Despite last-minute efforts by their authors to secure passage, three proposed California laws restricting gun rights went down to defeat yesterday in Sacramento. Tuesday, August 31st, was the final day this year’s session of the California Legislature could pass new laws.
The fight went all the way to the midnight deadline for passage, but AB 1810, AB 1934, and AB 2358 were defeated — at least for this year. As the clock ticked down to midnight, the bills’ sponsors could not secure enough votes to pass the bills. In a state where Democratic Party legislators have rammed through anti-gun bills year after year, this is a significant victory for firearms rights. All three of these bills posed a fundamental threat to the rights of gun owners.
AB 1810 — Mandatory Registration of Long Guns
If enacted, Assembly Bill 1810 would have required registration of rifles and shotguns in the same way handguns are now registered in California. Under current law, the information collected at the time of purchase of a rifle or shotgun (serial number, make, and model) is destroyed after the background check is completed. AB 1810 would have required that the make, model, and serial number of the firearm, as well as the identifying information of the purchaser, be recorded and kept on file by the California Department of Justice.
AB 1934 — Prohibition of Open Carry of Unloaded Handguns
AB 1934 would have deleted provisions of current California law that allows an unloaded firearm to be carried openly in a belt holster. With some important restrictions, “Open Carry” remains legal in many areas of California. Organized “open carry” gatherings by Second Amendment supporters drew media attention, putting this issue in the limelight. Anti-gunners simply could not tolerate the idea that someone could carry a firearm in public places without going to jail. AB 1934 would basically place the entire state “off-limits” to open carry, eliminating a long-standing right in California.
AB 2358 — Collection of Information on Ammunition Purchasers
AB 2358 would have required that ammunition vendors provide detailed information on ammo sales to local law enforcement if required by city or county ordinance records. In addition to records of the date and type of ammo purchased, AB 2358 would force ammunition vendors to give police the names, address, and other personal information of all ammo purchasers. AB 2358 would have also allowed uncontrolled expansion of city and county ordinances requiring handgun ammunition vendors to transmit all information collected relating to sales of handgun ammunition and some rifle cartridges to local law enforcement agencies.
We applaud the California Legislators who voted against these three bills. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a change in the Golden State — perhaps inspired by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that the Second Amendment protects the right of ALL Americans to keep and bear arms. We also commend the work of the California Rifle & Pistol Association, whose staffers organized opposition to AB 1810, AB 1934, and AB 2358. For all friends of the Second Amendment, and for all Californians involved in the shooting sports, this is a time to celebrate.
The CMP announced it has SOLD OUT of M1 carbines except for a few reserved for its auction program. CMP officials state: “At this time, we have no reason to expect to receive more”. However the CMP still has a few hundred M1 Carbine stripped Barreled Recievers, item number R017BRZ, left from the CMP’s inspection and repair operations. The barreled actions will cost $125 each plus $12.95 S&H each. For more information, visit the CMP Carbine Page. Choice of manufacturer is luck of the draw.
Garand Receivers Offered for Sale
CMP has once again accumulated enough Grade B receivers to offer them for sale. The stripped M1 Garand receivers are SA manufacture, recently refinished and parkerized. These can be the starting point for a Garand match rifle project. The Garand stripped receivers, item RMIRECSAB, cost $195.00 + $9.95 S&H per receiver.
M14 Parts Kits for Upgrading M1As
The CMP has acquired a large quantity of M14 parts and assembled a few hundred Grade A kits which are now being offered for sale. Each Kit includes every semi-auto part except barrel, bolt and receiver. Metallic parts will show signs of use and may have some minor rust or pitting. Stocks may have some dents and dings and minor cracks. Stocks may be walnut, hardwood, or synthetic. Item number is PSM1AKIT. Price is $600 per kit plus $22.95 shipping.
NOTE: If you have a Springfield M1A you may want to order this kit to upgrade to superior USGI components. This Editor’s M1A would not run reliably until the sand-cast Springfield op rod was replaced with a forged USGI op rod. Likewise you may want to replace the Springfield front gas black with genuine USGI parts.
Here is some good news from Washington for a change. Perhaps motivated by official protests from the NSSF and hunting groups across the nation, the EPA announced on July 27th that it has rejected the petition from five environmental groups to ban bullets and ammunition that contain lead. The petition sought to ban lead-based ammo under the federal Toxic Substances Act. The EPA’s surprising reversal came just days after the EPA had invited public comments on the proposed ban.
