Politics Gun laws and news around the world

[HisRoyalHighness]

Update in Virginia:

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30+ counties now are Gun Sanctuaries with hundreds if not thousands of people showing up at their local legislative offices. I wish they showed the same enthusiasm during the elections.

 

[primer]

From COLFO;-

Did you hear Stuart Nash on Mike Hosking’s show yesterday? The one where he refuses to take any responsibility for the data breach.

Instead of answering concerns about how the Government will ensure the privacy of the proposed firearms register, Mr Nash took aim at us! He says we are just a “small group of radical gun nuts”.

Seriously, that’s what he said. Take a listen here: Audio: Police Minister refuses to be held accountable for gun buyback breach

Stuart Nash is wrong

In addition to the 12 national bodies that are members of COLFO (and represent tens of thousands of licenced firearms owners/members) more than twelve and a half thousand Kiwis have signed up via our website to support this effort. It’s being made possible by the thousands of people who have chipped-in financially to make sure there is a coordinated opposition to the full scale attack on our lifestyle and hobbies.

And no matter what Mr Nash says, we make no apology whatsoever for blowing the whistle about the data breach. Had we not gone public, firearms owners like you would probably never have known just how careless the Government has been with our sensitive financial and security information.

This Government has held 250,000 licenced firearms owners accountable for the actions of someone else. But the Minister refuses to accept accountability for the actions of his people.

Tell Mr Nash what you think about his smears

We suggest you take a moment today or over the weekend to call your local talkback station, or your local Labour MP and tell them politely that you’re supporting COLFO’s Fair and Reasonable campaign and resent the way the Government is treating good, honest, and law-abiding firearms users like you and I.

But unlike Mr Nash – don’t resort to name-calling or abuse. Show New Zealanders that we're not the people Mr Nash is trying to paint us as.

Thank you for your support.

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Looks like Germany/EU Overlords really hate gun owners and archers:

The EU directive includes limits on magazines but also leaves some wiggle room for exceptions.

The proposed German law would not make use of said exceptions but instead outright ban "large" capacity magazines. Magazines are currently not regulated at all in Germany and freely available for anybody to purchase, but would become prohibited items and ownership a felony. Sports shooters would no longer be able to compete internationally in dynamic disciplines where these magazines are commonly used. Also, if multiple calibres fit in the same magazine or magazines fit in different types of guns (e.g. pistols and pistol calibre carbines), the ban is based on the smallest calibre.

Furthermore, to get a license in Germany you must show a "need", i.e. hunting, sports shooting or collecting. For sports shooters that meant to shoot regularly, meaning once a month or 18 times a year. Under the new law you would need to do that with EVERY firearm you own, which is pretty much impossible for the average shooter who owns 5-10 guns.

They also changed the wording so that said "need" no longer should but must be examined regularly by the authorities and your license now can be revoked on a whim if a clerical assistant deems you unreliable or unfit to own a firearm - no further proof needed, just some civil servants discretion.

On top of that they for some reason included crossbows in the law, meaning in the future you'll need a license for an item anybody can buy nowadays .

There's more but I guess these are the main points of contention.

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And that's why people like Joerg Sprave exist:

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[Junglejim]

So what will the germans do about it?

 

[primer]

Grumble after they loose their guns.

 

[colin traveller]

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Bad news for Canadian gun owners:

Ottawa committed to banning type of rifle used in Polytechnique shooting, Trudeau says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to ban the type of rifle used in the École Polytechnique shooting as part of the government’s planned crackdown on “military-style assault rifles.”

In remarks to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the massacre, Mr. Trudeau told the House of Commons, “we will strengthen gun laws and ban the type of weapon used at École Polytechnique. These weapons, designed to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time, have no place in our communities, in our streets, in our country.”

On Dec. 6, 1989, a lone gunman walked into an engineering classroom at Montreal’s École Polytechnique and declared his hatred for feminists before killing 14 women using a Ruger Mini-14 rifle and a hunting knife.

The semi-automatic rifle held 30-round magazines and fired .223 Remington ammo originally designed for military combat. In the days after the shooting, a group of survivors began advocating for a ban on all semi-automatic rifles, which fire one round with every pull of the trigger without having to manually chamber a new round.

