed at law enforcement. It is defined as a book on parenting, but the clues to spotting drug use it details are things every cop should know. They are also things every parent should know.
In the class, Deputy Keil points out that typically one clue is not really enough to get the reasonable suspicion needed to conduct a search, but once you start seeing several clues, all pointing toward drug use, you quickly end up with enough information to take a closer look. The trouble is, most of us don’t know what we are looking for and in some cases we don’t even know what we are looking at. His book solves all that. It is $20 very well spent for anyone who wants or needs to pay closer attention to the clues of possible drug use.
To underscore his fury, LaPierre introduced to the audience the family of NRA member Robert Krentz, the Arizona rancher who was gunned down earlier this year by a suspected illegal alien. Krentz’ tearful family, all NRA members, stood to a thunderous applause, and LaPierre promised that “the NRA will not forget Rob, and we will not forget you.”
Robert Krentz was known among fellow ranchers as a good Samaritan who often helped injured illegal immigrants trying to cross the boiling desert border into Arizona. But the 58-year-old was gunned down while tending to his ranch Saturday morning, and police suspect an illegal immigrant was to blame.—Fox News
“Robert Krentz was one of the good guys,” LaPierre stated. “Robert Krentz was one of us.”
“They killed one of us,” he told the audience. “They attacked an NRA family.”
LaPierre’s remarks clearly hit a raw nerve with his NRA audience, and he went on to define what he believes is the ‘real’ problem: Too many politicians in Washington would rather prevent a criminal from being caught than prevent a law-abiding citizen from being killed.
His remarks are hauntingly reminiscent of an effort launched by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, a Bellevue, WA-based group that joined the NRA in a lawsuit to strike down a San Francisco Housing Authority gun ban regulation, and is also a participant with NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation in another legal action that struck down an illegal parks gun ban in Seattle this year. (SAF and Gun Week are exhibiting at this weekend’s NRA convention here in Charlotte.)
“We need to control our borders, not perfectly legal firearms. Our government should seriously restrict access to our country by people who have no right to be here, rather than restrict the gun rights of citizens.”—Alan Gottlieb
In September 2005, CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb launched a politically-incorrect effort (something he excels at) to “Control Borders, Not Guns.” The group printed thousands of bumper stickers with that message, in English and Spanish. He told this column yesterday that CCRKBA will probably revive that campaign now to support the State of Arizona’s effort to do what the federal government won’t: enforce the law. Read More
"Those left-wing groups are supposed to be so tolerant of everybody’s lifestyle, but they’re intolerant of our lifestyle."
"In these tea party rallies, you’ve got these veterans and these grandmas and grandpas. It’s so fun to watch how the mainstream media covers these rallies. Some of these reporters are trying to portray us, tea party Americans, as being violent or racist or rednecks. Well, I don’t really have a problem with the redneck part of it."
"These animal-rights groups, just to be blunt about them, they’re crazy. One of them actually condemned our president last year because our president killed a fly during a nationally televised event. I have a lot of issues with the president, but killing a fly is not one of them."
Actor Chuck Norris: "The Clinton White House was absolutely convinced that pushing gun control would help it politically. … Then, in the 1994 election, we cleaned their clocks. They didn’t even see it coming. Sort of like a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick."
"We should thank the NRA for making the Second Amendment the political powerhouse it is today."
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre: "We know that every word spoken today and throughout this weekend will be scrutinized by our opponents. Make no mistake, we will never back away from our resolve to defend the rights of all law-abiding gun owners."
Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action:"Too many of the media are part of a systematic effort to dismantle our Second Amendment rights." Read More
"I was not expecting a free ride," said Mr. Snyder, 45, "but this is an obstacle course they put in place."
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia’s 32-year ban on handguns in 2008, a victory for the gun-rights lobby that seemed to promise a more permissive era in America’s long tussle over gun ownership. Since then, the city has crafted rules that are proving a new, powerful deterrent to residents who want to buy firearms.
Legal gun owners must be registered by the city, a red flag for many in the gun-rights community concerned that registration lists could be used to confiscate firearms. The District limits the number of bullets a gun can hold and the type of firearm residents can buy. It requires that by next year manufacturers sell guns equipped with a special identification technology—one that hasn’t yet been adopted by the industry.