EPA Lacks Jurisdiction to Ban Hunting Ammunition
In a letter to the petitioners, the EPA declared that it had no jurisdiction under the Toxic Substances Act to order or enforce a ban on bullets and ammo containing lead.
This should put to rest the challenge to lead bullets and ammunition — for the time being. However, the EPA announced it is still reviewing the environmental groups’ request to ban lead fishing sinkers.
From the Nat’l Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Lisa Jackson, who was responsible for banning bear hunting in New Jersey, is now considering a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) — a leading anti-hunting organization — to ban all traditional ammunition under the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976, a law in which Congress expressly exempted ammunition.
Environmental activists want to ban lead shot, lead-core bullets, and even fishing sinkers. If the EPA approves the petition, the result [could] be a total ban on all ammunition containing lead-core components, including hunting and target-shooting rounds (even rimfire ammo). The EPA must decide to accept or reject this petition by November 1, 2010, the day before the midterm elections.
From 8/26/2010 through 10/31/2010, the EPA is inviting comments on the Ammo Ban Petition. The NSSF urges hunters and shooters to submit comments to the EPA opposing any ban on traditional ammunition. Remember, your right to choose the ammunition you hunt and shoot with is at stake.
The EPA has published the petition and relevant supplemental information as Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0681. To read the original petition and see the contents of this docket folder, CLICK HERE. To go directly to the ‘comment’ page for this docket number, please CLICK HERE.
What You Can Do to Help
1. Submit a comment to the EPA opposing the Ban. CLICK HERE to COMMENT.
2. Contact your congressman and senators and urge them to stop the EPA from banning ammunition.
3. Contact Lisa Jackson directly to voice your opposition to the ban:
Lisa P. Jackson
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 564-4700
Fax: (202) 501-1450
Email: jackson.lisa@epa.gov
Leupold has launched a dedicated website to educate hunters and shooters about the Custom Dial System (CDS™) feature for VX-3® riflescopes. The innovative CDS system is darn clever. Basically what Leupold has done is create calibrated elevation knobs that allow hunters and varminters to simply dial the yardage to their targets, rather than input a specific number of clicks. For example, to shoot a buck at 300 yards, you simply rotate the elevation turret to “3” on the scale. CDS helps hunters and shooters get on target at any range, with any load, by matching their scopes to the ballistics of their ammunition.
Leupold’s CDS system is a user-friendly invention that can really simplify shooting at multiple yardages. The big single-digit Arabic numerals on the elevation dial correspond to 100-yard intervals, while the smaller numbers show 50-yard intervals. (Click values are otherwise 1/4-MOA.) No longer do you have to remember specific come-ups for particular distances. For the CDS system to work correctly however, your load’s ballistics must match a set of master loads that Leupold uses to calibrate the dial scales. Hunters using most common cartridges should find a calibrated load that matches their muzzle velocity and bullet BC. CDS turrets are available on these scopes: VX-3 3.5-10x40mm, VX-3 3.5-10x50mm, VX-3 4.5-14x40mm, VX-3L 3.5-10x50mm and VX-3L 4.5-14x50mm.
Free CDS Calibrated Dials with Purchase of VX-3 Scopes
Leupold’s CDS system is explained at www.leupold.com/VX-3CDS. Visitors to the VX-3 CDS webpage will find an educational video and graphics, an overview of how the system works and its advantages, and details on a special offer. With the purchase of any VX-3 CDS riflescope, shooters receive two customized, ballistically-matched adjustment dials ($100 retail value) at no extra cost. This offer ends December 31, 2010. Click the image below to learn more (turn down your speakers before clicking as a loud video will auto-play).
Multi-Gun Competition is fast and exciting. With plenty of action and lots of fire-power, multi-gun matches are crowd-pleasing events that play well on television. The 3-Gun Nation TV show has been a popular addition to the Versus Channel this year. 3-Gun Nation culminates its inaugural season on September 13 with the 3GN Championship at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club in North Las Vegas, where the top 3-gunners in the country will battle for $40,000 in cash prizes.
Immediately preceding the 3-Gun Nation Champsionship, the 4-day USPSA Multi-Gun World Championships will be held September 9-12 at the same Desert Sportsman’s Club Range. Shooters will compete in five divisions: Standard, Standard Tactical, Open, Heavy Metal Standard, and Heavy Metal Tactical. AccurateShooter.com will be on hand to cover the action.
