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Bearing Arms: Concealed Carry Applications Soar Across Country

April 20, 2023 by vagunrights

Cam Edwards writes over at bearingarms.com that applications for concealed carry permits are rising across the country despite the fact that over half of the states allow concealed carry without a permit:

The trend is most visible in those states where concealed carry was off-limits to most residents until last year, when the Supreme Court struck down “may-issue” systems requiring applicants to demonstrate good cause or a justifiable need to carry a firearm for self-protection. Communities across California, for instance, are seeing a huge influx of applications despite the fact that some localities are charging more than $1,000 in fees and associated costs in order to obtain a permit to carry.

Cam notes that it’s not just states like California and Maryland, places that had restrictive or non-existent requirements to obtain a permit pre-Bruen, but it is also states like Florida and Pennsylvania.

It could be that folks still want permits in states that have Constitutional Carry because states like Virginia require non-residents to have a permit in their state of residence to carry in Virginia. Regardless of the reason millions of Americans have the ability to carry concealed post Bruen and they are taking their right to self-defense seriously and taking the necessary steps to exercise that right.

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This is what Democrats have in store for gun owners if they retake complete control of Virginia Government

January 24, 2023 by vagunrights

In yesterday’s Senate Judiciary meeting, Senator Creigh Deeds’ SB1382 was reported out of committee and rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations. This is the new version of a so-called “assault weapons” ban. It has absolutely no chance of getting out of the House of Delegates, which currently has a slight pro-rights majority, but it gives us a glance of what is in store for gun owners if the Democrats regain complete control of Virginia government after the 2025 statewide elections. What do they consider an “assault weapon”? The below is from the bill:

“Assault firearm” means any:

  1. A semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol which that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material and is equipped at the time of the offense with a magazine which will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition or designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer or equipped with a folding stock with a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 10 rounds;
  2. A semi-automatic center-fire rifle that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine and has one of the following characteristics: (i) a folding, telescoping, or collapsible stock; (ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the rifle; (iii) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; (iv) a grenade launcher; (v) a flare launcher; (vi) a sound suppressor; (vii) a flash suppressor; (viii) a muzzle brake; (ix) a muzzle compensator; (x) a threaded barrel capable of accepting (a) a sound suppressor, (b) a flash suppressor, (c) a muzzle brake, or (d) a muzzle compensator; or (xi) any characteristic of like kind as enumerated in clauses (i) through (x);
  3. A semi-automatic center-fire pistol that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine and has one of the following characteristics: (i) a folding, telescoping, or collapsible stock; (ii) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; (iii) the capacity to accept a magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip; (iv) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the pistol with the non-trigger hand without being burned; (v) a threaded barrel capable of accepting (a) a sound suppressor, (b) a flash suppressor, (c) a barrel extender, or (d) a forward handgrip; or (vi) any characteristic of like kind as enumerated in clauses (i) through (v);
  4. A semi-automatic shotgun that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material that has one of the following characteristics: (i) a folding, telescoping, or collapsible stock, (ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the shotgun, (iii) the ability to accept a detachable magazine, (iv) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of seven rounds, or (v) any characteristic of like kind as enumerated in clauses (i) through (iv); or
  5. A shotgun with a magazine that will hold more than seven rounds of the shortest ammunition for which it is chambered. An “assault firearm” does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, or was manufactured before July 1, 2023.

This bill bans the most popular firearms, both pistols and rifles, that are currently made in America. While you would be able to keep the firearms you currently own, you would not be able to purchase one manufactured after July 1, 2023. As I said, this bill is going nowhere beyond the Senate. But if gun owners don’t vote their rights in future elections, this is our future in Virginia, and we can’t guarantee that the Supreme Court will bail us out of the mess we create.

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Biden Wants to Ban Modern Sporting Rifles But Avoids Facts

December 14, 2022 by vagunrights

Joe Biden said the quiet part out loud on Thanksgiving when he said “The idea we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick. Just sick. It has no socially redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.” The White House later walked back the comment to say Biden meant so-called “assault weapons”. This focus on the most popular rifle in America avoids a very important fact. Rifles of all kinds are rarely used in crime, and especially modern sporting rifles. Sure, when they are used in a mass shooting the media focuses like a laser beam on the firearm, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are still used rarely.

But as an op-ed in the New York Post said over the weekend, “Biden’s focus on semiautomatic weapons is ignorance manifest“.

Hat tip to Gun Facts for the graphic.

