Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL)

Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
PO. Box 513, Newington, VA 22122 • 804-639-0600 • 703-372-3285 • 757-271-3705 • 540-446-5783

07/26/09 - VCDL Update 7/26/09 - Part 3

Officers set up three drop-off sites, including one at Seymour Smith Park. "It is very dangerous to throw fireworks in the trash. It's very dangerous to throw ammunition in the trash," Desler said. "This is the safest way to get rid of it. We dispose of it properly." ************************************************** 13. Post-election rush on guns spawns shortages of bullets (sic) ************************************************** Uh, there is no real shortage of BULLETS. There IS a shortage of CARTRIDGEs, also called ROUNDS. Sigh. http://tinyurl.com/kp4vj6 HamptonRoads.com Post-election rush on guns spawns shortages of bullets In the world's most heavily armed nation, bullets are in short supply. Gun shops have empty shelves. Stampedes mark the opening of gun shows. Rising prices are forcing police to bust their budgets. Some have cut back on shooting practice. The ammo industry says factories are running wide open but simply can't keep up with a demand - particularly for handgun calibers - that spiked with the November elections, and just kept going. Robert House, owner of Classic Firearms in Virginia Beach, has been selling guns and ammo in Hampton Roads for 30 years. From time to time, popular guns have been hard to keep in stock. But ammunition? "I've never seen anything like this," House said. "There have been fistfights at gun shows over the last box of ammunition." Rumors swirl about the shortage. Yes, it's true that booming metal markets in China and India are consuming boatloads of brass, copper and lead. No, it's not true that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are cutting into the civilian bullet supply. The Army says most of its small-arms ammo comes from a dedicated factory in Missouri. Instead, blame politics, and the thoroughness of the Democratic victory in November. Gun owners have long viewed Democrats as enemies of the Second Amendment. With that party now in control of the White House and both branches of Congress: "People think they'd better buy while they can," said Ron Hess, a long time Norfolk gun shop owner. "Gun owners just figure that Democrats make screwed-up gun laws." But those who study such things say the bullet shortage is a tangible sign of something much deeper - the wider-than-ever gulf that divides the inside of the winners' circle from the outside. "Obama won the election because many moderate conservatives switched parties," said Robert Spitzer, the author of a book about politics and guns, and a political science professor at The State University of New York. That defection, Spitzer said, distilled the remainder into an even "more conservative, homogenous base," Spitzer said. "A certain siege mentality sets in, and more than ever, it's 'us' against 'them.' " One thing is certain: Like most shortages, this one is a self- perpetuating cycle. Initial demand thinned out supplies, which fueled panicked buying, which only worsened the shortage. In the gun shops, time is now told in two different eras: "Before Obama" and "After Obama." "He's been good for business," Hess said. "My sales are up 40 percent." Bob's Gun Shop has been open in Norfolk for 64 years. Record days have taken place "After Obama." Firearm sales were a big part of that, owner Robert Marcus said, but the thirst for ammunition seems "insatiable." Marcus is limiting his customers to two boxes at a time and has given up pestering his suppliers for more deliveries. "After a while, you get tired of hearing 'no,' " he said. "We're just beginning to see ammunition we ordered in December." Manufacturers say the problem is capacity. Factories, located mostly in the Midwest, are geared for a relatively predictable market. Expansion is costly, and the industry has seen bubbles before. The last occurred in late 1999, when fears of Y2K chaos spurred a buying binge at gun stores. In 1994, the start of the 10-year-long Assault Weapons Ban sparked sales as well. "So everybody in the industry is trying to figure out how temporary this is," said Curtis Shipley of Georgia Arms, a manufacturer west of Atlanta. "They're looking into their crystal balls, wondering, 'How much should I invest?' " In the meantime, Shipley says: "I've got 15,000 orders I can't fill and a customer service nightmare." Prices have doubled in some shops. At Hess' place, Ron Hess Gun & Tackle, a 50-round box of .380 ammunition costs $49.95. "Before Obama," Hess says, "it was $24.95." Hess says the higher prices are being passed down the supply chain from manufacturer to distributor to retailer. He says he can get any caliber his customers want, if they're willing to pay the cost. "There's only a shortage if you want it at the old price," Hess said. "All it takes is money." That's enough to inspire target shooters such as Ken Williams, an accountant from Suffolk, to scour the gun shops regularly. One visit to the range can easily eat up 100 rounds. "I'll buy everything I can if I find a good deal," Williams said. Police are feeling the pinch, too. In Virginia Beach, the budget for ammunition skyrocketed from around $200,000 last year to $500,000 for the fiscal year that just ended. In Portsmouth, the department has cut back on bullets traditionally issued to officers for extra practice on the firing range. Norfolk police say they keep a two-year supply on hand, a policy that "is certainly paying dividends now," spokesman Chris Amos said. At Bob's Gun Shop, Marcus says he has fielded calls from the Fairfax sheriff's office and