Throughout the 1990s, the survivors’ push gained traction with Ottawa. Governments passed new gun laws that limited rifle magazines to five rounds, created a long-gun registry and placed onerous restrictions and prohibitions on models of firearms “not reasonably used in hunting.”

But the Mini-14 largely circumvented those efforts. Many enthusiasts consider the rifle ideal for hunting small game. With its polished wooden stock, the standard Mini-14 also looks more like a traditional hunting rifle than a modern black rifle, such as the AR-15.

Ottawa committed to banning type of rifle used in Polytechnique shooting, Trudeau says

In remarks to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the shooting, the Prime Minister said these weapons ‘have no place in our communities, in our streets, in our country’

www.theglobeandmail.com

Canada's pope of feminism is using an incident from 30 years ago to ban an entire firearm family.

Blair says prohibited gun list coming 'as quickly as possible'

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says a list of military-style assault weapons that will be prohibited in Canada will be released "as quickly as possible," although he did not offer a more precise timeframe.

Answering questions about the Liberal government's plans for tighter gun control measures on the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, Blair said the government is committed to ending gun violence.

Blair said he's developing a list of prohibited weapons that will include specific makes, models and descriptions. He added, however, that he did not want to say yet which guns are going on the list, to avoid a spike in sales before the ban takes effect.

"What I do not want to precipitate is individuals going out and acquiring those weapons before the publishing of that list," he said, adding that a "very clearly articulated list" of prohibited weapons will be coming "as quickly as possible."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-montreal-massacre-speeches-1.5386610

This is so amusing, most of Canada's gun homicides are the result of ILLEGAL HANDGUNS.

But no, instead of focusing on cracking down on indigenous gangs smuggling firearms into Canada, let's crack down on the 2.2 million Canadian gun owners who keep jumping through more hoops to comply with new laws.
....................
I sense a not-too-subtle hatred of legal firearm owners.

Particularity, in nations with high firearm ownership and low homicides.

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

I've been looking through the top five likely Dem Candidates for President and their gun talking points.

Out of all of them, Bernie Sanders is the least offensive from my POV and his plans are still fairly assinine.

The bloody Socialist has the least offensive gun policy compared to the other Democratic Party field.

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Two Virginia counties just declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, joining more than 40 other counties across the state that have passed such resolutions in recent weeks

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To put matters in perspective, Virginia has 95 counties.

 

[digrar]

Rural conservatives v metropolitan liberals going head to head again.

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Rural conservatives v metropolitan liberals going head to head again.

Indeed and local law enforcement are promising to deputize thousands of gun owners to protect their rights.

Virginia Sheriff vows to deputize residents in response to potential gun restrictions

"My office will always encourage and support our citizens in firearms training, concealed carry permits, and the ability to defend themselves and their families," he continued. "I remain very optimistic that our General Assembly will not pass the proposed bills. Obviously, if passed, there are many of us willing to challenge these laws through the courts. In addition, if necessary, I plan to properly screen and deputize thousands of our law-abiding citizens to protect their constitutional right to own firearms."

Virginia Sheriff vows to deputize residents in response to potential gun restrictions

"I plan to properly screen and deputize thousands of our law-abiding citizens to protect their constitutional right to own firearms."

www.wdbj7.com

......

Biker Gang Leader's DIY Guns Are Part of a Predictable Prohibition Story

From Australia to Massachusetts, illegal gun makers step in to supply what legal markets aren’t allowed to produce.

That's certainly been the case in Australia, whose relatively restrictive gun laws make many American political hopefuls swoon over dreams of licensing and confiscation. There, motorcycle gangs have evolved into sophisticated crime syndicates, and they've taken to manufacturing their own weapons. That often means submachine guns, sometimes in wholesale lots, as well as firearms disguised as pens and key fobs.

"Drivers for domestic illicit manufacture of (submachine guns) include their lethality, compact size and the fact that fully functioning submachine guns are not, and never have been, available to licensed firearm owners in Australia," according to the Australian Crime Commission (now folded into the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission). "The simplicity of design of single-shot pen guns and key rings and the potential for concealment will continue to act as a driver for continued illicit manufacture of these firearms."