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Will Biden Take Executive Action on Modern Sporting Rifles?

November 29, 2022 by vagunrights

Last week, President Joe Biden called for banning all semi-automatic firearms.

Number two, the idea — the idea we still allow semiautomatic weapons to be purchased is sick.  It’s just sick.  It has no, no social redeeming value.  Zero.  None.  Not a single, solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.

Biden seems to think that the polls have shifted in his direction with the recent spate of shootings:

But with an eye toward positioning himself and his party for 2024, Biden believes public opinion has shifted in Democrats’ favor on certain key social issues, said the aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe internal strategy.

Today, Cam Edwards over at Bearingarms.com writes about how the White House won’t say if Biden will accede to the wishes of the gun ban lobby and ban modern sporting rifles:

Most of those guns purchased by responsible Americans are precisely the semi-automatic firearms that Biden believes should be illegal for the average citizen to own and possess, but if Congress won’t provide him with the votes needed to impose his ban his friends in the anti-gun movement are already suggesting another idea; banning them through an administrative order. 

I’m not really sure why Biden thinks the public is on his side on this one. Last week, a Gallup poll released shows a nine-point drop in support for stricter gun laws since the same survey was taken in June. It also showed a three-point increase in the number of Americans reporting they have a gun in the home. While a majority of respondents report supporting stricter gun laws and having no gun in their home, the gap none-the-less has shrunk significantly. Stephen Gutowski at The Reload wrote of the poll results that the rising trend of gun ownership combined with weakened support for more gun control could make passing new restrictions more difficult at the national and state levels.

Virginia’s General Assembly convenes in January. We will see what if any new legislative proposals come from the Democrats, which still control the State Senate. 2023 is also an election year with the entire assembly up for re-election.

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Gun Control Low on List of Voter Priorities According to New Poll

March 10, 2021 by vagunrights

Cam Edwards at Bearingarms.com shares a new poll that supposedly shows “wide support” for requiring background checks on all gun sales.  It’s part of this article where he asks a simple question related to so-called “universal” background checks.   These polls never seem to dig down beyond the surface and the generic “should all gun purchases require a background check”.  They never ask the question that Cam asked.

Do 84-percent of Americans think a person should go to federal prison if they transfer a firearm to their neighbor who’s afraid of her abusive ex showing up at her door? Do 84-percent of Americans think that it should be crime to sell a gun to your cousin without a background check, but legal for you to sell a gun to your aunt without one?

Most people support in the affirmative the generic question about background checks because they already know that most gun sales require a background check.  But, if these pollsters were to dig down into the issue and ask the question the way Cam does, you would probably get a much different answer. And, we need to remember, unlike the bill that passed the Virginia General Assembly last year that specifically said “sales”, the bills winding their way through congress use the term “transfer” which has a much broader meaning under federal law than the word “sales”.

There is other news in that poll though.

Democrats on Capitol Hill have a narrow advantage over their Republican counterparts on the topic, with 44 percent of voters trusting them over congressional GOP lawmakers on gun policy, while 38 percent trust Republicans more.

It is the narrowest split of trust on a number of issue they polled.  They break it down for us and we learn that the gun issue is way down on the list of priorities for those surveyed:

The move on Capitol Hill — which is not likely to move forward in the Senate as long as the chamber’s legislative filibuster remains intact — comes after Democrats advanced legislation to address the pandemic, a subject 2 in 3 voters believe Congress should prioritize. By comparison, just 28 percent of voters said gun policy should be a “top priority,” roughly the same share who said Congress should elevate the passage of a bill to reduce inequality or provide relief to Americans with student loan debt.

Make sure you are contacting your elected officials and let them know you oppose additional restrictions on your rights.

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Dave Workman on Why Biden’s Gun Control Won’t Work

March 9, 2021 by vagunrights

Gun rights advocate and writer Dave Workman laid out in an article posted last week at Ammoland five reasons why  Biden’s gun control proposal will fail to do what he claims they will do.

With the launch of their frontal assault on firearms rights via H.R. 8 and H.R. 127, Capitol Hill Democrats have made it clear they are not interested in facts or the “common sense” their gun control campaign perennially claims to represent, and instead provided all the justification necessary for a hard-hitting pro-rights ad campaign by a grassroots gun rights organization now heading into its second week.

Ammoland News did some homework and found five clear reasons—call them examples—why gun control fails and will always fail; the proof routinely ignored by gun prohibitionists whose ultimate goal, according to Second Amendment activists, has never been violent crime reduction but unilateral public disarmament.