Ozarks 3-Gun Match in Missouri — Watch the Video
Just a few days after the Vegas Multi-Gun Comps, the Adams Arms Ozark 3-Gun Championship will be held September 24-26, 2010, near the Lake of Ozarks in the heart of Missouri. Check out the very cool video below for a preview of the action. (You may want to turn down your speakers at work.)
Nearly 230 shooters will compete during this 3-day competition with nine stages of fire. Stages feature the natural terrain and hills of the Ozark Mountains on 1,000 acres of land. “We like to be challenging, but fun,” said Match Director Kirk Broyles. “We want to make sure the most experienced shooters are challenged and enjoy the match, but that new shooters can compete and won’t be overwhelmed.” Run by the Adams Arms Shooting Team, the Ozark 3-Gun Championship held its first competition just last year. The match gained NRA-sanctioning in 2010.
by Lars Dalseide, NRA Blog
Bob Gustin of Cameron Park, California, didn’t set out to establish a new record at the 2010 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships in Camp Perry, Ohio — so he set two. One as part of a team and one all on his own. “Guess it was my time,” Gustin mused. “After 46 years of shooting here at Camp Perry, I should have set a record at something.”
First on the agenda was the Palma Individual title. That’s fifteen shots from 800, 900, and 1000 yards. And how many times did Bob drop out of the ten ring? Not once. “I cleaned it,” said Gustin. “I’ve shot a perfect round before, but never with this many Xs.”
Bob’s 450-33X score beat the old Camp Perry National Championship mark by six Xs. The previous record of 450-27X was held by Bob’s Palma teammate Nancy Tompkins-Gallagher. Just to show there were no hard feelings, Nancy and her daughter Michelle Gallagher joined Bob along with Bryan Litz to set a new Palma Team Match record of 1796-119x.
Gustin Sets Camp Perry Record After Decades in the Sport
Bob started shooting on the smallbore range. Then, in 1980, he switched to reserve shooting with the service rifle section until ultimately moving to High Power in 1990. Now, twenty years later, he’s perfected the shot and found more time for the range. After retiring from a 31-year stint on the California Highway Patrol, Bob now gets to do what he really loves.
“I shoot,” Gustin laughed. “Well, I also drive my wife around in our motor home. Last place we saw was Shipshewana, Indiana. There’s a nice Amish community there that she likes to visit for the quilting, the food and the people.” But Bob always finds a time for practice: “I just like shooting. It’s fun and you meet a lot of interesting people. Especially here at Perry.”
Historical Note: Bob’s 450-35x is a record for the Palma match at the Camp Perry National Championships. However, the absolute National Record for any American Palma Match still belongs to John Corning. John fired a 450-39x at Forbes Range, Colonie, NY in 2007.
K.C. Wins A Tough Match on Home Turf
K.C. Eusebio, who grew up in Southern California, returned to his home turf to capture the Men’s Championship at the 2010 Steel Challenge this weekend in Piru, CA. This was K.C.’s third overall win at the Steel Challenge. Trailing Team Glock’s Dave Sevigny for much of the match, K.C. pulled ahead in the final three stages to capture the Overall title, his third Steel Challenge Championship, with an 80.27 second total time. Right behind was Sevigny at 82.84. That was an impressive performance considering Dave was running a modified Glock against “full-race” 1911 customs, some of which cost $3500 or more. Even more amazing was the legendary Jerry Miculek, who finished third shooting a Smith & Wesson revolver with iron sights. Jerry’s total time was 83.88.
Jessie Abbate Wins 3rd Steel Challenge
In the womens’ Division, new Team Smith & Wesson shooter Jessie Abbate of Georgia won her second consecutive womens’ Steel Challenge Championship, and the third in her career. In addition to winning the overall title, Abbate won the Ladies Steel Master title which represents the best combined score of the Open, Limited, and Rimfire events. Jessie won the Rimfire event on Day 1, having the best time on all but one of the eight stages. After that Jessie was locked in a tough battle with her S&W teammate Julie Golob, who captured the Limited Event on Friday (Day 2). In a video interview with AccurateShooter.com, Abbate confessed to being “off her mental game” on Day 2, but she pulled it all together on Saturday (Day 3), capturing the Ladies Overall and Steel Master titles. Kay Miculek, a seven-time Women’s World Speed Shooting Champion, finished second. Watch the video below for a lengthy interview with Jessie.