other agencies desperate for ammunition. Political analyst Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, sees no rational reason for the run on ammo. Sabato says there are no signs from Washington that stricter gun laws are on the way. "I follow Congress closely," Sabato said, "and I've seen no indication that this is true." Sabato says there are plenty of Democrats from rural areas who fear they'd lose their seats if they voted for more gun laws. Spitzer, the New York professor, says the new president isn't eager to challenge gun rights, either. "The final irony of all this is that Obama's base is less than happy with him, too," Spitzer said. "He's been deliberately avoiding the gun issue. He's behaved a lot more like a centrist." Spitzer says organizations such as the National Rifle Association, with 4 million-plus members, fed the ammo-buying frenzy with a drumbeat of " 'they're-coming-for-your-guns' messages. They stoke fear for their own political reasons." The gun industry, Spitzer said, reaps the benefits of increased sales. The NRA denies such an agenda. "I have heard some gun manufacturers calling the president their salesman of the year," NRA spokeswoman Alexa Fritts said. "But it's no joke that since the election, guns and ammo have been flying off the shelves. That's a direct result of a real fear. We know the record of some of the people in this administration, and gun owners are worried about their Second Amendment freedoms." The NRA points to one bill making the rounds that seeks to license handgun owners. Talk of raising the excise tax on ammunition also has the organization on alert. There are some signs that the ammunition shortage is easing. Summer's heat puts a damper on outdoor target shooting. Sales usually fall off this time of year. Calibers impossible to find just a few weeks ago are beginning to reappear. Still, the industry predicts, it will be months before supply can fully cover demand. Under normal circumstances, ammunition is big business. Gun owners buy an estimated 9 billion bullets every year. Last year's sales hit $1.16 billion. For now, though, the rush does seem to be slowing down a bit, according to House, the owner of Classic Firearms. He says that a month ago, when the doors opened at a gun show, customers would "run as fast as they could" to get to the ammunition tables. "Now they're just walking very, very fast." ************************************************** 14. Jersey City police chief wants weapon to hunt humans? ************************************************** "'We need help to stop these weapons from hitting the street,' said Police Chief Thomas Comey. 'This weapon is manufactured for nothing other than to hunt man...that should be used by law enforcement and no one else.'" So only the police should be allowed to use guns to hunt men? I didn't realize that the police, even in New Jersey, were into murder for sport (according to the Chief's own words and his, er, logic). http://tinyurl.com/nwalsn myfoxny.com Jersey City Police Chief Takes Aim at NRA Updated: Thursday, 16 Jul 2009, 8:24 PM EDT Published : Thursday, 16 Jul 2009, 8:24 PM EDT ARUN KRISTIAN DAS MYFOXNY.COM - Jersey City's top cop angrily denounced the influx of illegal guns onto the streets of the city and even took rhetorical aim at the National Rifle Association after an early-morning shootout left five cops wounded, two critically. "We need help to stop these weapons from hitting the street," said Police Chief Thomas Comey. "This weapon is manufactured for nothing other than to hunt man." Police Chief Thomas Comey was angry that a suspect who had a prior weapons conviction had no trouble obtaining the Mossberg pump-action tactical shotgun. The suspect, Hassan Shakur, used the shotgun loaded with buckshot and slugs to shoot at Jersey City and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey cops. Officers returned fire, killing Shakur and an apparent accomplice, Amanda Anderson. At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Comey said he considers that type of shotgun an "assault weapon" that should be used by law enforcement and no one else. He said that authorities traced the gun's serial number and were reasonably certain that at some point the weapon was purchased legally in the South. "We should stop being afraid of the NRA and start being afraid [for] our own rights," Comey said. The NRA could not be reached for comment Thursday. ************************************************** 15. Shooting Yourself 101: Facility bans holster after two ADs ************************************************** Thanks to Gary Smith of HandgunHunt.com for the info: RECENT HOLSTER-RELATED SHOOTINGS (BLACKHAWK SERPA HOLSTER NOW PROHIBITED IN KR TRAINING CLASSES) At IPSC and IDPA matches in San Antonio recently, two different shooters shot themselves in the leg while drawing. In both cases, the root cause was the shooter putting his finger on the trigger before the muzzle was in a safe direction. Drawing a pistol safely at high speed cannot be mastered without doing a lot of slow speed, dry fire practice, preferably in front of a mirror where you can see what you are doing. In a correct and safe draw, the trigger finger does not touch the trigger until the gun is gripped by both hands, and the muzzle is pointed at the target - what we call "step 3" or our "ready position". In our classes we emphasize keeping the finger off the trigger when at "ready" and only putting the finger on the trigger when you intend to shoot and are moving the gun from "ready" to a firing position (position 4). It takes 3000 or more reps of slow dry practice to make correct trigger finger placement during the draw an automatic action that happens