The article then provides five examples of felons caught in possession of firearms, something that is illegal then says:

Each of these cases underscores why gun control is inherently and irreversibly doomed to failure, says the Second Amendment community. Criminals do not obey gun laws. They never have and never will.

We need every gun owner engaged to stop these bills.  Contact your representative today.

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We Need Every Gun Owner Involved in the Fight

March 8, 2021 by vagunrights

Millions of people became new gun owners last year.  Reports by the National Shooting Sports Foundation as well as others have reported that a large number of these new gun owners are minorities and women.  These new gun buyers need to add there voices to the over 100 million existing gun owners in the country when it comes to protecting our rights.  We need to welcome these new gun owners at our ranges and our clubs.  Last week, Bearingarms.com’s Cam Edwards spoke with National African American Gun Association Founder and president Phillip A. Smith:

As you might have guessed, Smith isn’t a big fan of the new gun control laws being proposed in Congress, including the universal background check bill that could be brought to the floor of the House as early as next week.

“I’m not excited about it,” Smith tells me. “I’ll say this, just so everyone knows who’s listening to me. In our organization and myself when I represent my organization, we don’t typically comment on politicians but we will adamantly and vigorously talk about policies like we’re doing today. And I think any time you have policies that are coming down the pipeline that, to me, are just reckless and they go after the wrong group of folks time and time again – it’s like the effort is at any turn or stop to have something there that’s going to make it difficult to get a firearm. That’s just the wrong mindset.”

You can hear the entire interview below.

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House Dems Join Call for Gun Control Czar

March 1, 2021 by vagunrights

Bloomberg’s gun control mouth piece The Trace reports this morning that a group of Democratic Representatives in Congress has sent a letter to Biden urging him to appoint a gun control CZAR. Of course they call it a “gun violence” czar. In the letter, the group cites the “record level” of gun ownership as one of the reasons that the country needs this new appointee. Folks, every pro-rights group including the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation, and the Firearms Policy Coalition, is pointing out that Biden is going to do something, it’s just a matter of when. If you are not a member of all of the groups mentioned, as well as your state firearms association and other state groups, you need to do it now. For all of the talk about the NRA and their bankruptcy etc, I know personally that NRA was very active during the 2021 Session of the General Assembly as were the Virginia Shooting Sports Association (VSSA), VCDL, and this year a representative of the Liberal Gun Club even spoke during committee meetings. Don’t let anyone tell you NRA isn’t doing anything because they are and they still need our support because more times than not, they were the first ones called on to speak in committee meetings during the just completed Legislative session.

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Bloomberg Betting $100 Million on Joe Biden In Florida

September 14, 2020 by vagunrights

Fifty days out from Election Day, Former New York Mayor and anti-rights activist Michael Bloomberg is dropping $100 million in Florida, that’s right – $100 million in one state, to help Joe Biden win the state. Bearingarms.com editor Cam Edwards has to story today on Bearingarms.com’s Cam and Company.

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Free Beacon: Riots Likely Drove 2020 Gun Sales Spike

September 9, 2020 by vagunrights

Steven Gutowski and colleague Charles Fain Lehman have this story at the Washington Free Beacon about those massive gun sales over this summer.

While March saw the most guns sold thus far in 2020, seasonally adjusted data show that it was June—the month after the death of George Floyd and subsequent onset of protests and civil unrest—that most exceeded expectations, massively outpacing usually languid summertime sales.

That suggests images of stores being looted and buildings being burned across many of America’s largest cities drove citizens to purchase guns at even higher rates, relative to usual seasonal patterns, than the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. David Kopel, a Cato Institute scholar with decades of experience in gun research, told the Washington Free Beacon the sales spike is clearly a response to the violence.

“Crime in general is a driver of gun sales,” he said. “And that includes not just individual criminals, but it also includes criminals who operate in large groups like rioters and looters. We had nationwide riots, mass violence, and police often ordered not to interfere or even overwhelmed. People understood more than ever that they have to be their own first responders.”

As Gutowski noted on his Twitter feed:

Gun sales tend to peak in March due to new models hitting stores and old models being cleared out (much like car dealerships) but then fall in the summer. This year was very different. The March peak was WAY higher than normal and June nearly matched it in raw sales!

The authors noted that while more guns were sold in March 2020 than in June 2020, June  is the bigger outlier once you account for seasonal effects—implying that the riots that began in June drove a bigger relative increase in gun purchasing than the onset of the Wuhan virus crisis in March.

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