Young Guns Rise to the Top
This 2010 Steel Challenge showcased rising young stars. K.C. Eusebio recently left the USAMU to enroll in college. Though he no longer has the time or resources to train and compete as often as he could with the USAMU, K.C.’s skills haven’t declined. A past winner of the Steel Challenge, K.C. was fast on all stages and he even nailed a new world record on the Speed Option stage. K.C. rose to the challenge in this match, outshooting defending Steel Challenge champ Max Michel, who had not lost a match all year. We talked at some length with K.C.’s father, who was happy to have a chance to be with his son again: “K.C. left the Army because he wanted to complete his college education. He’s doing that in Georgia, so we still don’t get to see him that much. But it is great to see K.C. shooting in California again, and winning again.”
NOTE: The video has loud gunshot noise. Turn down your speakers if at work.
Oregon Teen Wins Rimfire Event
Another up-and-comer in the mens’ ranks is 17-year-old Ryan Leonard from Oregon. Ryan took the rimfire title, beating all the older sponsored pros in the process. Ryan finished tenth overall (among all competitors) to win the Junior World Speed Shooting title. Ryan has speed to burn and exceptional accuracy. Ryan actually prefers centerfire handgunning, but he obviously knows how to get the most out of the low-recoil rimfire pistols (Ryan shoots a modified Ruger MKII). When asked for his secret of success, Ryan smiled and said: “Don’t miss — Shoot the best you can, but don’t miss.” Ryan is a gifted student-athlete, currently taking college courses while completing his high school education. We expect Ryan to be a major player in the speed-shooting game in the years ahead. He is skilled, dedicated, and gifted with exceptionally fast reflexes.
From Top Shot to the Steel Challenge
If there was a crowd favorite among all the competitors it might be J.J. Racaza who was one of the strongest competitors on the History Channel’s popular new Top Shot TV show. A blazing fast shooter who exhibited the ability to learn new skills quickly (such as archery and knife-throwing), many viewers favored J.J. to win the whole competition. He was the most consistent performer on the “Blue Team” throughout the show.
J.J. was among the last three competitors on Top Shot, but lost in a shoot-out where the three finalists got to choose their weapons and targets. J.J. told us this involved a great deal of strategy, because each pistol and rifle used on the show had quirks that the competitors had to log into memory: “You needed to know the dope on each gun. One rifle, for example, shot 6″ low at 100 yards, while one of the pistols shot low left. You had to recall those things or you didn’t have a chance.” A true competitor, J.J. was disappointed that he didn’t win the $100K Top Shots prize, but he said that the experience was memorable: “I walked away … empty-handed but I walked with a lot of lessons, and a lot of friends too.”
Luckygunner.com is a rapidly-growing ammo and shooting supplies vendor with a unique business model. Luckygunner.com guarantees that all products displayed on its website are in stock. Using an advanced “real-time” inventory system, Luckygunner.com promises that “what you see is what we’ve got.” You can count on receiving your order within a few days, and not be caught in the uncertainty and delays of back-ordering.
LuckyGunner.com to Sell Firearms Soon
LuckyGunner.com recently obtained its Federal Firearms License (FFL) and plans to begin offering firearms for sale on its website in the coming weeks. Luckygunner is expanding to sell firearms (through local FFLs) in response to customer requests. The same In Stock-Shipping policy applies to all LuckyGunner.com inventory — including firearms. Luckygunner.com promises: “If you see it on our website, it will be in stock and ready to ship. Every time. No exceptions.” When you order before 3pm EST on a business day, your order will ship the very same day.
NOTE: Purchasers do not receive firearms directly. The buyer provides contact info for a licensed firearms dealer (FFL) in the buyer’s vicinity. The firearms are shipped to the FFL, and the buyer must then comply with all Federal, state, and local laws before taking possession of the gun(s).
The Montana NW 1000-Yard Benchrest Club held its annual Championship at the Deep Creek Range near Missoula, Montana last weekend August 13-15. A record number of shooters attended. The winds were strong and shifty at times, and were “not typical Deep Creek conditions” according to Tom Mousel, the overall Two-Gun Winner. Despite the challenging conditions (some shooters had trouble staying on paper), competitors went home happy as match organizers gave out over $21,500.00 worth of prizes. All 56 shooters left with a prize, and many of the top competitors came home with a brand new Nightforce scope. Top shooters included: 2-Gun Champion – Tom Mousel (Kalispell, MT); Heavy Gun Winner – Ed Janikowsky (Kalispell, MT); 17 lb. Class Winner – Leo Anderson (Kalispell, MT); and 11 lb. Class Winner – Duane Capehart (Sula, MT).
