Supporting gun ownership and sportsmen's rights in response to the flurry of anti-gun and sport legislation under consideration in Congress and the Illinois State Legislature.
(If you would like to include your organization or events on our calendar, please contact us and we'll accommodate you)
Please check out the ISRA PVF to learn about the State Gov. candidates that are solid concerning the 2nd Amendment. In our neck of the woods (around McHenry Co.):
For Illinois Senate, Pamela Althoff is endorsed in the 32nd and Dan Dufy is preferred for the 26th.
For Illinois House, Mike Tryon is endorsed for the 64th, Jack Fransk (Democrat) is endorsed for the 63rd, and Mark Beaubien is endorsed for the 52nd.
You can find your district by checking this map (PDF in a new window) - black circles are Illinois Senate districts and white circles are for Illinois House districts.
In addition, the be sure to check the NRA PVF for the Federal Gov. Candiates. Again, in our neck of the woods, they're endorsing Don Manzullo for the 16th District (most of Western McHenry Co/Crystal Lake) and Steve Sauerberg for Senate. I'll also point out here that Don Manzullo was one of the few that called Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to task long ago:
"Mr. Raines: $1.1 million bonus on a $526,000 salary. Jamie Gorelick: $779,000 bonus on a salary of $567,000. This is... What you state on page 11 is nothing less than staggering. "The 1998 earnings per share value turned out to be three dollars and twenty-three cents and nine mills ($3.239) - a result that Fannie Mae met the max, the EPS maximum payout goal right down to the penny. Fannie Mae understood the rules and simply chose not to follow them, if Fannie Mae had followed the, the practices, there wouldn't have been a bonus that year."
(6:20-7:08 in the video.)
Posted 01:06AM Oct 11, 2008 by MCSA
Who doesn't like shotguns? Who doesn't like trap? (If you said, Obama/Biden, you may be right...)
Anyway, don't forget the shotgun shoot this Sunday... I believe that the price is $4.50 or $5.50 per round ( 25 shots ).Check the calendar for directions and info. It will start at 12:00 noon and go till?
Posted 12:23PM Oct 10, 2008 by MCSA
Off duty Chicago Police Officer shoots two after they tried to rob him. I wish Illinois citizens would have the same provision in place to secure their safety and property when out and about.
I'm sure I wouldn't be off the mark if I said that our thoughts and prayers go out to the Conn family, whose son was gunned down in a brutal robbery. However, I think I speak for many when I say it is almost as tragic when the death of an innoent is turned in to a twisted call for the cessation of all of our liberties. It is tragic that they let Father Pfleger get up and pin this on "easy availability of guns", or "assault weapons", or whatever, as sadly, in Chicago "only the outlaws have guns". "How many more?" is what we should be asking before our politicians see the light of reason and restore the position of the second amendment guaranteeing citizens a means to defend themselves.
Welcome to Chicago, where men decide what laws to enforce: Cook County Sheriff won't evict renters in foreclosure properties. Silly me, I thought we were a nation of laws... Lest I be accused of being unsympathetic, I know times are, um, "interesting", but this is madness since an elected officals has decided on their terms that the law doesn't apply. Laws shouldn't be arbitrary - if Dart feels so strongly about it, then perhaps he could ask the judicial system to review instead of singlehanded pulling a stunt like this.
Posted 04:00AM Oct 10, 2008 by MCSA
NEW ORLEANS - City officials have agreed to return hundreds of firearms that police officers confiscated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, part of a deal to resolve a lawsuit filed by gun lobbying groups.
The settlement agreement filed Tuesday in federal court calls for the National Rifle Association and Second Amendment Foundation to drop their case if the city follows a plan for returning guns to owners who had them seized by police after the Aug. 29, 2005, hurricane.
Posted 11:06PM Oct 08, 2008 by MCSA
California has a "gun-show" ban and the Nordykes are trying to fight it. They haven't had much luck.
Until now: (From Reason magazine)
Nordyke, it now appears, might help with the answer. Last week, four preeminent legal scholars - Michael Kent Curtis, Richard Aynes, Michael Lawrence, and William W. Van Alstyne - filed a friend of the court brief arguing that the 14th Amendment "and specifically its privileges or immunities clause were designed to forbid states from abridging fundamental rights of citizens, including those rights in the Bill of Rights." The Second Amendment, of course, is right there on that list.
Posted 09:11AM Oct 08, 2008 by MCSA
A few of us went out to shoot ASSA's excellent Urban Action match at Bristol (see previous reviews here...) and I figured that I'd plug their upcoming Fall Frenzy workshop.
Posted 07:57PM Oct 05, 2008 by MCSA
I really love air guns - they were my first exposure to shooting and, more importantly, responsibility, while growing up.