"Sub-machine guns are perhaps the most widely documented craft-produced small arms in circulation," reports the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey. "Their high rate of fire and low cost make them attractive to organized criminal groups."

Ease of manufacture is another attraction of submachine guns. Many designs dating to World War II were specifically intended to be knocked out under the crudest possible conditions.

"A drill press, some welding equipment and blueprints from the internet are all that's needed to create one of these potentially devastating weapons, a fact that presents a real challenge for Israel and countries around the world that are trying to prevent such guns from winding up in the hands of terrorists and criminals," the Times of Israel noted three years ago about the proliferation of illegally manufactured submachine guns.

Submachine guns are the products of choice for Brazil's underground manufacturers, who have developed a remarkably supportive community despite their competitive efforts.

"Amateur gunsmiths exchange experiences, tips, and information about parts, weld types, and techniques openly in forums and comment sections. Knowledge exchange contributes to improved weapons manufacturing. In some cases, the differentiation between an artisanal weapon and an industrial weapon only comes from expert work," the BBC reported earlier this year (translated from Portuguese).

Biker Gang Leader's DIY Guns Are Part of a Predictable Prohibition Story

As a convicted felon, Bruce Sartwell isn't legally allowed to own firearms. But the regional president of the Outlaws Motorcycle…

reason.com

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

After Monday Votes, Nearly 60 Second Amendment Sanctuaries In VA

The wave of support for the Second Amendment continues unabated in Virginia, even as Governor Ralph Northam is trying to tamp down the energy by offering up a slight concession to gun owners in the form of a grandfather clause in his proposed gun ban. Thirteen more counties and cities across the state adopted Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions on Monday, and more than two dozen localities and counties are set to discuss or vote on their own resolutions today.

After Monday Votes, Nearly 60 Second Amendment Sanctuaries In VA

According to the Virginia Citizens Defense League, the following communities all passed resolutions

bearingarms.com

 

[Junglejim]

Sometimes our politicians actually think... it used to be every two years for the license and yearly for the Permit to carry

Under the measure, the registration of a firearm shall be renewed every five years from the birthdate of the licensee.

"Failure to renew the registration of the firearm on or before the date of its expiration shall cause the revocation of the license. The said firearm shall be confiscated or forfeited in favor of the government after due process," according to the bill.

The measure further extends the validity of permit to carry firearms outside of residence from one year to two years "from the date of the approval of the application, unless sooner revoked or suspended."

"We are for the promotion of safety measures. We are for the protection of our people. But surely, and that is what this bill ensures, it would be better if it would not take a mountain of work for us to do so," he added.

Press Release - PRIB: Senate passes bill seeking to extend validity of firearms licenses

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Nice to see foreign politicians actually stand up for gun owners.

Update for Virginia:

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That has to be 75% of the state now. Guess those VA Democrats woke a sleeping giant.

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Update in Virginia:

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That’s around 80+ out of 95 counties that have become gun sanctuaries.

Oh and get this, VA Democrats have threatened to send the National Guard to put down these rebellious peasants.

Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill say local police who do not enforce gun control measures likely to pass in Virginia should face prosecution and even threats of the National Guard.

After November’s Virginia Legislature elections that led to Democrats taking control of both chambers, the gun control legislation proposed by some Democrats moved forward, including universal background checks, an “assault weapons” ban, and a red flag law.

Democratic Virginia Rep. Donald McEachin suggested cutting off state funds to counties that do not comply with any gun control measures that pass in Richmond.
“They certainly risk funding, because if the sheriff’s department is not going to enforce the law, they’re going to lose money. The counties’ attorneys offices are not going to have the money to prosecute because their prosecutions are going to go down,” he said.
McEachin also noted that Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam could call the National Guard, if necessary

‘The law is the law’: Virginia Democrats float prosecution and National Guard deployment if police don’t enforce gun control - Washington Examiner

Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill say local police who do not enforce gun control measures likely to pass in Virginia should face prosecution and even threats of the National Guard.After November's Virginia Legislature elections that led to Democrats taking control of both chambers, the gun...

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Threatening gun owners and supporters like this is EXACTLY why the gun sanctuary movement got started. Now you threaten to escalate into an insurgency or even civil war?