Over the course of the weekend, despite the difficult winds, some great groups and scores were shot. Richard Schatz of Bismark, ND, nailed a 100 score/5.502″ group on Saturday, and Scott Nix of Whitefish, MT, shot a remarkable 100 score/4.556″ group on Sunday. Both men were shooting 6mm Dashers. Schatz got his 100 in a Heavy Gun Relay (though his rifle is not a true Heavy), while Nix shot his century score in 17-lb. Relay. Two-Gun Overall Champ Tom Mousel shot a 6mm Dasher in both 17-lb and Heavy Gun Classes. Tom’s match-winning and record-setting Dasher features a Stiller Viper Drop-port action, Krieger 8-twist barrel, Nightforce scope, and Shehane Tracker stock. Tom’s gun was smithed by Montana gunsmith John King (King Machine). Tom shoots Berger 105gr VLDs, pushed by a stout load of H4895, with CCI 400 primers. Tom has at least 12 firings on his Lapua cases, which he anneals every 3-4 firings with a Bench-Source annealing machine.
6mm Dashers Dominate 2010 Montana 1000-Yard Championship
Missoula’s Deep Creek Range is definitely “Dasher Country” and the diminutive 6mmBR Improved cartridge totally dominated the event. Consider this, four out of the top five places in the two-gun overall were shot with Dashers (Barry Bluhm was 5th overall with a 6-6.5×47). All of the top five places in Heavy Gun were Dashers, and in the 17-lb Class, again Dashers were first through fourth, with Bluhm’s 6-6.5×47 in fifth. After the match Barry told us: “You know, my 6-6.5×47 is shooting well, but I’m thinking of going to the Dasher when it’s time to re-barrel. I’m tired of getting beat by them.” The performance of the little cartridge is pretty remarkable, when you consider this entire match is shot at 1000 yards. Check out the equipment list for Saturday’s Heavy Gun Relays 1 & 2 (below). The fact that the “top guns” are running the little Dashers, even in an unlimited weight class, speaks volumes. While other larger cartridges offer superior ballistics at 1K, the Dasher is “inherently accurate”, and its low recoil allows the best shooters to fire ten rounds in well under 30 seconds. When you can nail ten shots all in the same condition, the Dasher is hard to beat.
Despite last-minute efforts by their authors to secure passage, three proposed California laws restricting gun rights went down to defeat yesterday in Sacramento. Tuesday, August 31st, was the final day this year’s session of the California Legislature could pass new laws. 
Garand Receivers Offered for Sale
Here is some good news from Washington for a change. Perhaps motivated by official protests from the NSSF and hunting groups across the nation, the EPA announced on July 27th that it has rejected the petition from five environmental groups to ban bullets and ammunition that contain lead. The petition sought to ban lead-based ammo under the federal Toxic Substances Act. The EPA’s surprising reversal came just days after the EPA had invited public comments on the proposed ban.
From the Nat’l Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)
Leupold’s CDS system is a user-friendly invention that can really simplify shooting at multiple yardages. The big single-digit Arabic numerals on the elevation dial correspond to 100-yard intervals, while the smaller numbers show 50-yard intervals. (Click values are otherwise 1/4-MOA.) No longer do you have to remember specific come-ups for particular distances. For the CDS system to work correctly however, your load’s ballistics must match a set of master loads that Leupold uses to calibrate the dial scales. Hunters using most common cartridges should find a calibrated load that matches their muzzle velocity and bullet BC. CDS turrets are available on these scopes: VX-3 3.5-10x40mm, VX-3 3.5-10x50mm, VX-3 4.5-14x40mm, VX-3L 3.5-10x50mm and VX-3L 4.5-14x50mm.
Multi-Gun Competition is fast and exciting. With plenty of action and lots of fire-power, multi-gun matches are crowd-pleasing events that play well on television. The 3-Gun Nation TV show has been a popular addition to the Versus Channel this year. 3-Gun Nation culminates its inaugural season on September 13 with the 3GN Championship at the 
by Lars Dalseide, 
K.C. Wins A Tough Match on Home Turf
Jessie Abbate Wins 3rd Steel Challenge
From Top Shot to the Steel Challenge
LuckyGunner.com to Sell Firearms Soon