The rifle is a very well balanced due to a real walnut stock and is machined very well. These aren't "pump action" toys, but rather precision units that mimic "real" guns. They are pretty capable of ~MOA accuracy (1" at 100 yards, 1/2" at 50 yards) using consistent "diablo" pellets - I'm shooting a tin of leftover Vogel heavy pellets. An interesting aside - the faster the velocity of the pellet, the greater the accuracy degenerates for air rifles. The ultra-fast R1 will throw a .177 pellet at ~1100 FPS, but is actually less accurate than the R10, which shoots ~900 fps. My Anschutz shot at about 600 fps and could shoot a target the size of this period (".") all day at 10 yards. No seriously: click this link to see a PDF of a match air rifle target.
have an adjustable parallax setting. The trick is knowing the range to something - for example, I know how far 25 and 50 yards are in my backyard. If I'm shooting 25 yards with the 50 yard parallax setting, things look fuzzy or slightly out of focus. The big thing in scoping a spring-piston air rifle is making sure that the scope will withstand the reverse-recoil: the spring slams forward. Even well built scopes that are designed for "normal" recoil will fall apart in a few hundred shots.I've almost 50(+/- a yard) yards to a retaining wall in my backyard which is part of a hill. Perfect backstop and perfect target rest. I shoot out of my back door, usually kneeling/sitting with a hasty sling. I usually shoot after lunch (I work from home) since I need to eat in order to get to use the tin fruit-cocktail can that I need for practice.
I start by shooting the bottom of the can at 2X ("sighters", I call 'em) and then try to shoot one into the UPC label and one into the red "DelMonte" logo on the front at 7X. I've noticed my skills come along quite nicely - I hope I make "rifleman" and not "cook" at one of the Appleseed events!
Posted 07:48PM Oct 04, 2008 by MCSA
A few months ago, Para, along with Michael Bane got the leading gun-bloggers together and had them go shoot for a few days with Todd Jarrett.
They now have the entire edited series for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.downrange.tv/show6/
Posted 10:02AM Oct 03, 2008 by MCSA
These are mostly for Don C's Lakemoor show, but I managed to find one for a show in Rockford. If I missed any around here, leave a comment or let me know.
Posted 10:29AM Oct 02, 2008 by MCSA
Chicago cop, Mike Mette, who was wrongly sentenced to five year for defending himself even after he retreated, had his ruling reversed today!
This has important implications on what a person's duty to retreat is and how a person can be expected to defend themselves while under assault.
The original story is here: http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Aug14/0,4670,ChicagoOfficerJailed,00.html
Posted 09:52AM Oct 01, 2008 by MCSA
A few days ago I linked to an article about Obama's "Truth Squads" (click here to view the original post), and I guess that on Sept. 27th, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt issued a reprimend on Obama's tactic.
The following is Gov. Blunt's statement:
Gov. Blunt Statement on Obama Campaign’s Abusive Use of Missouri Law Enforcement
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt today issued the following statement on news reports that have exposed plans by U.S. Senator Barack Obama to use Missouri law enforcement to threaten and intimidate his critics.
“St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer, and Obama and the leader of his Missouri campaign Senator Claire McCaskill have attached the stench of police state tactics to the Obama-Biden campaign.
“What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment.
“This abuse of the law for intimidation insults the most sacred principles and ideals of Jefferson. I can think of nothing more offensive to Jefferson’s thinking than using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights. The only conceivable purpose of Messrs. McCulloch, Obama and the others is to frighten people away from expressing themselves, to chill free and open debate, to suppress support and donations to conservative organizations targeted by this anti-civil rights, to strangle criticism of Mr. Obama, to suppress ads about his support of higher taxes, and to choke out criticism on television, radio, the Internet, blogs, e-mail and daily conversation about the election.
“Barack Obama needs to grow up. Leftist blogs and others in the press constantly say false things about me and my family. Usually, we ignore false and scurrilous accusations because the purveyors have no credibility. When necessary, we refute them. Enlisting Missouri law enforcement to intimidate people and kill free debate is reminiscent of the Sedition Acts - not a free society.”
Posted 09:41AM Oct 01, 2008 by MCSA
A person speaks about a negligent discharge... Complete with XRays, pictures (safe for work - just a big scar...), and backstory.
Posted 09:04AM Sep 30, 2008 by MCSA
Check the calendar out... .22 steel shoot and a beginner course at Bristol in addition to some already scheduled events.
Posted 09:03AM Sep 30, 2008 by MCSA
The War on Guns Blog picked this up first and it merits reposting here:
Read this first, then a brief analysis at the end:
Chicago Activists Push State Gun Ban
Michael Pfleger and about 50 supporters locked arms and blocked metal detectors and elevators inside a state building in downtown Chicago to highlight their cause Wednesday.
Pfleger says his actions are meant to push state government to change the state’s gun laws.