whether you think about it or not. Those who only practice drawing when attending our classes or on match day risk the same kind of negligent discharge that resulted in both of these shooters taking a bullet in the leg. You cannot go fast safely until you understand what a safe technique is, and you can do it safely at slow speed. Trying to run before you can walk in this case can get you seriously hurt. Equipment issues played a role in these shootings: one shooter was using a 1911 style pistol. These guns are normally carried "cocked and locked" with the hammer back and thumb safety on. In order for the 1911 shooter to shoot himself, he had to take the safety off during 'step 1' of the draw, as he established his grip on the pistol, and then put his finger on the trigger as the gun came out of the holster, before the gun got to our "step 2" which is the first point in the draw where the muzzle is guaranteed to be clear of all body parts. When drawing a 1911 style pistol, the safety should not come off until the gun is at position 3 (ready position) and should ONLY come off AFTER the person has made a decision to shoot and is moving the gun to a firing position. The other shooter was using the Blackhawk SERPA holster, which has been banned by many shooting schools. The problem with the SERPA is that the user must press a lever with the trigger finger to release the pistol, and if the shooter does not practice indexing the trigger finger along the slide (away from the trigger guard) as the gun comes out of the holster, the natural flow of body movement is to continue curling the trigger finger as the gun comes out. That movement can obviously lead to the trigger finger pressing on the trigger way too early in the drawstroke. There have been multiple self-inflicted gunshot wounds at multiple schools all over the US, all a result of the design of this holster and the failure of holster users to put in sufficient slow dry practice to master the complex movement and fine motor skill of operating this holster while drawing. I believe that the number of schools banning this holster has reached critical mass and that prohibition of this holster has now become an industry "best practice", so KR Training now prohibits the use of the SERPA holster in our classes in the interest of preventing student self-injury. ************************************************** 16. A loopy drinking debate ************************************************** Thanks to Carla and Dave Hicks for the link. My comments imbedded: http://tinyurl.com/kktn2r roanoke.com A loopy drinking debate Dick Howard Howard is a retired health care professional. He lives in Salem. Several days ago, I was ranting to my wife about the two sweepingly superficial and patently false arguments that proponents of lowering the legal age of drinking trot out. Right on cue, I can always count on hearing: "If they're old enough to fight for their country, they oughta be old enough to drink." Followed by: "If they're old enough to handle the responsibility of voting, they oughta be old enough to drink." Dr. John McCardell may have a Ph.D., but he must have flunked botany because he does not know apples from oranges ("Q&A with John McCardell," June 28 news story). Let me hop onto his tortuous train of mixed-fruit logic and ride it a little further to see where the next stop could be. He wants us to believe that since we have decided 18-year-olds are competent to fight for their country (that's the apples) and to vote (more apples), then, by his loopy extension, these same 18-year-olds should be entrusted with the legal right to purchase and drink any amount of alcohol (that's the oranges) they darn well want. Whoa! That's a great big leap of weak logic there, but for the sake of discussion, let's let this train careen on down the tracks. In Virginia, no one under the age of 21 can legally purchase a handgun or obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun. So couldn't McCardell's same logic be applied to the right to purchase and carry concealed handguns? [PVC: Yes and that would actually make a lot of sense.] You know, it would be the "they're old enough to fight for their country and old enough to vote, so why aren't they old enough to legally purchase and carry a concealed handgun?" argument. Makes sense to me as long as I ride that crazy train. [PVC: Actually fighting for your country does require training and carrying of guns. It doesn't require drinking or voting.] But we have made the very wise legal decision that 18year-olds are not competent to own and carry concealed handguns, and I think we have appropriately applied the same yardstick to measuring the competency of 18-year-olds for purchasing and drinking alcohol. It should be noted that when abused, one is as deadly as the other. [PVC: And we have laws to handle those who abuse alcohol or misuse guns.] I haven't heard of anyone calling out for the laws to be changed to allow people under 21 years old to own and carry concealed handguns, but if there are such persons, they should hop a little ride on McCardell's lower-the-drinking-age train of logic. [PVC: Actually I like the idea of lowering the CHP age. Several other states have already done so without issue.] ************************************************** 17. Rev. Ken Blanchard discusses freedom and 2A ************************************************** Thanks to Leyla Myers for the link. Really well done and great to forward to others who are sitting on the fence when it comes to freedom and the right to keep and bear arms: http://tinyurl.com/ld2jmc (YouTube) ------------------------------------------- ***************************************************************************