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Update from Virginia:

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[muck]

Looks like Germany/EU Overlords really hate gun owners and archers:

The drafted bill was to exceed the requirements of the EU firearms directive by orders of magnitude. Luckily, it's been defeated in the legal committe.

The governmental majority in Germany's lower house of parliament has passed a toned-down version today; the upper house's consent is a mere matter of form at this point.
Interestingly enough, the left and the greens abstained from voting; the liberal democrats and the conservative right voted against it. The bill was carried entirely by parties supposedly of the political centre, which is quite bizarre.

Here are the bill's keystones.

• The regular background check is now to include a mandatory extremism database query. This database includes people suspected of having engaged in politically or religiously motivated crime beyond the boundaries of Germany's jurisdiction (e.g. in Syria) as well as known members of extremist organisations. (It's worth mentioning at this point this ominous predicate is not handed out arbitrarily; the status is similar to the United States' list of terrorist organisations. It is declared by a governmental resolution which can be contested in a court of law.) I don't mind this part much.
• The law already requires gun owners to produce a so called "proof of need"; in daily practice, a "proof of need" exists if the applicant provides documentation they're either an active hunter (*), a competitive shooter, a member of an association cultivating folklore or a weapons collector. The authorities have the right to validate the applicant's proof of need.
  • Under the new law, they're required to validate the applicant's proof of need. The rather draconian measure of annual validations for every gun owned has been dropped, though. Instead, a singular review is to be held after five years. Luckily, the method of demonstration remains unchanged, so the amount of red tape coming our way remains the same. Applicants who've held the proof of need for more than ten years will be made exempt from any further requirements. That's good news.
• Under the new law, the magazine size of semi-automatic weapons will be capped to twenty rounds of ammunition. A gun owner can apply for an exemption, though, which must be granted to competitive shooters and owners of firearms for which no other magazine sizes are sold. That's still better than an outright prohibition.
• The margin of discretion of the firearms authorities has not been widened, which was the most worrying aspect of the entire draft. Applicants who meet the legal requirements continue to have a right to be granted a licence.
• The new law orders the state to introduce a national firearms registry. This sounds way more problematic than it really is, as each federal state already maintains such a registry in all but name. The reform merely amalgamates the sixteen individual databases into one.
• The new law outlaws the carrying of knives (except items like multi-tools) in public zones designated by a municipial council, e.g. malls, nightlife districts or open-air events.

I will fully admit things have turned out better than expected (particularly for a friday the thirteenth). In fairness, they actually tried to meet gun owners half way and accomodate our concerns.

Maybe they felt embarassed. The committe hearings were very revealing in this regard; it became very clear a couple of times that the consequences of the draft had not been considered.

More good news comes from my home state of Bavaria, where an attempt to bring down a subset of special regulations was defeated in court today. Silencers are now not longer forbidden in these parts and can be purchased following the acquisition of a licence.

(*) I seem to remember someone asked me about this earlier. In order to hunt in Germany, you'll require a permit – a process which actually predates all gun control laws. It's acuired from a hunters confraternity, which will provide firearms proficiency training, legal schooling and (obviously) knowledge in the arts of hunting, traditional gamekeeping and forest tending.​

​

However, the country is densely populated hence divided into hunting grounds. A hunting ground can be bought by one or a group of hunters which thereby acquire ownership of all wildlife in that area. In other words, every head of deer and boar in this country belongs to somebody and even if you've got a permit you can't legally hunt without holding a hunting ground or being allowed access to someone else's. Only they make you an "active" hunter in the eye of the law.​

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Thank you Muck, you're doing God's work there in Deutschland.

BTW, are crossbows still a-okay without a license?

 

[muck]

Yes, crossbows are still legal and unregulated.

 

[riderboy]

I've been looking through the top five likely Dem Candidates for President and their gun talking points.

Out of all of them, Bernie Sanders is the least offensive from my POV and his plans are still fairly assinine.

The bloody Socialist has the least offensive gun policy compared to the other Democratic Party field.

I can't even look at the Democrat field. You're much braver than I am. The stupid is just too much. The pain is just too great.