PFLEGER: It’s the downstate that have refused to give us the votes to common sense gun laws. So what we’re saying is, ‘Ok. We’re gonna start disrupting your life like gun violence is disrupting our life.' And that’s here at their businesses and that’s coming to their homes. And we’re prepared to go to the legislators homes and visit them.
Protestors are calling for an assault weapon ban and stricter background checks for people wanting to buy guns.
Paraphrasing WOG, Pfleger encourages breaking laws he doesn't like until more government controls over our private lives and activities are implemented.
On the surface, civil disobedience sounds like a fine continuation of an American tradition, however we should re-examine what Thoreau's major premise was in his defining work:
"That government is best which governs least"
Now, what happens when someone not connected suggests they'd like to disregard laws they opposes and does so to call for less government instead of more? They'd go to jail!
Think about it: If you advocate civil disobedience it is because you're saying that the letter of the law is flawed and subject to realistic disregard. Therefore, asking for more laws after you break some laws is insane!
Posted 11:03AM Sep 29, 2008 by MCSA
Tech-SIGHTS, of Rice-Lake Wisconsin, makes military-inspired peep sights for Ruger 10/22's and SKS rifles... The sights mimic the excellent M14 sights - apparently, very nice stuff that a lot of Appleseed attendees are using to shoot the "qualification".
Rumor had it that they made, or were going to make, a peep for the venerable, ever-reliable Marlin 60 (and 795).
Well, I emailed 'em and next month the sight comes out... They were even nice enough to send me a sneak-peek:
Posted 10:42AM Sep 29, 2008 by MCSA
Daley says lag in police hiring not affecting city safety
Mayor Richard Daley on Saturday dismissed the notion that his administration's failure to make good on a pledge to hire more police is affecting public safety, even as Chicago combats growing violent crime.
"No, no," said Daley when asked about the lack of new hires and the impact on safety. When pressed, Daley bristled and said, "It just won't."
Somehow, after reading this next one, I don't believe him...
Officer in "very critical" condition following shooting
A Chicago Police officer remained in “very critical” condition this afternoon after being shot by a convicted felon as police attempted to execute a search warrant on the Southeast Side. The suspect was also critically wounded in the shooting.
Posted 06:32PM Sep 28, 2008 by MCSA
Folks, watch this:
At this time in the history of the United States, gun owners face a turning point concerning who we place in office as president. This presidential election has the power to irreversibly impact the rights of gun owners, both with the power of Presidential veto and through placing a blatant anti-gunner in office as the President of the Senate. At present there is a 2 or 3 vote pro-gun majority in the US Senate. We do not need a confirmed vote against us as a tie breaker.
The next US President will likely appoint at least one, perhaps three Supreme Court Justices who will consider the meaning of the second amendment in upcoming legal battles. The narrow SCOTUS majority for gun owners shown in Heller v DC could be overturned by a single appointment. At least three appointments are likely. Justice John Paul Stevens is 88 years old. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75. Justice Antonin Scalia is 72. Gun owners in the United States could be irrevocably affected for the next fifty years, perhaps forever. Gun rights could be erased as a generation of gun owners die off stripped of their firearms, leaving an apathetic progeny that has never experienced the right to keep and bear arms.
This is a crucial time. There is much at stake, and it goes beyond blogs and forums for gun owners. This is not a time to be bickering or fighting among ourselves. This is a time to solidify our vote and make damned sure that the right to keep and bear arms is preserved. The only way to do that is by force multiplication. We must build our numbers. Each gun owner has one vote. We must educate each other on the impact of our votes, and we must convert more people to law abiding voting gun ownership.
If you aren't registerd to vote, get registered, click the link on the top of the side. (October 7th is the deadline...)
Posted 02:36PM Sep 28, 2008 by MCSA
Adding a section "reviews" for course, event, gear, etc. reviews.
Posted 01:44PM Sep 27, 2008 by MCSA
From Ahab:
Obama's campaign is trying to suppress advertisements run by NRA which expose his anti-gun record. What's crazy is that these ads haven't even started running yet in the markets they were targeted for - but Obama's people are so concerned about the gun and hunting vote that they're actively trying to squash the ads. Here's the letter from Obama's general counsel.
What's kind of funny is that 1) everything that NRA is claiming in these ads is true, and 2) that Obama’s campaign is relying on Factcheck.org's statements of his "record" to disprove NRA's claims.
Nevermind that factcheck.org has been thoroughly discredited as a left wing anti-gun organization, but people should be appalled that Obama is trying to squash the 1st Amendment rights of people with whom he disagrees.
Obama's campaign is so scared of the gun vote that they’re willing to openly try to impede on the freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the name of winning an election.
Posted 04:23PM Sep 26, 2008 by MCSA