The Supreme Court is now deliberating a case challenging handgun bans in Chicago and Oak Park, Ill., which are similar to the former ban in Washington, D.C., and is widely expected to side with gun-rights groups. The experience of Washington, D.C., however, suggests a pro-gun ruling by the Supreme Court doesn’t mean an end to the matter. Here, the battle over whether residents can own guns has been replaced by a fresh debate over whether lawmakers can restrict legal gun ownership.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia’s non-voting representative in Congress, is blunt about the point of the city’s laws: discouraging gun ownership.
"To get them you have to go through a bureaucracy that makes it difficult," she said in an interview. Her constituents tend to oppose firearms because of gun violence, she said. "Nobody thinks we would have fewer shootings and fewer homicides if we had more relaxed gun laws."
Kenneth Barnes, 65, became a D.C. gun-law activist after his son was shot to death in his clothing store in 2001. He supports the city’s current gun law. "I have no issue with the right to bear arms," but the Supreme Court’s decision gave the city the right to set gun laws for its citizens, he said. "What we’re talking about is self determination."
In 2009, the first full year the law was in effect, homicides in the city dropped to 143 from 186 in 2008. The 2009 total was the lowest since 1966. Read More
But as a supporter of pending legislation that would give Illinois residents the right to carry concealed weapons, Emery would not complain if some of the workload, as a byproduct of new laws, falls on his department.
Carry and conceal, or CCW, refers to the practice of carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner, either on one’s person or in close proximity.
“There are 48 states that currently have carry and conceal laws in place,” Emery said. “At this point, we can pick and choose what works best for the state of Illinois. You must have strict training certifications and adequate background checks. But at some point, the county sheriff departments would have to have some percentage of control to ensure it works for the benefit of everyone.”
Wisconsin is the only other state without a carry and conceal law on the books.
Earlier this month, an Illinois House committee pushed through three pieces of gun legislation, sending them to the full House for consideration. If approved, the package of laws would allow gun owners to have a proper, portable gun carrying case in which to transport their weapon. Opponents such as State Rep. Ed Sullivan, R-Mundelein, said the legislation is too vague.
“Judges all over the state would each make their own ruling on what is considered a proper, portable gun carrying case,” he said.
“One of the problems we have always had with proposed carry and conceal legislation is making it specific enough so there is no confusion about interpretation of the law,” said Jared Shoffner, a Dewitt County deputy who is running unopposed in the November election for DeWitt County sheriff. “I would support carry and concealed legislation, but part of the problem is how it is written and interpreted. We want to make sure that any legislation is the right step for law-abiding citizens and doesn’t allow criminals easier access.”
The bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Harry Osterman, D-Chicago, said that won’t happen — that measure would still prevent people with criminal records from owning firearms.
The Illinois Sheriff’s Association has endorsed carry and concealed legislation, even though specifics have yet to be ironed out.
“One of the main sticking points about the legislation is how it affects Cook County,” Emery said. “My thinking is that if that’s the case, then let’s write different legislation for Cook County. It seems to me, it’s that simple.”
Adding to the debate is a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court on a challenge to Chicago’s existing ban on handguns. The court is expected to rule by late June. Read More
Firing a .308 bolt action with a suppressor by AWC. The suppressor keeps muzzle flash and sound signature to a minimum, making it an asset in tactical operations.
Forty-five states allow legally registered machine guns. These firearms are available to civilians if they were manufactured and registered before the magic date in May, 1986. They are called transferable machine guns. All the usual requirements for gun ownership, and then some, apply.
Actually the form that needs to be filled out has similar questions that are on the Form 4473 that you fill out when purchasing a new gun. There is a part on the form where the application needs to be signed by the chief law enforcement official of the area in which you will keep the gun. This is usually not a problem unless possession violates some ordinance or local law.
Before purchasing or possessing any machine gun or buying or building a silencer, apply for and have the ATF registration and tax stamp for the equipment in hand.
But let’s be specific here and use the proper terms. Select-fire weapons are guns that can fire more than one round with one pull of the trigger. Some select-fire weapons will continue firing until the magazine is empty or the trigger is released and some have the ability to limit the number of rounds fired each time the trigger is pulled, as in the three-shot burst configurations.
All this has been summed up by our phraseology culture as a machine gun and deemed not necessary for private citizens by the anti-gun crowd.
The same goes for the suppressor. This technology allows us to reduce the noise of firearms so that we may shoot without hearing protection and noise to bother our neighbors. But somewhere along the line the “silencer” became an evil assassin’s tool.
Is a Mauser in your future? Soldiers returning home from WWII brought with them many rifles that found their way into the sporting mainstream and popularized the 8×57 cartridge.
I do not load for either of them but do load for the 6.5×57, a common rechamber on the Japanese round, and the 8mm-06, the most common early rechamber of the Mauser, so I consulted a couple of friends on their favorite loads for each of the originals. Our discussions taught me a thing or two that may have interest for the reader.
When WWII was over, returning vets brought home with them many rifles of the conquered nations and these found their way into the sporting mainstream, as evidenced by the American ammunition companies bringing out soft-point loads for the captured rifles.
In the 1960s, most ammunition retailers, if they had any inventory at all, had right up there with the .30-06 and .270 fodder, boxes of 8×57 Mauser ammo. The 8×57 in the .323” bore is a fine killer on deer and elk, closely comparable to the well-known .30-06 in power and trajectory, the 1934 military round driving a 197-grain full metal jacket bullet in the 2600 fps neighborhood.
Using currently available modern .323” diameter soft point spitzer bullets of 125, 150, 170, 175, 180, 200 and 220 grains, the 8×57 can offer the handloader a wide variety of options for game and target shooting. Most of the 8mm Mauser handloaders I know started with the 150-grain bullet at about 2850 fps for their whitetail hunting, using 46 grains of IMR 4064 and a standard large rifle primer.
While in Alaska in 1999 I met a middle-aged fellow from Denmark that carried a wonderful Oberndorf sporter chambered for the 8×57, in which he used the 200-grain Nosler Partition and 45 grains of IMR4064 at about 2600 fps to take his caribou. He told me that he had used the same load to take European moose and brown bear.
Closer to home my old friend Eric Yates used the 125-grain Hornady and 53 grains of H4895 in his 98K short rifle on everything, from groundhogs to deer. This load, which I have fired in his rifle, was very pleasant to shoot and very accurate in the sporterized gun and developed around 3100 fps in the cut-off 22-inch military barrel.
A good reloading manual will give you a starting point to work on loads for you classic gun. It is best to start light and work your way up to find the best load.
Never embraced by the American shooting public because of the overbearing popularity of the .30-06, the 8×57 is a very usable and efficient cartridge that deserves better than it got.
In 2004 Remington manufactured what I believe is the only American rifle ever factory chambered for the 8×57, the 700 Classic limited edition. I have heard that a few Model 54 Winchester guns were chambered for the Mauser round but I have never seen one. I’d be interested in hearing about them if you readers know of any, so send me an email!
The 6.5×50 Arisaka military round pushed a 139-grain bullet along at 2500 fps from the long 32-inch barrel of the Japanese battle rifle and it was a deadly combination, as our Pacific Theater soldiers found out. Except for some very late-war “last ditch” rifles the Arisaka action is extremely strong and reliable and many were used as the basis for ugly, but very serviceable sporting rifles. With its small powder capacity the round is very pleasant to shoot and with the long 6.5mm bullets of proper construction it defines the term “penetration.”
Using the Nosler 100-grain Partition and a listed maximum load of 37 grains of H4895, you’ll get 2700 fps through a 22-inch barrel. This is a very accurate load used by two friends in cut-off and sporterized military rifles, and a deadly combination on our Virginia whitetails (as with any of these suggested loads, please back off five grains to start your load development and work up carefully from there).
For a bit more penetration and striking energy the use of 38 grains of H380 with the 140-grain Nosler Partition can be a very effective short-range load (200 yards and less) for black bear and elk in the timber, the light recoil and low noise level coupled with superb accuracy making this a very “shootable” round. In a light, short mountain rifle the 6.5×50 can be a neat, efficient short to medium range cartridge. While more powerful loadings such as the .260 Remington and the 6.5×55 out-perform it in terms of velocity and energy, I wouldn’t throw away a solid Arisaka just because it’s a bit on the slow side. The 6.5×50 may be the most pleasant rifle I’ve ever fired above .22 centerfire from the bench.
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This article appeared in the April 12, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Click here to learn more. Click here to load up on a subscription.
The last time I checked Norma was still putting 6.5×50 ammo on the American market and brass is also available from several sources. There are at least eight makes of 8×57 on the market, in various bullet weights, and if you can’t find brass you can always run .30-06 cases through a 8×57 full-length size die and trim them back to 2.240”. Good, shootable Mausers can still be had for less than half what a current production sporting rifle costs and the Japanese rifles, while not plentiful, are out there and very inexpensive. For a shooter or hunter looking for an accurate, dependable and fun-to-shoot rifle, these two are hard to beat. GDTM
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